An Ode to Pearls

Style.com is a daily stop for me - its a great site to keep up to date with what is happening on the runways and today the main page had one of my most favorite pics of Marilyn, looking smoking hot, running pearls through her teeth in an erotic nibble.

The article is a must read and more importantly a must see as it has a stunning, eclectic collection of photographs portraying some fabulous, strong & eccentric woman. In pearls of course.

Now I know pearls are not exactly the most happening things. They have some to symbolize a certain staidness... restraint ....and a sense of properness. Yet as this article points out, before stonecutting was invented it was actually the pearl that was the gem of choice for stylish women to display their wealth and opulence.

And oh.. how they wore them.....

The most fascinating element of the evolution of the pretty little pearl is how is has gone from an over-the-top expression of sex and in-your-face styling in the early turn of the century, to it's stylistic restraint demonstrated in the 50's and through to today with a tiny blip that harkened back to the Pearl's wilder days caused by the influence of Madonna in her Material girl days

I have a certain fascination for the 1920's and often wish I could time travel back to that period. Woman where a little wild back then. Surprisingly wild. They where surprisingly independent. They were fierce. Look at the photos in the spread of women like Marchesa Luisa Casati, or one of my personal favorites; Theda Bara. Women then, wore their pearls with wild abandonment. They wore them in abundance and in great long, looping coils that draped around the silhouette and glimmered in the light. There is a certain eroticism in the wearing of pearls so freely. It is almost sad to see the progression of the pearl go from those grandiose loops and gradually end up in a tight little two strand coils perched above a twin set.

So, I say go and buy yourself some really long loops of pearls, real or really good fauxs and get a little inspiration from the rule-breakers pictured. Take the reserve right back out of those pearls.

And maybe at some time during the day, whether publicly or privately, have yourself a little Marilyn moment and give them a nibble.