Is it because of Bridgerton, Princess Diana or Ariana Grande? Be that as it may, we’re going to wear this.
In addition to the enormous diamond on Ariana Grande’s engagement ring, a gaudy pearl adorned, America’s (future) Vice President Kamala Harris wears nothing but pearl necklaces, and pop singer and fashion icon Harry Styles also likes to hang a pearl on his body. There was something about the pearl in the past year. The accessory dominated the catwalk and on screen, and there are various reasons that the pearl will also become the accessory of 2021. Which? We catch up with you.
Meghan Markle, Princess Diana, Bridgerton and Queen Elizabeth
If something amused the people in the past year, in addition to a global pandemic, it
was the (renewed) interest in royals and the noble life. Call it the fault of the aftermath of the family fuss around Harry and Meghan (aka the royal exit), or the new episodes of
Netflix ‘The Crown. Also guilty: documentaries about the late Princess Diana, such as Diana: In Her Own Words (Netflix), or the sensual and modern costume drama Bridgerton (Netflix), which not only deal with royal affairs, family betrayals or the struggle for love and power, but there is also a big role for fashion and the pearl necklace plays a shiny supporting role.
Over the past year, we frequently discussed the wardrobe of Meghan Markle, her
sister-in-law Kate Middleton and her mother-in-law, the late Princess Diana. The latter in particular proved to be an inexhaustible source of inspiration with her casual chic presentation (those oversized sweaters! The biker shorts! The cap!). Diana and the newer members of the British royal family may have single-handedly got the pearl necklace back on the fashion agenda. In addition, the pearl necklace got quite a bit of screen time thanks to the bosoms and necks of the debutants – especially those of
Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) – in the hit series Bridgerton. And what did Queen Elizabeth II have on her neck during her Christmas speech on December 25, 2020? The same pearl necklace she wore on the night of Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997.
Pearls on the catwalk; fashion trend spring / summer 2021
Enough about the British nobility, gossip, movies and TV. Pearls are no longer status symbols reserved for royalty. Unlike gemstones, which are extracted from the earth, a pearl is the only jewel created by a living organism – one of the reasons fashion designers are probably so fond of the pearl. ‘A woman needs ropes and ropes of pearls’, Coco Chanel is said to have said, and this is still adhered to by the French
fashion house. Other fashion houses also followed her example last year. For spring / summer 2020, the pearl – from traditional to eclectic – was spotted at Miu Miu, Jason Wu, Khaite and Tory Burch, among others. And for the new spring / summer season 2021, the pearl has frequently appeared in the lookbooks of fashion houses. We mention, among others: Vivienne Westwood, Y / Project Altuzarra and Simone Rocha
