All that jazz

I know you may wonder what has this title to do with pearls….bear with me.

There’s a beautiful story about a five year old girl who wanted a string of white pearls in a pink foil box for a dollar ninety-five. When she saved her money and finally got the necklace she wore it everywhere. It made her feel grown up and dressed up until the day, when her father asked his little girl to give him her necklace as a token of her love for him. It took her some time and when she was ready to do it her father gave her in return a strand of genuine pearls.

This makes me think when I received my first strand of genuine pearls. It was given to me by my father as well, and perhaps it had to do something with me growing up and becoming a woman.

See I’ve always had a penchant for such stories because they touch that little girl inside my heart and trigger past memories from childhood, whispering gently that everything at the end will be alright.

What I love about this story is that pearls symbolise the big little sacrifices we girls need to make before transforming ourselves from innocent little ducklings into swans. Pearls are a symbol of blossoming and in fact they have the exceptional quality to brighten your face, attract and hold light. They say if you have pearls you have t wear them because if you keep them in the drawer their beauty “fades”.

I know pearls may mean serious business but for me, especially since I read that story, They are a way to keep that same girliness and genuineness when we grow up and become a little too much obsessed with how we look and what we wear. I want to always remember how to play and enjoy womanhood.

And finally my obsession with long pearl necklaces originates in my love for jazz, the Lost Generation writers and the 20s flapper fashion. Now is the time to sneak in the grand fashion name Coco Chanel, who was the epitome of the 20s style and promoter of the styles we associate with flappers. She was the one who encouraged women to break free from any fashion rules and dare wear faux bling without being ashamed of cheap and chic mega-jewels. I love her images wearing beads and glass and heaping pile of pearls around the neck with casual daytime sportswear. “A woman needs ropes and ropes of pearls” said Coco Chanel.

So let’s have some play time.

Top and trainers Modissa,
Vintage pleated skirt,
vintage Chanel bag from Style Boutique Etc.,
pearl necklaces and bangles by Ronit Ziswiler

Special thanks to Hafen Restaurant Zug and Andaleeb Lilley Photography
Styling Kathy Patellis-Schmidt and Ronit Ziswiler