When I bought the fabric I didn't really have an idea in mind, but rather just loved the look and feel of it. I loved the delicate embroidery, scalloped edges, and those sweet little eyelets. I wanted the piece to incorporate all of the inspirational elements as well as to have this feminine feel that also evoked a sense of innocence.
Thus this ruffled half-Peter Pan collar came about. There are several items that distinguish a Peter Pan collar from other types of shirt collars, however, the most characteristic is the rounded edges.
As I got to researching more about Peter Pan collars and how they came about. The name of the collar is actually a reference to Peter Pan (yes, that lovely fictional character that lived in Neverland in the novel of the same name, which was written by J.M. Barrie in the early 1900s). As many of you know the story is a fairytale about a mischievous little boy who can fly that refuses to grow up, and the Peter Pan collar is intended to evoke the same fairytale sense of eternal youthfulness.
The shape and name of the Peter Pan collar seems to have originated in the mid-twentieth century. This design was very popular for school uniforms, but also started to spill over into popular culture. Despite the collar being named after a masculine character, the Peter Pan collar has been mostly associated with feminine fashion and rarely does it appear in men's fashion.
Peter Pan collars are typically quite modest, since the collar itself hugs the neck thus not leaving much room for display of décolletage or cleavage. Instead of creating a full traditional Peter Pan collar I opted to make half of one.
I love the way it looks worn on the body. The necklace gently hugs around the neck mimicking a Peter Pan collar with the rounded edge in front, however, it starts to take on a new look with the focus being on the center adornment. The middle portion where typically the collar edges would meet is layered with various white freshwater pearls that have been hand stitched and mixed in with pieces of vibrant amethyst and layers of sterling silver chain.
This has definitely become one of my favorite pieces. I can't wait to share with you next week some of the other images from the Swan Lake shoot as well as a wedding-esq inspired collar plus more custom/personalized work. Have a wonderful weekend!
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Fashion Shoot :: Swan Lake.
Model Photos by Claire Eliza
Hair and Makeup: Melissa and Ashley at Che'mel Salon
Outfits: Vanity Boutique. Tacoma, Washington
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