The Magnificent 8 Put On Our Pearls

October 28, 2020 / 30 Comments
woman in pearls, black brocade skirt, kimono with pearls, pearly boots, pearl jewelry, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
woman in pearls, black brocade skirt, kimono with pearls, pearly boots, pearl jewelry, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
woman in pearls, black brocade skirt, kimono with pearls, pearly boots, pearl jewelry, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
woman in pearls, black brocade skirt, kimono with pearls, pearly boots, pearl jewelry, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
woman in pearls, black brocade skirt, kimono with pearls, pearly boots, pearl jewelry, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge

“Pearls are always appropriate.”

Jackie Kennedy

I tend to agree with Mrs. Kennedy. I have had a love affair with pearls for as long as I can remember. And I cannot think of an occasion where pearls would be inappropriate. I wear them with everything from formal gowns to ripped jeans and graphic tees. I like them in small doses and I love them in overabundance. Loads and loads of pearls cascading around my neck make me feel so feminine and bold, like I can conquer the world in ways that only the fiercest women can.

When the Magnificent 8 chose Pearls as our theme for this month, I was all geared up to pile on all the strands of pearls that I own. But I have done that before, more than once, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. You get the point. So I wanted to do something a little bit different this time.

woman in pearls, black brocade skirt, kimono with pearls, pearly boots, pearl jewelry, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
woman in pearls, black brocade skirt, kimono with pearls, pearly boots, pearl jewelry, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
woman in pearls, black brocade skirt, kimono with pearls, pearly boots, pearl jewelry, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
woman in pearls, black brocade skirt, kimono with pearls, pearly boots, pearl jewelry, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
woman in pearls, black brocade skirt, kimono with pearls, pearly boots, pearl jewelry, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge

“I feel undressed if I don’t have my pearls on. My pearls are my security blanket.”

Lady Sarah Churchill

Rather than pile on the pearls once again, I took a subtler approach to my pearl jewelry with a single vintage strand around my neck and pearly chandelier earrings. I punctuated the opaline effects with the pearl adornments on my boots and kimono. And kept with a black and nude palette to let the pearls stand out.

I remember my very first pearl jewelry. I was five years old the first time my family visited Disney World and there was an aquarium where we could pick our own oysters to see if they had pearls in them. We could watch through the glass as a diver went down to get the oysters. I don’t remember all the details because I was 5 and memories fade over 40 plus years.

But I do remember that my oyster had a pearl and I was so excited. My mom had it made into a necklace for me and I wore it all the time. I have lost that necklace over the years which saddens me a bit, but I have lost many other things over the years and I have learned to be satisfied with my fading memories of lost things.

woman in pearls, black brocade skirt, kimono with pearls, pearly boots, pearl jewelry, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
woman in pearls, black brocade skirt, kimono with pearls, pearly boots, pearl jewelry, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
woman in pearls, black brocade skirt, kimono with pearls, pearly boots, pearl jewelry, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
woman in pearls, black brocade skirt, kimono with pearls, pearly boots, pearl jewelry, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
woman in pearls, black brocade skirt, kimono with pearls, pearly boots, pearl jewelry, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge

“But the pearls were accidents, and the finding of one was luck, a little pat on the back by God or the gods both.”

John Steinbeck

When I graduated from college, my mother gifted me a dainty new set of pearl jewelry which I wore for my senior photos. This is also when I occasionally wore contact lenses. I believe this set of pearl jewelry has also been lost over the years.

“The pearl is the queen of gems and the gem of queens.”

Grace Kelly

And when I got married the first time around, the only jewelry I wore was a pair of pearl studs in my earlobes. I don’t know if you can even see my earrings in this photograph, but it is the only picture I have left of that fateful day.

So you can see that my love for pearls runs four decades deep. My current collection of pearl jewelry consists mostly of faux pearls but I do have a few genuine pearl pieces as well. If I find any type of pearl jewelry while thrifting, I almost always will add it to my collection. So many of my faux pearl strands have broken over the years so I like to make sure that I have enough to pile them on when the mood strikes.

woman in pearls, black brocade skirt, kimono with pearls, pearly boots, pearl jewelry, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
woman in pearls, black brocade skirt, kimono with pearls, pearly boots, pearl jewelry, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
woman in pearls, black brocade skirt, kimono with pearls, pearly boots, pearl jewelry, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
woman in pearls, black brocade skirt, kimono with pearls, pearly boots, pearl jewelry, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
woman in pearls, black brocade skirt, kimono with pearls, pearly boots, pearl jewelry, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge

While emeralds have also been a long beloved gem stone for me, pearls seem to be the gems that I cherish most. Emerald is my birthstone and green is my favorite color, so I do have a bit of emerald jewelry in my possession as well. I just don’t wear it as often because emeralds don’t have quite the same impact as pearls, in my opinion.

“A woman needs ropes and ropes of pearls.”

Coco Chanel

Now let’s check out my beautiful blogging friends and their pearl stories.

The Magnificent 8 is a collaboration among 8 stylish women, each in a different age bracket, ranging from early 20’s to early 80’s. The mission of this collaboration is to show you just how ageless style is, how we can each dress however we’d like and in ways that make us feel fabulous. There are no age restrictions on style. So wear what you want, when you want, add a smile, and strut your style with confidence.

Every quarter, we choose a theme and each create an outfit that suits our own personal tastes and fashion choices and we post them on the last Wednesday of every third month. So be sure to go check out everyone’s posts for lots of style inspiration at any age!

Let me introduce the ladies of The Magnificent 8.

Just click on each link to see how these lovely ladies have styled their pearls. And be sure to check back with us for our next post on January 27, 2021.

woman in pearls, black brocade skirt, kimono with pearls, pearly boots, pearl jewelry, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
woman in pearls, black brocade skirt, kimono with pearls, pearly boots, pearl jewelry, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
woman in pearls, black brocade skirt, kimono with pearls, pearly boots, pearl jewelry, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge

Do you love pearls as much as I do? Or maybe you have a different gemstone that is your favorite? Let me know in the comments!

“There is just one piece of jewelry that is equally becoming to everybody, lovely with almost every ensemble, appropriate for almost any occasion, and indispensable in every woman’s wardrobe…long live the pearl necklace, true or false, from our first date until our last breath!”

Genevieve Antoine Dariaux
woman in pearls, black brocade skirt, kimono with pearls, pearly boots, pearl jewelry, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
woman in pearls, black brocade skirt, kimono with pearls, pearly boots, pearl jewelry, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
woman in pearls, black brocade skirt, kimono with pearls, pearly boots, pearl jewelry, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge
woman in pearls, black brocade skirt, kimono with pearls, pearly boots, pearl jewelry, fashion over 40, Shelbee on the Edge

Keeping it on the edge,

Shelbee

Linking up with these Fabulous Link Parties.

Shop my look…

Outfit Details: Kimono-c/o Rosegal / Sweater and Stockings-Target / Skirt and Pearl Necklace-Thrifted / Boots-Charlotte Russe / Earrings-Claire’s

I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.

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