Death to the Onesie!!

I was re-dressing one of our cabinets today and it gave me the opportunity to spend time appreciating some of the more unusual items we have. One in particular got me thinking.



18ct gold pink guilloche enamel & diamond fob watch hallmarked London 1909.

I'm not the type of person who dreads weddings and parties because I don't know what to wear. I absolutely love any excuse to get out of my staple skinny jeans and boots and dress up. I am completely obsessed with dresses (the more swishy the better) and have a wardrobe full of hardly worn examples which is a bone of contention between me and my husband. (I know I'm not alone in owning lots of clothes I'll never wear but I don't suppose many other women will admit to stroking them on a daily basis.... ;-) ) I get so frustrated that the modern trend seems to be predominantly casual, and that it feels inappropriate to wear a nice frock for anything other than a formal affair. This is probably why I feel so drawn to past eras; times when appearing casual was really frowned upon!

The same can be said for jewellery. Like many people, it seems wasteful to me to have things which can only be worn for special occasions, but I love collecting jewellery so when choosing which piece to wear I tend to think less about convention and more about what makes me feel happy.

The only time I hold back is when the item is fragile or obviously ostentatious. I'm never one to advocate leaving jewellery in a box and to shy away from wearing it, but I could make an exception in this case:



Rare Pink Guilloche Enamel & Diamond Fob Watch signed "Grand Prix Paris 1900"

It's stunning, but completely unwearable other than for special occasions - mainly as it could be so easily damaged by the chores of modern everyday life. The company who made the watch were exhibiting at the World Fair, Paris in 1900 (hence the signature) and were obviously prestigious as the quality of the watch movement and casing show. It has a beautiful Swiss Jewel Lever movement inside and the suspending chains are a combination of yellow gold links smothered in pink enamel and creamy natural pearls.

The pink enamel is very unusual and looks fabulous against the 18 carat gold case. The white diamonds are really just the icing on a very lavish cake.

I would love to add this to my collection, but I know someday it will find a new caretaker who will appreciate and cherish it. I just wonder which category they will fall into. Will it be a treasured antique? Encased in a cabinet to be preserved and admired only through glass. Or an infrequently worn addition to a jewellery collection? I suppose we don't wear evening gowns on a daily basis but it makes it all the more special when we do.

I think if I bought it I would fall into category number three. The category which firmly believes in reviving the forgotten art of dressing up! Ok so we all lead busy lives and our clothes must help, not hinder us but if we made more effort when socialising then pieces like this could again be popular accessories, adding not only elegance but also a dose of individuality to an outfit. I've already found these lovely pieces which I think would go beautifully with the fob watch:



Vivienne Westwood, Ted Baker & Zara Dresses.



Vivienne Westwood & Ted Baker Dresses (I have both of these and trust me, they are fabulous!)



Just keep the other accessories to a minimum, but wear with lashings of confidence!

Death to the Onesie I say!!! So who's with me?

TTFN!