Pearls have long been associated with classic elegance and heritage style, with their quiet polish. But pearls can also be styled with your regular casual wear. Credit goes to their versatile nature. At a time when minimalist chains and dainty accessories dominate daily jewellery choice, pearls may seem slightly intimidating to style because they appear grander and more formal. The doubts can be that you appear more overdressed.
This is exactly where smart styling helps you with! To address this common styling problem, HT Lifestyle spoke to Avanish Agarwal, CEO and managing partner at Sri Jagdamba Pearls, who shared practical tips on how you can add pearls to your everyday wardrobe.
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He observed that pearls in India are saved only for special occasions, “Pearls have spent decades being treated as occasion jewellery in India. They come out for weddings, sit through a puja, and go back in the box. That is changing, and honestly, it should have changed sooner,” he said. But it is time to change that!
Here are some tips from Avanish to help you add pearls to your casualwear wardrobe:
1. Pearl pendant with a white shirt and jeans
- For a plain white shirt and straight jeans, a single baroque pearl on a thin gold chain works well with.
2. Pearl studs as new everyday earring
- Pearl studs work well with a casual blazer, a printed co-ord, or even a plain cotton tee.
- Practical for humid and hot weather, when wearing anything heavy becomes a problem to carry.
3. Stack pearl bracelet with what you already wear
- A pearl bracelet alongside a watch, a thin gold chain bracelet, or even a thread bracelet works surprisingly well.
- The ivory tone sits neutrally next to gold, silver, and oxidised metal.
4. Invest in freshwater pearls
- South Sea pearls are investment pieces.
- For jeans, a kurta, a linen shirt, or a casual maxi, freshwater pearls give you the same look at a fraction of the weight and price.
- The lustre holds well, and the sizing is more proportionate for relaxed silhouettes.
5. Quieter the outfit, the harder the pearl works
- Pearls and busy prints cancel each other out, so safer to avoid this pairing.
- A solid colour, a minimal silhouette, a plain fabric, that is when a pearl actually shows up.
Even if historically, many iconic fashion moments have solidified the place pearls hold as grand accessories in classic and formal style, nowadays, pearls are gaining a relaxed personality. They are no longer only reserved for weddings, pujas or formal events.
