From Harry Styles to Timothée Chalamet – why pearls are the hottest accessory for men right now

By Frank Alexander On Feb 23, 2023 50 0

In one of his personal letters, artist Vincent Van Gogh wrote: “The heart of man is very much like the sea, it has its storms, it has its tides and in its depths it has its pearls too.”

n 2023, so too does his wardrobe.

Gone are the days of pearls being reserved for grandmothers and debutantes. One need look no further than the latest winter season of Love Island to see the budding trend of men in pearls.

Favoured farmer Will, the divisive figures of Ron and Kai, they’re all opting for pearly accessories.

Love Island’s Ron Hall shows off his own appreciation for pearls. Photo: Virgin Media Television

Outside of the villa, everyone from Grammy-winning Harry Styles to A$AP Rocky to F1 driver Lewis Hamilton has been spotted with new pearly whites.

But what’s driving the trend? And are pearls here to stay?

When it comes to accessories like jewellery, stylist and personal shopper Anne O’Shea considers them to be “a step above” the clothes we wear, as they are “an addition rather than something you actually need”.

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This makes them all the more important since they’re a conscious choice that we’re making.

Ms O’Shea doesn’t use accessories much in her styling as she finds they can get in the way. She also reckons pearls are metaphorically getting in the way when it comes to male style.

“We assume so much when we see a man wearing pearls, which is incorrect,” she says. “It’s just an expression of his taste.”

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Actor Timothée Chalamet at a promotional event for the movie ‘Bones and All’ in Rome, Italy. Photo: Franco Origlia /Getty.

It’s an expression she is all for, even even if she’s not sure we’ll be seeing them for long.

She continues: “Why not encourage men to string together the divide between the sexes with pearls and encompass the wisdom of the sea?

“I would argue that anything that appears on Love Island is not here to stay. I think they’re a timeless piece that will be reborn every year and take on new life. Maybe the next trend will be your dad wearing it!”

Eventually, though, Ms O’Shea says: “Once the pendulum stops swinging so extremely, they’ll balance in the middle where it’s men and women wearing them, but it won’t be a big deal for people.”

One Dame Lane, created by Lyndsey Cavanagh, sells many a pearl online and in-store in Dublin and Greystones, Co Wicklow.

She says their pearl pieces are aligned with a contemporary style.

“We took a lot of the classics and modernised them by using natural, organic pearls which appeal to those looking for something abstract, modern, and contemporary – yet with a nod to the feminine, the ethereal,” Ms Cavanagh says.

It is that nod to femininity that the designer thinks may be driving the current wave of male interest. “as they (pearls) embody that softer, more feminine energy”.

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Seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton wearing pearls before the final practice of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, United Arab Emirates, last November. Photo: Mario Renzi

When it comes to styling pearls for men, Ms Cavanagh says a “juxtaposition between the soft feminine and textured masculine” is the most eye-catching way to do it. In other words: mixing a simple pearl necklace with a heavier piece is key.

Thankfully, unlike many of fashion’s cycles, this is one trend that is somewhat sustainable. In Ms Cavanagh’s case at One Dame Lane, “pieces are made in-house using ethically sourced pearls through traceable means”.

Pearls are sourced by marine oysters and freshwater mussels, as the creatures secrete layers of aragonite and conchiolin. What acts as a defence against irritants for them, then serves as a fashion statement for us.

Since they’re grown inside oysters and mussels, pearls are unique in their position as the only renewable gemstone. And many pearl enthusiasts have argued that since pearls are incredibly susceptible to pollution, it’s common for harvesters to be active environmentalists in their own right.

According to Ms O’Shea, this isn’t the first or only time pearls have been a hot commodity.

“Historically, pearls were exclusive to the ruling classes,” she says.

“Because of their rarity, Julius Caesar dictated only the rich could wear them. I do think they have the air of class about them.”

Pearls are often given as gifts or tokens for weddings, anniversaries and of course, the debs.

Fittingly, Ms Cavanagh describes them as “great memory keepers”.

For now, pearls are enjoying a moment in the unisex spotlight. And whether or not they remain on the necks of modern men, they’re unlikely to ever truly go out of fashion.

After all, “pearls represent the pure, uncorrupted heart”, Ms Cavanagh says, and that is certainly not something only a woman can possess.

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