ACCESSORIES ACCENT STYLE, COMPLETE THE LOOK

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, February 14, 1993                   TAG: 9302120160
SECTION: YOUR WEDDING                    PAGE: YW-10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: By ANNE PIEDMONT
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
ACCESSORIES ACCENT STYLE, COMPLETE THE LOOK
She's chosen her wedding gown: a family heirloom, or a new one that looks like it was made just for her. She's chosen her attendants' dresses and helped her mother pick out her dress. There's just one more thing she needs, to accent her own style and unite the whole look - accessories.
"It's worth investing in accessories to create the look you've chosen for your special day," said Cynthia Dillon, designer and owner of Design Accessories, a national manufacturer of wedding jewelry located in Roanoke.
The bride may be wearing a borrowed gown, or her mother's gown, but the jewelry will be hers alone. Dillon - and bridal retailers - can put together an ensemble of jewelry for the mothers, attendants and bride for all wedding-related outfits, from rehearsal dinner to going-away dress.
Design Accessories manufacturers two ready-to-wear lines coordinated with the colors and styles of two gown makers, and will customize jewelry for the bride and her party. Dillon's jewelry includes earrings, necklaces, broaches, shoeclips and button covers.
Hers is the last domestic firm specializing in wedding jewelry. It was born seven years ago from "a hobby that got out of hand," she said. The company ships all over the country and operates a small boutique on Luck Avenue in downtown Roanoke.
Dillon said the simple, elegant look is the most popular and that brides still prefer white jewelry, with a few choosing blue. For the attendants, however, the color choices are unlimited.
"We can go all out with any color," she said. When brides choose neutral or clear jewelry for their attendants, however, they are more likely to wear them again and again. She uses Swarovski Crystals, which allows Design Accessories to match the colors of most mothers' and attendants' dresses.
Dillon likened wedding jewelry to the finishing touch which pulls the whole wedding impression together and completes the desired look.
Design Accessories supports independent bridal retailers and the support and advice they can give a bride. That's why designer and owner Cynthia Dillon discourages brides from bypassing the retailer through transshipping and discounting.
Transshipping is the practice of some manufacturers of allowing their products to be bought through back-of-magazine advertisements. The bride may save money, Dillon noted, but receives no support - and sometimes, no product. If the product is the wrong color or size, often the bride has no recourse.
Likewise, warehouses offer no support. A bride may buy a gown at a great price, but will face the problems of alterations on her own. "The money you spend with a retailer buys you their support and expertise," Dillon noted.
"Avoid disappointment and heartache," she advised, "turn to the level-headed experience you find through a retailer."

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB