Have you ever wondered why we see so little pearls on
catwalks? Pearls are one of the most feminine and universally flattering
gemstones and yet they often get a cold shoulder from the fashion designers of
this world. Naturally there are notable exceptions, such as
Chanel, but overall
most fashion power houses will readily choose sparkly diamonds or bold-colored
sapphires, rubies, or emeralds over delicate and shimmery pearls.
I have given this a lot of thought, and I finally settled on
red carpet events as at least one of the guilty parties. Why, you ask? Let me
explain.
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Izabel Goulart wearing emerald statement necklace and Dita Von Teese rocking pearl earrings at Cannes Film Festival
Photos via Harper's Bazaar |
On one hand, we have flash-hungry celebrities that want to shine during such events. Figuratively, yes, but mostly they want to literally exude sparkle from every earlobe, finger, neckline, or toe. They want to be seen and admired. They work closely with fashion designers to put together head-turning outfits and accessories in the hope that they’ll help to maximize their media presence. On the other hand, outfits seen at the Oscars, Grammy’s, or MTV Awards, just to mention three, all set the tone for the current and upcoming fashion trends, so designers produce their trend-setting jewelry pieces to be shown off during such events. Again, this means most of them are more likely to create over-the-top, daring, and highly visible pieces (read: *Bling*Bling* ;o)
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Emily Blunt wearing ruby earrings to Golden Globes and Zoe Saldana adorned with pearl earrings in Cannes
Photos via Harper's Bazaar and Trend911 |
Unfortunately, one of the easiest ways of attracting the
general public’s attention – you and me! - or that of photographers to begin
with, is to wear something bold and/or sparkly that screams big money. As often
as not, the resulting jewelry pieces are not feminine, maybe not even flattering -
but definitely loud and audacious. As for the pearls, well… their delicate
shine suffers and their beautiful colors tend to disappear when overpowered by the
strong flashes of today’s cameras, so they are not as photo-attractive on the
red carpet as their more sparkly and colorful alternatives. Also, from a designer’s
point of view, pearls are more difficult to work with because their special sheen,
voluptuous forms, and ethereal appeal require more creativity in marrying them
with modern and daring styles. In consequence, the fashion scene has fallen in
love with the fire of diamonds and the boldness of rubies. Don’t get me wrong,
I love diamonds and colored gemstones too - but I would love to see more pearls
on today’s catwalks.
So if you are a designer and reading this: Hi there! Please
include pearls in your fashion repertoire. We love them dearly and they love us
back even more. I dare you, show me one woman who doesn't look good in pearls!
