The Mysterious Case of The Missing Necklace
Dear reader, a mysterious disappearance has occurred. Once beloved and coveted by many as a warm embrace around the vulnerable neck, the necklace has vanished into thin air.
One thing was made searingly clear at the recent 80th annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills as the good and the great of Hollywood put on their best frocks and suits to promenade down the red carpet. No, not that there weren’t really many outstanding ensembles, but that there was a disturbing lack of jewellery, specifically the kind that usually adorns the necks of these glamorous people.
Conversations have been swirling the internet for a handful of weeks now about jewellery falling out of fashion. Sure, they may be non-existent in many notables' Instagram photos, but surely they would make an appearance on the red carpet? The answer is, no.
It would seem as though necklines are now in Vogue, with a multitude of celebrities such as Elizabeth Debicki, Ana de Armas and Anya Taylor-Joy wearing gowns with a strapless bodices. A bare decolletage is the most perfect backdrop for a stunning diamond piece, and while Debicki and Taylor-Joy wore delicate diamond pieces, Ana de Armas did not. Jenna Ortega wore not one, but possibly three necklaces with her flowing Gucci gown. Michelle Yeoh also chose a sparkler to match her dazzling gown.
Michelle Yeoh in Armani Prive
Selena Gomez in Valentino
However, Laverne Cox, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Salma Hayek, Claire Danes, Selena Gomez, Quinta Brunson, Britt Lower and more all went without, even though their ensembles may have benefitted from the extra accessory.
Why have stylists decided to forgo such elegant additions? Perhaps the collarbone is the new necklace, the new masterpiece to focus our attention on. A large topic of conversation within fashion and beauty last year was the so-called return of skinny. Stuck in the minds of many is Kim Kardashian praising how she lost 16 pounds in mere weeks to fit into Marilyn Monroe’s gown at the Met Gala. “I said, ‘Give me like three weeks.’ And I had to lose 16 pounds down today to be able to fit this. It was such a challenge. It was like a role. I was determined to fit it.” said Kardashian, adding, “Since I haven’t eaten carbs or sugar in about three weeks, we’re eating a pizza and doughnut party back at the hotel.”
Elsewhere, Miu Miu had to create a custom version of their trendy ultra mini skirt to fit plus-size model Paloma Elsesser for an editorial cover. The Miu Miu skirt, which retails for £780, only goes up to a UK size 14, and the average size in the UK is a 16. The skirt worn by Elsesser on the cover of I-D magazine was commissioned specifically for her sizing, proving that the brand can do it, but simply don’t.
Fashion has always acted as a stark reminder and historical reference to our economic health. The hemline index is the theory that skirt lengths rise or fall alongside stock prices, meaning they get longer in periods of economic hardship and shorter in good economic times. First developed in the 1920s, there are plenty of examples through the years that suggest the hemline index is a trustworthy indicator and predictor of current and future fashion trends. Longer skirts have indeed been popular in recent years since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Large diamond baubles hanging around one's neck can come across as somewhat opulent and extravagant, and their disappearance may be a reflection of the state of the current world plunged in war, recession and soaring prices.
Now that you have been given the evidence, it is up to you, the audience, to decipher why such a withdrawal has transpired and, consequentially, whether you wish to see them return.
