Royal rubbernecking
Liberty has recently seen sales of brooches rise by 26 per cent – possibly because the modern way is to cluster them in groups for maximum impact.
Now that brooches are sorted, can we tackle necklaces – not pendants, which I love, but collar-necklaces, which are more exacting to wear, but also extremely rewarding.
Princess Margaret – or rather, Vanessa Kirby when she played her in The Crown, had an exemplary array of collar-necklaces, from plain, sinuous gold links to lavish, jewel-encrusted circlets. Always precisely the length to sit neatly on her neckline (neither above it nor below: in this, a millimetre out is as good as a mile), they added just the right degree of pep and energy to a sheath dress.
This was the early to midsixties, peak PM, style-wise, and I’ve been coveting those necklaces. They would look particularly good with a crew neck. Much as I rely on drop earrings to take my outfits from day to evening (oh, all right, I wear them in the mornings, too) sometimes an outfit needs something around the neck.
Can you wear this kind of necklace with earrings? Personally, I wouldn’t, although I’ve seen proponents of more is more, such as Giovanna Battaglia, carry an entire parure of matching jewellery beautifully, plus a dose of unmatching jewels. But most of us will look better if we keep it simple. If you’re wearing a neck collar, stick to small studs or an ear cuff. Avoid the dangles, unless you’re a princess. Honestly, you don’t need them. Focus instead on ensuring that your necklace is the most flattering length for your neck.