Did you Momma ever tell you that the only kind of pearls
you can wear with sweaters is that classic white
graduated strand?
Well HONEY, consider yourself "Graduated"!
PS There is a really handy neckline/necklace guide at the end of this blog to print out and tape to your closet door so if Momma asks, show her the guide!
Sweet Sweater-n-Pearls Styling Suggestions
Don’t you just love Fall? That special time of the year when you get to burn all those gorgeous smelling candles, bake things and not worry that you’re turning your house into the oven, bundling up, and pulling out all those sweaters and wraps that you haven’t seen since February or March? One of our favorite things is updating our work and casual looks by mixing it up a bit with our pearl jewelry. We peruse the fashion catwalks and street-styles when we travel, as well as reading all types of blogs to see the trending looks. Then we work on upping our style game a bit, especially as we start out our sweater-weather season. So we ventured into the North Carolina high country and Pennsylvania covered bridge country-side for some outstanding scenery to provide a beautiful and relaxing back-drop for our take on styling you favorite sweaters with pearl jewelry! So grab that warm cup of coffee or delicious glass of wine and read and see what little hints or tips might work for you…..
Looking at the Fall fashion tips from numerous blogs and runways shows many consistent themes: the strong turtleneck trend continues, chunky knits and cardigans (both long and short) over pants and dresses is almost ubiquitous, the cold-shoulder look which is really hot, and cute crop tops worn separately or matched with other sweaters, teamed with skinny jeans, palazzo pants, or dresses.
OutFit Trends (2017) put together a nice summary of their take on general styling tips for sweater wearing:
Best Tips to Wear a Sweater
- Match a sweater with a mid-length skirt and a tiny handbag.
- Wear an oversized sweater with a mini skirt and leggings.
- You should also have a sweater dress in your wardrobe and wear it with a winter hat.
- Thigh-high suede boots are a great accessory to match with a sweater, though.
- Adidas superstar shoes are just downright meant to be worn with sweaters, leggings and a hat.
- Wearing a sweater over a sweater isn’t a bad idea at all.
And we would posit that adding by your favorite pearl jewelry, you take the trend and make it your own style. We think Jackie O. nailed it when she said:
Even Jackie O wore a triple strand!
So how about it; How Do You Style Sweaters-n-Pearls? Let's start with basic sweater styles:
Style 1: Turtlenecks
Turtlenecks, which have been around since medieval times, really became a fashion staple in the 1940’s-1950’s according to Jessica Bucci, author of Fashion Archives: A Look at the History of the Turtleneck (2016) , “Skintight or cropped sweaters were getting popular and came in a variety of cuts, including turtleneck. Celebrities such as Jayne Mansfield helped to popularize this feminine, sexy version of the style. The look became so iconic that it is one of the many ways turtlenecks are often reimagined by today’s designers.” And today’s turtlenecks really hit their full stride when worn with lariat or rope style necklaces, delicate jewelry offsetting a straight knit or a chunky interwoven design. Nina from the Best Sweaters for Women Fall-Winter 2017-2018 blog says “This season, the most current colors are the shades of red, gray, white-yellow, black as shown here in two pictures from her blog post:
From: Best Sweaters for Women Fall-Winter
2017-2018 | afmu.net
Who else besides me this turtlenecks are sexy?
Model wearing Naughton Braun Cotton Club Collection* - Hematite & Pearl Jewelry (gunmetal) and the Crystal Coast - Pearl Bracelet
Our model, shown in a white-yellow colored fitted turtleneck with it’s buttoned, draping collar is perfectly accented by Cotton Club Collection* - Hematite & Pearl Jewelry in gunmetal. Lariat style necklaces, especially those with tassels are a 2017 jewelry trend ( Contemplating 2017 Jewelry Trends) and sure to continue their popularity as more brands adopt this design element. Looking through my latest Sundance catalog confirms the omnipresence of lariat style necklaces, in case you wish to add to add beads, crystals, or pyrite necklaces to your jewelry box. They also have quite a few turtlenecks that look really pretty! In this short-sleeved version of the turtleneck, ever popular among Southern Ladies (where winter, in its truest fashion may not ever arrive), adding bracelets or bangles finishes the put-together look for work or play!
Style 2: Cardigans
Cardigans are a favorite and this year both short button-down styles as well as duster-length styles are trending. Like a lot of women’s sweater fashion, including the turtleneck mentioned previously, cardigans first became popular for men. “The cardigan was named after James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan, a British Army Major General who led the Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War” (Wikipedia). “Coco Chanel is credited with popularizing cardigans for women because "she hated how tight-necked men’s sweaters messed up her hair when she pulled them over her head” (Allison Geller, 2016). Cardigans have come in and out of style over the intervening years and this year they are back as strong as ever! Lauren Fisher, in her blog “ 21 Cozy Knit Sweaters To Pair With Jeans This Fall ” shows us several cardigans including these fabulous styles:
From the blog, 21 Cozy Knit Sweaters To
Pair With Jeans This Fall
From the blog, 21 Cozy Knit Sweaters To
Pair With Jeans This Fall
From the blog, 21 Cozy Knit Sweaters To
Pair With Jeans This Fall
These aren't just for Grandma's anymore!
As you can see, the featured cardigans are open front sweaters, rather than button down affairs and come in chunky and smooth knits, as well as patterned styles. Stripes (not shown) are also another extremely popular trend this season. Our model is shown wearing a W By Worth open front, black cashmere blend cardigan sweater with a black tank which allows for princess and matinee length necklaces to style the sweaters. She is wearing 2 necklaces, both created in stunning black onyx and white freshwater pearls. Copacabana Promenade II - Pearl Necklace with Onyx is a single strand graduated white freshwater pearls 6-10mm leading to untumbled onyx beads 12mm in a princess (18”) length and the wrapped necklaces is the 59” Copacabana Promenade I - Pearl Necklace Accented onyx white freshwater pearl necklace, with white pearls transitioning to untumbled onyx beads, punctuated with even larger untumbled onyx beads. Other pearl necklaces that would enhance this sweater include the classic strand of white pearls you probably have in your jewelry box, or for something re-imagined you might like the new Truilli – Pearl necklace worn in the doubled style as shown.
Model shown wearing Naughton Braun Copacabana Promenade I & II - Pearl Necklace with Onyx. Also shown are the matching Dolomiti - Pearl Earrings with onyx and white pearls that can be worn together (as shown) or separately for different earring variations.
Naughton Braun Truilli – Pearl Necklace, white freshwater pearls on interconnecting feather-lite brass rings (necklace is shown doubled with a the complimentary connector)
Style 3: Cold Shoulder Style
A very romantic trend, the cold shoulder style, comes in many forms, from the sweaters with actual shoulder cut-outs, to the drop shoulder neckline. A quick google search shows how really prevalent these types of sweater are:
Google search of "cold shoulder style sweater", Oct 22, 2017
Personally, I wear a sweater because I am cold and I think Hilary George-Parkin nails it when she says “ok, I get that the bare shoulder thing is sexy—I’m even on board with off-the-shoulder sweaters (especially because they can be adjusted up or down depending on how cold it is).” So we prefer to be able to have a cold shoulder when we want to look a little daring and be warm the rest of the time by pulling the sweater up a bit! We also find the off-shoulder look to be more alluring, because the skin around the neck and shoulders is often very supple. No wonder so many wedding gowns are off-shoulder and feature the décolleté as a captivating feature for most women! Anusha Jain, in her blog ( 10 Latest Sweater Trends for 2017 | Ruffles, Poncho, Fringe & More ) says this look is romantic and we couldn’t agree more.
Photo from 10 Latest Sweater Trends for 2017 | Ruffles, Poncho, Fringe & More
There's nothing cold about this look!
This off the shoulder look calls for equally romantic jewelry and due to the draping nature of the sweater, a lariat or rope length necklace is preferred, so your neck and shoulders are bare and beautiful! Our model is shown wearing a lurex drop shoulder sweater in the gray pearl color so trending with a startling fresh white freshwater pearl necklace sparkling with silver-tone Swarovski encrusted beads and CZ spacers (Diamond Falls - Pearl Necklace). The pearls enhance the glow around her face and the Swarovski and CZs triple the glitter effect of the lurex sweater. Other options for this type of sweater include a simple lariat style fine chain necklace or a bracelet alone. We would suggest the Kensington – Pearl Necklace from our collection because its delicate nature fits well with the delicate knit of the sweater type.
Model shown wearing Naughton Braun Diamond Falls - Pearl Necklace and Icelandia – Pearl Bracelet (extra-large biawa pearls)
Naughton Braun Kensington – Pearl Necklace, Sterling silver chain with a flirty tassel and large white freshwater pearl
Style 4: Crop Top Style
Crop top style sweaters have continued to be popular as stand-alone pieces as well as accessories as “covers” or “unders” for other clothing selections. I noticed that Spanx now offers a shear crop top to wear underneath dresses or other outfits to increase the versatility of the outfit and extend summer time dresses into the Fall and Winter seasons. Crop tops began to appear on the fashion scene in the 1960’s and 70’s, but who doesn’t remember that famous crop top from Flashdance in 1983? They have now made a resurgence, because in fashion, what goes around comes around in large part to 1990’s nostalgia for this style.The style has migrated from primarily workout gear (where they are still very popular) to other clothing forms and for the last two years have shown up repeatedly on runways. They are worn as a single item, over or under other items including shirts and dresses, as well as accent pieces. They emulate almost all the other sweater types we have previously mentioned, just in a shortened style (cardigans, turtlenecks, off the shoulder styles, etc) (shown). While alone, they are not very warm, so that is why we routinely see them paired with other clothing items because a cold belly is really not fun! The first two sweaters shown are from Anusha Jain blog, 10 Latest Sweater Trends for 2017 | Ruffles, Poncho, Fringe & More and the off the shoulder crop top sweater was taken from a Google search.
From the blog, 10
Latest Sweater Trends for 2017 | Ruffles, Poncho, Fringe & More
From the blog, 10
Latest Sweater Trends for 2017 | Ruffles, Poncho, Fringe & More
This is kinda like, if you got it, flaunt it!
From Google search for "shoulder crop top sweater"
This type of style is open for all types of jewelry, including collar, choker, and princess length necklaces (14”, 16”, and 18” long) respectively. We show our model in a princess length re-imagined pearl necklace, something large and dramatic to compliment this dramatic style. It is called the Côte d’Azur - Lapis & Pearl Necklace and rather than the traditional pearl necklace, it is created from large lapis beads flecked with pyrite so that it shimmers whenever light hits it. We like it because that light reflects on the person’s skin, adding a really lovely glow to the countenance! It is finished off with a huge, offset shell pearl for interest. This crop top is shown with a duster length cardigan perfect for transitioning from day time to evening activities. We love the way the light knit cardigan drapes effortlessly and adds polish to this outfit.
Model shown wearing Naughton Braun Côte d’Azur - Lapis & Pearl Necklace
Our Final Thoughts on Pairing Jewelry with Different Necklines
We are often asked about what jewelry styles best fit which neckline styles. We hope we have shown you some interesting ideas. But to assist you further, we have included a handy print from the Mix n Match HK | Blog | The Necklace Guide: How to Accessorize Different Necklines, Neckline Cheat sheet because it neatly categorizes some common sweater necklines and the types of necklaces that stand out the best.
Thanks for reading this and I hope your cup of java or your glass of wine was just what you needed on the sweater-weather day!
Mix n Match HK | Blog | The Necklace Guide:
How to Accessorize Different Necklines, Neckline Cheat sheet
Print this out and tape it to your closet door!
Links and References:
Best Sweaters Fall-Winter 2017-2018, By Nina, August 29, 2017 http://afmu.net/best-sweaters-fall-winter-2017-2018/, accessed 10/16/2017
Fashion Archives: A Look at the History of the Turtleneck By Jessica Bucci, January 10, 2016 https://startupfashion.com/fashion-archives-a-look-at-the-history-of-the-turtleneck/, accessed 10/16/2017
Cardigan (sweater), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardigan_(sweater), accessed 10/22/2017
The Military Origins of the Cardigan. The Atlantic . By Allison Geller, Jun 24, 2016 https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/20... accessed 10/22/2017
OutFit Trends Sweater Styles 2017-18 Best Styles of Sweater, 2017, http://www.outfittrends.com/sweater-styles-for-women/, accessed 10/16/2017
21 Cozy Knit Sweaters To Pair With Jeans This Fall. Sweater weather is officially here. By Lauren Alexis Fisher Sep 8, 2017 http://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/trends/g6271/fall-sweaters/, accessed 10/21/2017
The Cold-Shoulder Trend Is About to Get Literal, and I Feel Weird About It By Hilary George-Parkin, Oct 2016, http://stylecaster.com/cold-shoulder-sweaters/ accessed 10/22/2017
10 Latest Sweater Trends for 2017 | Ruffles, Poncho, Fringe & More, By Anusha Jain October 28, 2016 https://shilpaahuja.com/fashion/trends/latest-sweater-trends-2017-winter-sweaters, accessed 10/16/2017
Mix n Match HK | Blog | The Necklace Guide: How to Accessorize Different Necklines, Neckline Cheat sheet, http://www.juxtapost.com/site/permlink/38d30500-74a4-11e5-9970-bd3e46437575/post/mix_n_match_hk_blog_the_necklace_guide_how_to_accessorize_different_necklines_neckline_cheat_sheet_learn_how_to_find_the_perfect_necklace_for_diffe/accessed 10/2/2017
Contemplating 2017 Jewelry Trends, By Stacie @Naughton Braun, Mar 1st 2017, https://naughtonbraun.com/pearl-beauty-blog/contemplating-2017-jewelry-trends/ accessed Oct 1, 2017
