{"id":416832,"date":"2024-04-19T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-04-19T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/blogs\/the-study\/?p=416832"},"modified":"2024-04-19T14:24:47","modified_gmt":"2024-04-19T18:24:47","slug":"chanel-pearl-sunglasses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/blogs\/the-study\/chanel-pearl-sunglasses\/","title":{"rendered":"From the Runway to Rihanna, These Chanel Pearl Sunglasses Are the Peak of \u201990s Chic"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Chanel<\/a>
Chanel round pearl sunglasses, Spring\/Summer 1994<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cBefore you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.\u201d This quote is famously attributed to Coco Chanel<\/a>, who was known for chic, simple elegance<\/a> that helped define 20th-century womenswear. However, Chanel was also quite the magpie<\/a>, reportedly proclaiming, \u201cA woman needs ropes and ropes of pearls<\/a>!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The designer was often pictured sporting several long strands of pearls<\/a>, and the gem has remained integral to her house’s aesthetic, never more so than under Karl Lagerfeld<\/a>‘s acclaimed directorship in the 1990s<\/a>. This pair of pearl-adorned sunglasses<\/a> perfectly represents the house\u2019s vivacious \u201890s vibe while embodying Coco\u2019s earlier \u201cmore is more\u201d attitude toward the use of pearls in fashion<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Chanel<\/a>
The pearl sunglasses were featured in Chanel’s spring 1994 runway show.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cThis was a key piece in Lagerfeld\u2019s important Spring 1994 runway collection,\u201d says Mila Evertz, of House of Carver<\/a>, who is offering the sunglasses on 1stDibs. \u201cDelicate yet sturdy, they are a prime example of what we today call costume jewelry<\/a>, which Coco Chanel pioneered<\/a>.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since their debut 30 years ago, the glasses have been sought after by collectors and copied by competitors. Refined but unpretentious, the round frames recall the mid-century<\/a> glamour of stars like Bette Davis, who were often seen sporting the shape, and the exaggerated pearl accents bring a frivolity to the classic silhouette. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Rihanna<\/a>
Rihanna wore Chanel pearl sunglasses when she performed at the Victoria\u2019s Secret Fashion Show in 2012.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Whether natural or faux, pearls are a consistent hit with high-profile collectors like Ariana Grande, who wore these sunglasses on tour in 2019, and Rihanna<\/a>, who donned them for her performance at the Victoria\u2019s Secret Fashion Show in 2012. She even took Coco\u2019s advice and paired the shades with a sumptuous faux-pearl Chanel choker<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Devotees of vintage fashion<\/a> will likely recognize pearls as a Chanel signature, but the absence of logos is reminiscent of an earlier era, when most ateliers, including Chanel\u2019s, produced jewels unsigned and sold them as part of a full couture ensemble. \u201cThey\u2019re a true conversation starter,\u201d Evertz says of the vintage sunglasses<\/a>. \u201cThey don\u2019t bear any logos but are distinctively Chanel<\/a>.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\t

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Shop Vintage Chanel Sunglasses<\/div>\n\t\t\t
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