Fall Fashion 2011 - More Mid-Century

I know that those Aussie babes FF and SSG are all over the Missoni thing this Fall
but I'm kind of excited about the Mad Men trend at Banana Republic

After seeing this new B-Rep ad campaign

and Beladora vintage brooches all over the September issue of ELLE it seems apparent that Mid-Century looks will be in style this Fall and Winter

And do I ever love this look!
But why do the B-Rep hemlines have to be so high? 
Two inches longer would have been so much more chic.

I kinda of think that B-Rep copied my Adriana Papell dress

 Don't you?
I wonder if they are borrowing my estate jewelry looks too?

Mabe Pearl and Diamond Earrings in 14K from Beladora2.com

 

Blue Topaz and Diamond Ring in 14K from Beladora2

 
Banana Republic clothes and Beladora 2 vintage jewelry make a good pair
Are you starting to shop yet for Fall?
 
But since Summer is still here, I'm hoping for a hot and sunny weekend.
What are you up to this weekend?

How To Wear Estate Jewelry - Tahitian Pearls For A Gray Rainy Day

I was hoping to see a real spring this week
all sunshine, pastels and daffodils
what I got instead was cloudy skies, rainy days and cold temperatures.
So this week instead of cotton and silk, it's back to a wool sweater by BCBG Max Azria and a multi-colored tweed skirt by Jigsaw and pearl jewelry by Beladora2.com.

I love this lariat necklace. The pearls are big and the design is modern.

Multi-Colored Tahitian Pearl Lariat Necklace in 18K $1450

Here's the close up

And classic pearl and diamond stud earrings
you can never go wrong with them

Black Cultured Pearl and Diamond Earrings in 18K $495

And the the pièce de résistance the black cultured pearl ring
I love the way that the pearl is set in between the open diamond bands

Black Culture Pearl and Diamond Ring in 14K $495

For someone who has a basic wardrobe full of charcoal gray and black (like I do), I think that gray and black pearls are the perfect accessory along with a Cartier watch in stainless steel.

What do you think?

Pretty In Pearls

Tabitha at Bourbon and Pearls, who we all know has impeccable taste, and if that isn't enough, is one of the cleverest writers in the blogosphere, has posted a lovely article on pearls today.   Very graciously, below the fancy Chopard necklace, she posted three vintage pearl pieces from Beladora2.com and needless to say I'm thrilled. I can appreciate that she finds a certain charm in the fact that vintage estate jewelry has a certain history.
Which brings me to point out that so many other women with impeccable taste, like Tabitha, had a little thing for pearls.

Such as the young Queen Elizabeth.  I love the long pearl sautoir knotted in the middle and pearls in her headdress.  But, I'm even more impressed that she's holding a rainbow.

And then we have the full blown Elizabeth, once again with pearls in her hair, her six strand necklace and sewn into her gown.  In this portrait she has traded in her rainbow for a globe, clearly clarifying, not only her good taste in clothes and jewels but her world domination.
Then over on the Continent we Maria de Medici

Here, as a young girl, she was wearing a pearl headband, pearl earrings, a pearl choker necklace and of course she had pearls sewn into her gown. Pretty wasn't she?  It's hardly surprising that she became the wife of France's Henry IV.

Like other Italian women, Maria de Medici certainly had sprezzatura.  Just check out that jaunty pearl brooch sprouting out of the side of her coiffure.
Much later in France we had another queen who sported pearls in her hair.

The young Marie Antoinette, in her early days at court, mixed pearls with feathers in her headdress.

In the famous Lebrun portrait the hat gets grander but the jewelry simplified with only a double strand at her throat and a triple strand at her wrist. Perhaps in this portrait she was on her way to the hameau de la reine at Versailles to dabble in the simple life.
We all know how dramatically court life changed in Marie Antoinette's lifetime, but pearls continued to be worn by fashionable women.

Here is a portrait of the Queen of Holland, from the turn of the 18th Century, I assume by the cut of her gown, wearing a gorgeous pearl tiara.

And this lovely lady from the Georgian Period is wearing teardrop shaped pearl earrings and note the giant pearl bauble sticking through her top knot.
Moving ahead we have Babe Paley, one of the most chic women of the 20th Century.

I love the way that her pearls look casually thrown on in this portrait...as is she almost couldn't be bothered. How totally modern is that? And of course we can't forget another 20th Century style icon,

Jackie Kennedy, who opted for the classic triple strand.

Pearls, as we know, are timeless and their elegance will continue to endure.
But I wonder, who will be our pearl wearing style icon of the 21st Century?
And ideas?

Lindsey Lohan Channels Grace Kelly in Vanity Fair

It's cold and damp and drizzling outside and guess what...
I am happy

Look what came in the mail today
I've been anxiously waiting for the October issue of Vanity Fair to arrive so that I could let you know that some vintage jewelry from Beladora2.com made the Grace Kelly inspired Lindsey Lohan photo shoot styled by Jessica Diehl.
OK, so Beladora2 did not make the cover shoot
but we are more than thrilled to be in this sensational two page photo by Norman Jean Roy.

Here's the bracelet

Cultured Pearl and Diamond Bracelet in 14K from Beladora2.com $1250

Here's another simple yest elegant bracelet that was also used in the shoot

Cultured Pearl and Gold Bead Bracelet in 14K from Beladora2.com $265

So please, if you don't subscribe to Vanity Fair, pick up a copy or borrow a copy from a friend so that you can see these gorgeous photos.

Friday Afternoon Rant

I saw this yesterday on a post from Corporette

A silly glass bead necklace by Adesso from Revolve Clothing as an alternative to a classic pearl strand.

The price on this art project necklace you ask

$632

Is that not insane?

The intrinsic value of this nonsense necklace is maybe, and I'm being generous with my maybe,

about $30

Who would buy this...no really I want to know, who?

It pisses me off that women are constantly being encouraged to spend money on utterly ridiculous, trendy and overpriced jewelry, shoes, bags, clothes, etc.

Here is my alternative

Vintage Mid-Century Cultured Pearl Single Strand Necklace with Diamond Clasp for $695

from Beladora2.com

Too staid you suggest, not trendy enough

Well I beg to differ

The classic, timeless Grace Kelly look in pearls is actually on trend

And how do I know this you wonder

I know this because fashion editors and stylists are requesting this type of thing for the fashion shoots.  In fact this very necklace was requested for the Steven Meisel - Christy Turlington photo shoot for Italian Vogue.  It was also requested for a cover shoot by Vanity Fair.

And...it just went out yesterday to a hot star for a red carpet appearance.  She may wear it or one of the other pearl necklaces that we loaned. We shall see.

So to anyone who is considering buying the glass bead necklace for $632

can I suggest a fashion intervention by your friends and family

Because friends don't let friends waste money on fashion jewelry.

Channelling Mid-Century Style or A Brooch In The Hand

LA fashion blogger Deja Pseu at her Une Femme D'un Certain Age blog wrote a lovely post on channelling
Mid-Century...in a good way...you know what I mean....by adding some Mid-Century elements to your look.  She also discusses some of the drawbacks of that period which most of you are waaay too young to remember, such as a whole world of careers that were not open to women.
Luckily, female Trads like me can appreciate the style of the Mid-Century and still be thankful to have come of age after feminism opened many of the doors that were closed to my mother.
Well, back to the fashion angle.  Pseu points out some of the elements of this style that you can incorporate into your look including wearing vintage pearl brooches.  She chose these three from Beladora2.com and I thought that since the photos from the website don't always show the scale of the jewelry, that I would give you another look.
Anyhoo...her post is great so go take a gander.
Hint:  we will see more of this look coming up in Fall fashion magazines because someone has been sending this type of jewelry to fashion shoots...
PS:  guess who, at this very moment, is provinding jewelry for one of the Mad Men stars for tonight's Mad Men premier...

Mid-Century Going Mainstream and A Little Music

 Marella Agnelli

Ah Friday, finally
It's been such a busy week, mostly taken up by getting product organized for magazine photo shoots which of course I can't write about yet...
I can tell you this though, there is a definite a trend toward Mid-Century style.  We saw the beginning of that trend a couple of years ago with Mad Men, now it is going more mainstream with extrapolations of it in Vogue, Elle and W magazines.  And I couldn't be more pleased because I appreciate that aesthetic, that distinct look of sleek understated chic of Audrey Hepburn, Babe Paley, Marella Agnelli, Jean Seaberg, Diane Carroll, Grace Kelly and the Hitchcock heroines.
The look is all about quality, not quantity and it need not be expensive. It doesn't have to be all about Harry Winston style diamond cluster earrings, A single strand of cultured pearls,  A bracelet with a single charm, A pearl circle brooch, A pair of pearl earrings that sit on the ear, will do.

Diane Carroll

Happy Friday