With the cool weather, I am always thrilled with the variety of textures that fall insinuates into our lives.  Great looking accessories are pulled out of our drawers: nubby scarves, rich leather hand bags and cozy mittens.  Beautiful fall-colored clothing comes out of storage- exciting after the siege of summer.  As in spring, the wonderful weather gives each of us a sense of renewal as we march into the holiday season.

Creating a fresh fall/winter look is easier than ever these days, and accessories are the name of the game.  With wonderful textiles in plentiful supply, a new scarf can resurrect a favorite jacket or outfit.  LowenHide and Spartina hand bags have tickled my fancy this season, with Spartina’s handsome fall prints and LouenHide’s luscious soft-to-the-touch barrel bags.  And at the international Folk Festival in Santa Fe this summer, I found some terrific wearable treasures from India as well.

As a buyer I am always looking for the best in all price ranges, and with this economy, I really look to cover all the bases in the wearable accessories that we offer.   What has caught my attention these past few years is how many really well made products are available at every price point.  With the cost of precious metals sky rocketing, some superb jewelry designers like Susan Shaw and Jill Fannin have put time and technology to work to make some extremely tasteful plated pieces.  Several other artists provide us with exquisitely fun jewelry using a wide variety of non-precious colorful materials.  One of the things I love best about my work is the surprise of discovering  new product lines in unexpected places.  For example, my niece from Santa Fe showed up to visit wearing a very distinctive Minetta sterling silver necklace that I could not take my eyes off of, and another evening  my neighbor arrived for a dinner party wearing some fantastic Alaya Barr earrings – River House now offers both lines! 

Picking up just a few great new accent pieces can make our trusty old wardrobes feel new again, and put a fresh lilt to our step.  So, what are you wearing?