FASHION WITH A PAST
How Classic Pearls Became Improbably Hip
We trace the traditional ornamentation from European royal courts to radical fashion runways and red carpets
WHENEVER I ENCOUNTER a reference to Kate Middleton or Meghan Markle as fashion icons, I heave an inward sigh. Partly because we toss around the term “icon” too easily, but mainly because royals and fashion are diametrically opposed—or should be, if both are doing their jobs correctly. Fashion is clothing that changes for the sake of change; royalty is concerned with the maintenance of tradition. Royals may be correctly dressed, they may be well turned out. But fashionable? No. Princesses or duchesses may, however, influence fashion, which brings me to the point of this column: the resurgence of interest in pearls, the...