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NEW YORK, Sep 13 (Reuters) Fashion lovers will sport big, bold jewelry this spring -- often dangling charms featuring upscale brand names as they hope to stand out from the crowd, experts say.

''This season is about bold accessories. A lot of things are 'look-at-me' and over the top,'' said Alice Kim, InStyle magazine's accessories director, as New York's annual Fashion Week got under way.

Sandra Graham, jewelry style director for online auctioneer eBay Inc., said, ''It's no longer layers of little gold chains, it's statement pieces and there's nothing dainty about them.'' Even charm bracelets are coming in heavy gold and being combined with other large gold bracelets.

Charms allow shoppers to wear high-end designers such as Prada or Louis Vuitton, whose products they might not otherwise be able to afford.

A calfskin initial from Coach runs $28, compared with $200 to $1000 for a Coach purse. For those with a little more cash, there's Prada rabbit's foot for $295 or an 18-carat gold Louis Vuitton LV charm for $635. Pricey, yes, but a Louis Vuitton bag can fetch over $2,000 and a Prada bag more than $3,000.

Of course, Louis Vuitton is also selling a gold Eiffel Tower charm encrusted with diamonds for about $3,000.

''Women love to buy accessories,'' said clothes designer Tracy Reese, among the designers showing a line for next spring this week.

''It's another way to individualize your look.'' Retail marketing consultant Patricia Pao said design has become too bland. ''The reason I think there is no ''It'' bag or ''It'' shoe, is because I believe the fashion houses right now are suffering from a degree of sameness,'' she said.

Last year consumers bought luxury brands as an indulgence, but this year, faced with higher interest rates and a cooling housing market, they will want more affordable fashion, NPD Group analyst Marshal Cohen said.

But while the surge in popularity of charms can be good news for sales, it is not always helpful for a brand's image.

''The unfortunate downside is that (people) can hang (luxury brand charms) on a nine-dollar leather cellphone case,'' Graham said.

REUTERS PDM PM0957