Fashion Tips From Susan Sommers of Dresszing

Susan Sommers of DressZing offers fashion tips on her website and newsletter.

PEARL JAM
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. At this time of year, my thoughts turn gratefully to all of you whom I've had the privilege of being associated with. Thank you for letting me be part of your life. Because "What jewelry should I own?" is one of the questions I'm constantly asked, I decided to talk about my favorite jewels, which I think are always right for every taste, job, industry or occasion: pearls.
Here's why:    

• Pearls never go out of style
• They're available at every price point
• They don't have to be real
• Depending on how you wear or pair them, they can be sporty or dressy
• They flatter every skin tone
• They come in all sizes and lengths
• They're extremely versatile

I received my first pair of cultured pearls when I graduated college and each pearl was 8 mm, or medium-sized. Because I viewed them as special, I rarely wore them, and that was a shame because pearls become more lustrous with wear.  Many years later I began treating them less reverently. In the 80s, I would pile faux pearls on and wear my real pearls with them. I often still do that 20 years later, varying the lengths and sizes, even mixing them with gold chains or lengths of chain and other stones.

To get you going, here are a few of my ideas:

• Because a single short strand of pearls looks very ingenue-ish, it can age anyone over 35, unless the pearls themselves are big (14+ mm), gorgeous and real.
• The smaller the pearl, the more strands you need for impact.
• For a tailored yet sophisticated look, fill in the neckline of a shirt with several graduated strands of pearls.
• Your silhouette will appear longer and leaner with lots of very long strands of pearls, which can be mixed with chains.
• Add drama and interest to pearls by clipping a pendant or a brooch on to one of the strands.
• Use a safety pin to shorten a strand of pearls. Determine the length you want your pearls to be and place the pin horizontally across the space between the pearls on both sides.
• Select white, gray or blush pearls if you have a cool complexion and creamy, golden or peachy pearls if your complexion is warm.
• And remember, you can wear any earring--gold, silver, stone or pearl--with pearls. They don't have to match.

Comments

[Gitasan]

So glad you wrote about pearl necklaces! I love mine (both fresh water and real strand) I love to wear them but at times feel that they are too boring. So now I have paired them with a few of my funky neckalaces at different lenghts...and do they look great!!
thanks for a great article!