Big Girl in a Skinny World: Best Jewelry Picks

published 25 January 2010

Hello Ladies,

This week Rylee from Minneapolis, MN wrote in, saying:

Hey Ashley! I'm a plus size 16 year old, and I'm in love with jewelry. But it's so hard to find rings and bracelets that fit my chubby fingers and wrists! Can you point me in the direction of some cute finds that fit? Thank you! Rylee

Well Rylee, I can tell you that I too have chubster fingers and wrists. I can rarely find a ring or a bangle that fits...I've definitely had my finger stuck in a ring I tried squeezing into! The best things to remember when shopping are: 1) There are more options than you think (a little research goes a long way) and 2) Get creative and think outside the box.

There are quite a few options if you are looking for rings for chubbier fingers. Avenue.com offers an array of rings for any occasion. My current favorite is an Onyx 14k Gold-Plated Ring. Cocktail rings are also making a comeback. One that I love is the Padma's Purple Cocktail Ring available on Emitations.com. For a ring with a hand-made feel to it, try a Gold Textured Disc Ring from Torrid.com.

Do not force your hands into a bangle. A good option is a cuff, which you can buy at just about any store, plus-sized or not. The slit in the back of the cuff gives plus size girls like us the wiggle room we need. Alex and Ani make great bangles that fit any wrist. Celebrities and fashion editors alike love their line of bangles. I recently purchased their Mother of Pearl Expandable Wire Bangle Set. Lane Bryant has a 30 Piece Bangle Set, perfect for stacking and made to fit a bigger wrist.

On my lifelong quest to find amazing jewelry, I often encounter necklaces that would sooner choke me than make a great addition to my outfits. My solution to this: necklace extenders. It's a highly economical option (available on Amazon.com) that allow you to wear any necklace no matter how small. Too few links will not keep me from wearing a necklace I love.

Also Rylee, do not resort to only plus size destinations. I recently picked up a great cocktail ring at Banana Republic. Although I had to try on just about every ring they had in-store to find it, it was well worth the struggle. Remember to keep your options open!