Iris Apfel Jewelry Collection Proves Style is Less About Money, More About Attitude

— -- "Jewelry . . . is the most transformative thing in a woman's wardrobe," says Iris Apfel.

And when you meet the 93-year old style doyenne, you believe it.

It's hard to ignore the silver-haired woman whose oversized, round glasses remind you of an owl's preternaturally large eyes and whose arms are laden with bangles that practically explode in a riot of color.

Accessorizing with jewelry doesn't have to mean shelling out a lot of money, though. It's Fashion Week in New York, and Apfel is promoting her Rara Avis jewelry collection for HSN.com. It's probably safe to assume that the e-commerce site for the Home Shopping Network is not one that well-heeled fashionistas flock to when looking for style inspiration. Accessories are typically gold-plated instead of solid gold, to stay within accessible price points, and fashion bracelets and necklaces are usually made of resin instead of natural materials.

The site's large collection of jewelry when viewed in its entirety makes for a flashy and garish assortment. But dig a little deeper, and you'll find hidden treasures to potentially transform and elevate any outfit. The wallet-friendly prices don't hurt, either.

Apfel noted that getting dressed shouldn't have to cost a lot, "I don't have to buy jeans that cost $400, Home Shopping Jeans are good enough. They fit very well and they're made very well," she said. Being fashionable after all, is about perspective.

"Style is largely attitude. Attitude, attitude, attitude," says the style icon who has worked as an interior design consultant for the White House through nine presidencies, and who in 2005 had an exhibit dedicated to her singular style at the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Apfel attributes style to an innate sensibility, "It's inherent, it comes from within. It's something that [you don't] buy in a store."