Betty Draper Pearls

Lately, I have been re-watching previous seasons of Mad Men; entertainment politics have deferred the latest season from debuting this summer, causing quite a dear amount of longing and anticipation in my heart and soul. In addition to renewing my intimate acquaintances with all of my favorite characters, I have been gleaning sartorial inspiration, particularly with accessories. Being a dedicated and feverish jewelry hoarder, one who, perhaps in foolish denial, does not require an intervention quite yet, I frequently forget about certain pieces. This pearl and rhinestone leaf-shaped brooch is one of them; I chose this prized item while at a vintage costume jewelry party with some of my closest childhood friends a few years ago, from a large selection curated by the generous and thoughtful mother of my dear friend Alissa. Mostly, this brooch has been sitting in my large jewelry box and has not deserved the attention it deserves. Today, I threaded the brooch through a thick golden chain I have and created a necklace.

Generally, when I wear a necklace, especially one with a bold statement, opulent mosaic with pearls and minute rhinestones, I do not also wear earrings. Matching a necklace with earrings reminds me of wizened and glamorous grandmothers meandering through the aisles of the grocery store for bananas and chicken breast filets, however, steadfast rules can breed stagnation. Looking to now feminine icons Betty Draper and Joan Halloway, I chose to wear some noticeably subtle round pearl earrings with my brooch-morphed-necklace. Though their characters differ wildly in their styles and personalities, each fictional woman has an impeccable approach to their appearance, and is able to separately leverage that beauty and aesthetic in powerful ways. I wore my hair in a high chignon and kept my outfit very clean, in lines and colors, to allow the pearls to shine: a plain light cold gray skirt and a burnt blood orange cowl neck blouse.