Now that the holidays are officially over, and the days are getting longer, it’s time to turn your focus from shopping for other people to shopping for yourself. Late winter is the perfect time to revitalize your wardrobe and get ready for spring. The big question on every fashion-forward gal’s mind: What trends are hot this season? Last year, it was all about fussy fabrics and flouncy details, which made it hard to wear bold jewelry, which couldn’t compete. This year, all the pomp has been relegated to the back of the fashion closet, and style gurus, including me, are calling for clean, classic lines with little or no fuss.

For jewelry lovers, this spring’s sleek fashion forecast is welcome news: The minimalist styles we’re seeing all over the hottest designer runways and in top fashion magazines’ spring fashion previews are the perfect blank canvases on which to showcase our most spectacular jewelry. Now is the time to add a few fun jewelry pieces to your collection and dust off pieces that have been in hiding in your jewelry box waiting for their time to shine.

As Clairee Belcher, Olympia Dukakis’s character in Steel Magnolias said, "The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize." Indeed. Without further ado, here are my top six jewelry looks for spring 2008, along with the celebs who love them.

1. The pendant necklace. Like a charm bracelet, a pendant necklace is the perfect accessory if you’re looking for something to personalize. Take a chain or cord, and add anything that will give the world a glimpse of your personal style. Whether it’s a pretty stone in your favorite color, a teardrop-shaped pearl or an item that means something to you such as your grandmother’s wedding ring, a peace symbol, locket, heart or other lucky talisman, you can thread it on a chain and make it the focal piece of your ensemble. Wear the necklace long if you want to draw the eye down and create the illusion of a longer neck, or shorter if you want to accent your face. Pair the pendant necklace with an open-necked oxford, a simple dress or a vee-neck top. Jennifer Aniston has long been a fan of the pendant necklace, which is a perfect accessory for her boho vibe. For a super modern take, do like Jessica Simpson does and display your pendant on a leather cord rather than a chain.

2. Layered necklaces. After several seasons in the spotlight, the layered necklace look is still going strong. Dare we say the style might even become a classic? It’s certainly interesting, giving the eye a lot to take in, and, because it’s versatile and the combinations are endless, it works well with many different types of necklines. To pull off the look, pair a shorter, 16- or 18-inch necklace with a much longer chain—or three. For added contrast, choose different thicknesses, metals or materials. For instance, pair a pearl pendant and a long, pearl-and-chain rope. So fun because it allows you to wear two or more of your favorite necklaces at once, the layered look is favored by fashion-forward celebs like Maria Menounos and Joy Bryant.

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