Pearls take their rightful place
in any stylish wardrobe. They are a seasonless adornment, and have been
appearing regularly in fashion editorial photos this year both for the
spring/summer seasons and now into the fall. The range of styles highlighting
pearls is notable, as is the use of pearls to accent trendy ensembles, in some
cases with surprisingly classic jewelry designs.
A diverse collection of pearl
earrings along with some edgier designs in pearl necklaces appears in the April
2011 issue of Elle magazine. Real or
faux pearls are combined with all manner of materials, from ribbon and
Swarovski crystals to black or white diamonds and from gunmetal to gold. The
necklaces are from Mawi, Maison Martin Margiela, Simply Vera Vera Wang,
Iosselliani, Max Mara, Tasaki by Thakoon, and Roxanne Assoulin for Lee Angel.
The earrings are from Chrishabana, Kate Spade New York, Susie Fox, Verdura,
Lanvin, Mikimoto, JewelMint, and Ted Muehling.
The May 2011 issue of Elle chooses an “Opening Night” theme
for a selection of ornate fashions, including a “gold and pearl beaded dress”
from Cushnie et Ochs, a “pearl clutch” from Aldo, “pearl-trim” leather pumps
from Christian Louboutin, and a “pearl and glass beaded headband” from Chanel.
The featured jewelry consists of a multi-strand pearl necklace with embellished
closure from Lanvin.
The March 2011 issue of Allure captures the look of the Alfred
Hitchcock films cool blonde in this styling, pairing a silk jacket by Louis Vuitton
with a glass-pearl-and-silk bracelet from Roxanne Assoulin for Lee Angel.
The May 2011 issue of Marie Claire also references inspiration
from Hitchcock heroines along with “a punk twist” in hair styling and color
from Wella, accented with a faux pearl-accented headband from Jennifer Behr. The
scarf is by Echo.
The August 2011 issue of Glamour reports on a line of clothing
and accessories from Banana Republic that looks to the television series Mad Men for a 1960s-inspired collection.
The show’s costume designer, Janie Bryant, and Banana Republic’s Simon Kneen
provide their Dos & Don’ts, including the style recommendation “Go for
Pearls,” and add:
“DO wear them in
unexpected ways. The Mad Men gals are
all about pearls; Kneen loves them with modern, casual clothes, as on the model
at top left. ‘We’re in a very polished moment,’ he says.”
“DON’T get all
matchy-matchy. We love Peggy, above, but wearing a pearl necklace and pearl earrings is too old-school.”
A decidedly not old-school style necklace
of faux pearls with silk and brass from Candace Ang is featured in this style
spread from the August 2011 issue of InStyle.
An old-school yet not “overly
quaint” faux-pearl collar from H&M is featured in the August 2011 issue of Lucky with the comment: “This will
glamorize even the plainest top.” The resin cameo earrings shown on the page
are from Dolce & Gabbana.
Classic style earrings described
as “1995 Chanel pearl earrings” accent looks modeled by singer Janelle Monae in
the August 2011 issue of Glamour. In
the above photo the earrings accent a shirt from Salvatore Ferragamo, pants
from Tory Burch, gloves from Chanel and brogues from Repetto.
Actress Rachel Bilson wears
another vintage-inspired pair of earrings, these silver-plated with faux pearls
and crystals from Janis by Janis Savitt, in InStyle
magazine’s Makeover 2011 issue.
Bilson also wears an eye-catching diamond and 18kt white gold bow ring from
Mimi So with her Moschino dress.
Also in InStyle’s Makeover 2011 issue, actress Naya Rivera wears bow drop
earrings of gunmetal, crystal, and faux pearls from Kenneth Jay Lane. Her dress
is from Monique Lhuillier, her Swarovski crystal and grosgrain belt is from
Erickson Beamon, and her sandals are from Giuseppe Zanotti Design.
The June/July 2011 issue of Town & Country contains this ad
displaying extraordinary pearl jewelry from Assael.
All manner of pearls are on-trend
again, from classic strands and studs to edgy mixed-material designs. This is a
season in which the pearls in every jewelry wardrobe should not be languishing
in a soft pouch in a drawer.
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