Shakespeare wrote that “summer’s lease hath all too short a date” and wow, was he right. The one good thing about summer’s imminent demise, however, is the joy of autumn dressing. The season ahead will be filled with empowering style and statement jewels. Get ready to break the rules, get pinned, own your power, and rock the pearl revolution. Here are some of the top trends from the Fall/Winter 2023-24 runways in New York, Paris, London, and Milan.

Power Hour – Power Pearls & Wide Shouldered Suits  

Nineteen-eighties power dressing is back. Broad shouldered suits, seen at Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Chloé, Bottega Veneta, Alexander Wang, and more, were dubbed the “big shoulders” trend by WWD. The suits featured sculpted skirts and classic tailoring, often belted at the waist for an hourglass silhouette, a nod to female empowerment. Belts were chunky at Max Mara, Schiaparelli, and Alaïa, skinny at Chanel and Louis Vuitton. Power pearls and statement necklaces at Carolina Herrera, Versace, Moschino, and Marco Rambaldi also brought a regal sense of elegance to the influential ensembles. 

The Pearl Revolution continues for the season ahead with pearls sewn into the gowns at Balenciaga and Balmain or featured on sunglasses or making statements at the ear in countless collections. Pearls have always been associated with people in power, and their bold yet soft luster adds the perfect touch of femininity to one’s overall look. Versace (see below) featured a large pearl necklace with an all-black corseted gown for striking contrast and a powerful aesthetic. 

The neutral-hued fabrics in the many wide shoulders and power suits harken to the quiet luxury theme and call for jewelry staples like hoop earrings, pearl strands, cuffs or bangle bracelets, and brooches (see below). Luckily, there are many fresh new pearl designs on offer today. The Floating Bubble Pearl and Diamond collar necklace by Sean Gilson for Assael fits the “Necklace-Gate” trend (Vogue), worn high on the neck, above the collarbone for maximum effect. The new Rivière South Sea pearl and diamond earrings become a modern classic with a dance of diamonds that is anything but boring. Pearl earrings have been dominating the runways for a while now, and this season is no different (see earring trend below).  

Pinned! 

Fall/Winter 2023-24 also revives the brooch. The gender-neutral trend appeared in both men’s and women’s ready-to-wear collections.  Brooches have also been showing up on red carpets of late. Rihanna donned three diamond-studded brooches on her crimson monochrome look in the Super Bowl halftime show. The Guardian reported that “men are leading the great brooch revival” with celebrities like Michael B Jordan, Brendan Fraser, and Ke Huy Quan all wearing brooches on the red carpet at the Oscars earlier this year. 

The look was not just limited to lapels, far from it; Gucci strung pearls across the bodice in a double brooch design, stringing the pearls over the shoulder. Coperni used brooches high on the chest to gather pleats or rouching in a sweater for asymmetrical style. Schiaparelli adorned outerwear with a gold brooch and paired it with handbags and zippers of similar hue. Simone Roche featured both male and female models wearing brooches, either to secure a scarf or add elegance to one of their many looks with the “great black coat” trend (Vogue).

Brooch lovers will be delighted by the bevy of new designs available for all genders for the season ahead. Assael’s latest offering is a jabot pin. Once used by men in the 1800s to secure ruffles in front of their shirts, this type of brooch can also be used creatively in fashion today. The very large South Sea Pearls are adorned with two carats of pear-shaped diamonds, with design inspiration from Art Deco, Indian floral motifs, and the return of the suit jacket. It looks great on a lapel but can be worn anywhere you like.

Assael’s new NatureScapes square brooch doubles as an enhancer when pinned to a wide silk sash that is tied high at the back of the neck, creating a dramatic and sophisticated choker. The natural dendritic agate resembles a miniature painting of the Mediterranean Sea floor, complete with coral branches. Adorned with Sardinian coral and a natural pearl, the art is framed with copper garnets to stunning effect.

For baroque pearl lovers, Assael also offers a floral brooch with lavender jadeite and diamonds that can be worn solely as a brooch or as a pendant or on a long double-strand of South Sea baroque pearls.  Tahitian lovers might gravitate to Assael’s Fanfare brooch featuring a single Tahitian natural color button pearl and over eleven carats of baguette diamonds.

The Chunky Earring

WhoWhatWear recently proclaimed, “If there is one jewelry piece to buy for fall 2023, it is the chunky earring.” Oversized buttons, studs, and drops graced many ready-to-wear runways, a signal of the bold fashion-forward style for the coming season. Go big or stay home.  Experiment with styles worn high on the lobe or dangling down beneath.  Colored gemstones, gold chain links, and large pearls were the prevalent styles. Gucci featured pearl drops, while Balmain and Carolina Herrera opted for oversized buttons, and Balenciaga and Balmain opted for statement sized gold hoops.  Paco Rabanne, Alexander McQueen, Giambattista Valli, and Moshcino featured chunky dimensional drop earrings. The trend is sometimes asymmetrical with a mismatched pair or one large solo dangle. Sassy fringe earrings appeared at Ferrari, Valentino, and Zimmerman.

When shopping for chunky earrings, consider clips as an option that allows wearing higher on the ear lobe. Make sure the earring is not overly weighty to ensure comfortable wear. The asymmetrical Crescent Moon jadeite, pearl, and diamond ear cuff from Assael is an impressive statement maker – worn high up the ear, the design is lightweight but packs a powerful punch. Assael’s new blossom earrings, available in satin finish 18K gold with drop-shaped pearls or with white diamond pave petals and round pearls, offer the perfect pearl drop earring. For longer hairstyles or longer necks, consider the Assael Perfect Ten South Sea pearl drop earrings or the long Keshi Pearl and Diamond earrings. For a lustrous cluster on the lobe, consider Bubble earrings by Sean Gilson for Assael – in South Sea or Tahitian, these styles add volume and grace and can be worn with short or long pearl necklaces.

White After Labor Day – The Classic White Blouse/Tank/Tee And/Or Classic White Pearls

Fashion rule followers take note – the rules have been changing for a while now. In contemporary fashion, white is no longer relegated to summer attire. A plethora of crisp, clean tank tops and tee shirts strutted the Fall/Winter runways with a casual flair above cargo pants or reinvented denim. Classic white blouses were featured at Bally, Dior, Gucci, Tory Burch, Bottega Veneta, and more.  All-white cold-weather ensembles, think sweaters, long sleeves, blazers, seen at Bevza, Jil Sander, Michael Kors, and Dolce & Gabbana made it clear that white is definitely appropriate after Labor Day. Creamy white suit jackets, pantsuits, and outerwear also brought brightness and purity to sophisticated styles from Saint Laurent, Giambattista Valli, MSGM, and Stella McCartney.

White pearls also ruled the day, featured as a strong counterpart to all-black looks at Versace, Etro, and Gucci, or as a unifier for floral prints at Carolina Herrera. Chloé featured white on white with pearl drop earrings or baroque pearl body chains worn over white dresses. And the white pearl drop earring, seen at Dolce & Gabbana, Chloé, Etro, Giada, Simone Rocha, Ulla Johnson, and more, continues to dominate, having become almost ubiquitous since Spring/Summer 2023. 

When the temps begin to drop in the seasons ahead, enjoy dressing again. As you swath yourself in scarves and shawls, be sure to pin them with your favorite brooch. Button up and/or suit up with classic tailoring, wide shoulders, and white pearls. And don’t leave the house without some statement earrings. Own your power and let the accessories do the talking!

Feature image at top – clockwise from upper right – Assael South Sea Pearl and Lapis button earrings, Saint Laurent F/W 2023-24 (Getty), Assael Classic South Sea Pearl strand, Balmain F/W 2023-24 (Launchmetrics Spotlight), Carolina Herrera F/W 2023-24 (Launchmetrics Spotlight)

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