French jewelry has been big and daring since maharajas and maharanis brought their precious stones to be set by renowned jewelers such as Frederic Boucheron, whose storefront is still on Paris’s Place Vendôme. His designs commanded attention, as did the costume gems they inspired. These, in turn, caught the eye of Carla Labat and, 12 years ago, led her to start a line of large-scale costume jewelry called Camille K, crafted in her petite atelier in Palo Alto. Her collections incorporate the vintage French trims, buttons, buckles, appliqués, sequins, beads, passementerie, ribbons, and big bijoux she collects from flea markets in Paris and restores. The result: boldly designed statement pieces. Labat explains how to carry off such jewelry with a certain je ne sais quoi.

What’s the first thing I need to know to wear large jewelry?
Look at your posture in the mirror. Stand up straight.

Then what?
Start with your first layer of undergarments. If you have a great-fitting bra, you’ll stand up straighter. To get fitted properly, go to Cadolle, the oldest corset maker in Paris. [Herminie Cadolle showed the first bra, called the corselet gorge, during the Exhibition of 1900.] Locally, I like ELA Lingerie in Menlo Park and Agent Provocateur in San Francisco.

What’s the next step?
Be realistic about your body type and know what will look good on you. Often, it’s either the slow lane or the fast lane: women think they’re bigger than they actually are, and their clothes are huge, or they think they’re smaller than they really are and wear tight things. Find a basic wardrobe that suits you and start experimenting with jewelry. You think you like small necklaces; then suddenly you try big pieces and want them.

How do you dress?
I love a simple backdrop for that one eye-popping piece of jewelry—Dries Van Noten has great simple pants to pair with fluid, feminine tops. I choose my accessory first. The jewelry reflects the mood. I have to have the right piece on, and it sets the tone. It’s like someone who loves to cook: they see beets and immediately think of a goat cheese salad and all the colors of the ingredients together.

Can I dress casually when wearing great jewelry? People love the look of women in Paris who have thrown on jeans, tied their hair into a loose knot, and put on beautiful Boucheron snake earrings. That’s all you need: fabulously fitting clothes with one great piece of jewelry, once you have confidence and have learned to hold yourself well.

So big jewelry isn’t just for special occasions? Wear things fearlessly and know that someday you’ll have to repair them.

How did you start acquiring large pieces of jewelry?
Ever since I was little, I’ve been wearing rings. But I wore dainty things when I was young and shy. After marrying a Frenchman, I

CAMILLE K, 441 CALIFORNIA ST., PALO ALTO, 650-380-9898, WWW.CAMILLEK.COM.