Summer is finally here, and fashion is warming up with miniskirts, linen blouses, sheers, lace, and short shorts. While bold bright colors often pop up on spring/summer runways, this year, many couture designers featured white-out looks in everything from monochrome white dresses to snowy white trousers, blazers, and pantsuits.  Pristine whites were ubiquitous on the catwalks, inspiring us to consider the best ways to accessorize your favorite summer whites. 

White on White for Monochrome White Looks

For the spring/summer 2024 season, you would have been hard pressed to find any designer in New York, Paris, London, or Milan who did not have at least one monochrome white look. White ensembles were featured in super sleek long dresses at Proenza Schouler, Giambattista Valli, Molly Goddard, Versace, Alberta Ferretti, and more.  Pearls are a natural accessory to keep the look mono-hued. Pearls with white diamonds are particularly relevant, especially for the dressier looks. Assael’s South Sea pearl and diamond mesh choker is perfect for open necklines, and also on-trend, as chokers are having a moment, thanks to red carpet celebrity sightings. And you can never go wrong with a stylish pearl and diamond statement ring. The 7+ carat emerald-cut diamond, and pearl Bubble ring by Sean Gilson for Assael creates a stunning sensation with all white ensembles or with just about anything! Long double strands of white pearls also work well with the floor-length dresses and have the added benefit of being wearable for any occasion with a wide variety of outfits. 

Contrast for Pops of Color or Black & White Combos

“Porcelain white” (Vogue) was also seen with pops of color like a bright red rose on a white dress at Alexander McQueen or classic white blouses with black shirts, shorts, or pants at Christian Dior, Givenchy, and Burberry.  Black and white has always been a popular combo, so this is not a big surprise; however, some styling details were indeed surprising – for example, the classic white button-up blouse at Burberry that was longer than the black shorts it was paired with! Try both Tahitian and South Sea pearls for this look – Assael’s InReverse earring is a perfect choice for b&w outfits.

The white skirt is also THE skirt of the season. According to the Wall St Journal we should “get ready to see this skirt everywhere this summer.” Long, tiered, full, or lacey, the white skirt is hot for summer 2024. Pair it with a white blouse or tee for the popular monochrome look or cinch it with a belt and add a black tank or black blazer on top for the black and white trend. The laid back seasonal style of a clean white skirt adds a cool, refreshing vibe to summer travel or beach attire.

For the off-shoulder (Christian Dior) and belted wrap blouses (Givenchy), that are paired with black skirts and trousers, try the Assael Frame earrings in striped black agate with Akoya pearls or with South Sea pearls and black jade.  For a more streamlined stick earring style, there are two versions of the Modernist earrings in South Sea white and Tahitian black pearls. The opera length Assael South Sea pearl and black onyx strand is another great option for wearing with the classic white blouse or any combinations of black and white.

For any of this season’s red accents (sanguine textiles, bright red handbags or shoes), Sardinian coral makes an ultra-chic accessory. You can wear it to add a pop of color to your all-white ensemble or to pick up the red in some of the rose-blossom themed fabrics that populated many couture runways this season. Assael’s Sardinian Coral with a Twist necklace features four rows of coral beads all twisted into one short statement strand. Such pops of red would also be fun to wear with the black or white roses seen at Richard Quinn and Christian Cowan, for example. Assael’s lengthy Akoya pearl and Sardinian coral tassel necklace would also add a nice pop of crimson to summer fashion and can be worn in countless ways. 

White Trousers, Blazers, Pants Suit 

Classic menswear inspirations abound for the season with powerful white pantsuits at Michael Kors, Chloé, Schiaparelli, and even white suits with shorts at Tom Ford and Versace.  Elie Saab and Saint Laurent opted for one-piece white jumpsuits with gold accents in belts and buttons. More ladylike suits reigned at Chanel with their classic white blazer leading the way. These call for #powerpearls with bold short strands high on the collarbone, setting a regal tone, or long pearl drop earrings like Assael’s Diamond Connected earrings in South Sea or Akoya pearls, or the frame earrings in white cacholong with red Sardinian coral as a nod to the crimson trend that is also popular this year.

Crisp white trousers were seen at Michael Kors, Elie Saab, Schiaparelli, Alexander McQueen, Bluemarine, and more, giving the white ensembles a more casual flair. Pair these with jewelry and accessories that match the hardware on the buttons or belts, like the gold and pearl “Wrap” earrings by Sean Gilson for Assael. Or consider adding a refreshing surprise to your white ensemble like Assael’s new Fijian shell blister and diamond statement ring in 22K gold. This ring will undoubtedly start conversations, and your white trousers will prove the perfect canvas to showcase its unusual flair as you subtly hook your thumb into your pocket.

Sheers and Lace

White lacy looks and sheers also dominated many runways for Spring/Summer 2024. Decorative eyelet lace was seen in collections such as Michael Kors, Elie Saab, and Valentino. Dolce & Gabbana featured 100% lace looks like lacey leggings or hosiery beneath lace dresses, blouses, and shorts. Sheers or see-through white fabrics were prominent at Gabriella Hearst, Blumarine, Erdem, Stella McCartney, Alaïa, Missoni, and Adeam.

The solidity of pearls wears beautifully with lacey and sheer fabrics, their feminine glow complimenting the lace and their opaque weight balancing the sheers. Try pearl drop earrings in unique shapes of pearls like Assael’s keshi pearl drop earrings or the drama and dimension of the baroque and keshi pearl “Fairy Blossom” drop ear hooks by Sean Gilson for Assael. For the high-neck lacey and sheer tops or dresses, opt for jumbled pearls in a variety of sizes. Assael’s new Akoya pearl 5-row necklace has a built-in #neckmess with Akoya pearls ranging from 3.0 – 10 millimeter in a seemingly random and asymmetrical pattern. The light weight of Assael’s Silk collection would also work perfectly with these airy looks. The Silk Akoya pearl station necklace comes in a short or long version with a silky smooth textured gold chain that won’t get caught on the stitches of the lace or tear the sheer fabrics. For a versatile look, Assael’s “Uplighting” earrings feature a scroll-like pattern of gold and diamonds on the ear, reminiscent of the open work in the lace, with a removable pearl drop (round or drop shape) for added sophistication.

White is anything but boring this season, making even your basic white tees and tank tops feel appropriate again. Have fun piling on the pearls or selecting the perfect pearl ring or earring. While they may be relevant for the moment, the best thing about pearls is they never truly go out of style. Dust off your heritage pearls and personalize your look with some of the new and contemporary pearl jewelry designs that you can wear with them – mixing old and new is en vogue and proof that pearls are the one true glow that never dulls or fails to delight.

Feature image at top – clockwise from upper left – Assael Classic South Sea pearl strand, Elegance with Attitude campaign shot by David Benloliel featuring model wearing Assael 100” Akokya pearl strand, Elie Saab S/S 2024 (Getty), Michael Kors S/S 2024 (Spotlight Launchmetrics), Bubble pearl ring by Sean Gilson for Assael, Blumarine S/S 2024 (Spotlight Launchmetrics), Assael South Sea pearl and rhombus morganite earrings

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