When Did We Start Wear Pearls with Sweats?

Nov 21

Nov 21 When Did We Start Wear Pearls with Sweats?

The pearl necklace has always been a timeless piece, giving the wearer an aura of sophistication. It was always something I would see my mother pull out of her jewelry box for a fancy dinner or party. Needless to say, I was not expecting to see matching Vivienne Westwood pearl chokers accessorizing the casual sweatshirt outfits of two famous TikTokers, Jordan Huxhold (@jhuxhold) and Vinnie Hacker (@vhackerr), as I was scrolling through my TikTok feed.

Intrigued, I took a quick dive into their pages, and I saw that Jordan and Vinnie both wear these pearl necklaces daily, regardless of whether they’re sporting a plaid button down, a graphic hoodie, or no shirt at all. Soon, I started to notice other TikTokers wearing pearls with their casual wear as well –you’ll see it if you scroll far enough into Chase Hudson’s (@lilhuddy) page. That’s when I thought, since when did we start wearing pearls casually with tanks and sweatshirts rather than with cocktail dresses and suits?

Dating back to ancient times, pearls have been recognized as a symbol of prestige and great wealth. It was said that Julius Caesar of the Roman Empire was one of the greatest (and possibly one of the first) connoisseurs of pearls, spending nearly $1.5 billion one particular black pearl he ended up gifting to his mistress. From then onward, royalty and elites around adorned pearls with their eveningwear. In a number of her portraits during the late 1700s, Marie Antoinette can be seen wearing purple necklaces. That was a time when pearls were very rare and exclusive, only for a selective few –but that was centuries ago.

The Golden Age of American Capitalism that began in 1950 seemed to be the turning point. After the Great Depression and after wartime, per capita income increased notably and large amounts of Americans entered the middle class. Interest in pearls were increasing slowly but steadily before this, but in 1950, it shot up. They became a worthy and more affordable investment, as they were advertised as a staple for women to add to their look of being “well groomed”. 60s and 70s icons such as Princess Diana, Jackie O, and Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s were often seen wearing pearl necklaces, which made them even more appealing to the everywoman. But that still doesn’t answer the question –how did we get to wearing pearl jewelry (and necklaces in particular) with our sweatpants?

I think it began when we, as the everywoman –no, the everyperson, began wearing leisure clothing publicly and stylishly. And, honestly, I’m here for it. Though we still dress up in gowns and suits on occasion, or casualwear has evolved from frocks to oversized sweatshirts, baggy denim, and cropped half sleeves. And though casualwear has changed over the decades, our use of pearl necklaces to accessorize has returned.

The most surprising thing in all of this isn’t that we’re wearing these with casual wear, it’s that it works so well. The chokers in particular seem casual while still carrying an air of sophistication. And now, rather than being a symbol of great wealth, pearl necklaces are just another way to express individual style and uniqueness.