How to re-fashion pearls

Classic pearls vs re-modelled pearls

I seem to have inherited a few pearl necklaces in my time. That was after I bought a whole lot of them back in the New Romantic fashion era. Ah, what a great fashion period that was in my life. We got into music like Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Human League and Visage.

Electronica was brand new. Thank heavens You Tube has original video footage. Check out some of the outfits in these videos. Souxie and the Banshees  Passenger; Blancmange Don’t tell me; and the brilliant Simple Minds Waterfront. Music and fashion are heavily intertwined. Well certainly for me.

We wore pajamas as clothes and thought we were the only cool people on earth. Way back then we were buying vintage and I mean real vintage. Yip, even in Africa there was a shop called Granny’s Cupboard. I had a pair of genuine Victorian pantaloons that I bought there. I actually wore them out in public. But before anyone judges me too harshly, blokes walked around in mullet hairdos.

Style icons from those days were Paula Yates, Adam Ant, Souxie and the Banshees and Boy George. Gender stereotype clothing went out the window. Woman wore austere suits or skirts with Dr Martins heavy duty boots. Guys wore flower corsages, leggings and frilly shirts. It felt like a big ballroom affair. Hair and make up was acid bright and the look was intended faux.

We seem to keep going back to the past for fashion inspiration. Different facets of each era resurface as a new trend. Heirloom jewelry is one way to give a new outfit a nostalgic feel. It’s also a way to remember a special relative. In the picture to the left are some classic pearl necklaces. On the right is a necklace made using seed pearls from an old pearl necklace, together with vintage silver beads and crystals. I wouldn’t want to part with a family treasure but it is possible to re-use the original gems in a new setting. Should you want to set the pearls back the way they were, you take them to a specialist jeweler and have them restrung again. Stringing pearls is not a skill I have acquired. They make specialist knots between each bead. I’m not even going to try.

If you’re after a variety of tutorials then find the Greenie Galleries at the top of this page. You will find a mix of sewing, knitting, crochet, jewelry making and even ways to up cycle junk into clothing and accessories.

See you right here next week.

Greenie.