Yahoo News The Secrets of Reese Witherspoon’s Red Carpet Jewelry Success
It’s not that she doesn’t sometimes wear simple white diamonds. See the January 2020 Screen Actors Guild Awards and the January 2018 Golden Globes. And Reese Witherspoon will certainly use jewelry sparingly when appropriate for the occasion or the dress (see perfect black lace, Oscars, 2002). But, more often than not, the Oscar winning actress and producer shows off what we here at T&C call "jewelry ambition."
Unlike some others who seem to lean too heavily on simple studs when they have the world’s finest jewels to choose from, Witherspoon has, over the years, used the designs of both heritage houses (Tiffany, Harry Winston, Van Cleef & Arpels) and independent talents (Neil Lane, Irene Neuwirth). She does not, unlike so many others, seem afraid of a big bold necklace, and colored stones? They don’t scare her either. Looking back at Witherspoon's red carpet jewelry history, a theory emerges: She wins by keeping it classic, but never playing it safe.
Recent examples that defend our theory include the 2022 Emmy Awards. Witherspoon attended in a blue sequined Armani Prive gown. Around her neck, a Tiffany & Co double row necklace including richly and brightly blue aquamarines (over 210 carats worth per reports.). At the 2011 Academy Awards there she was again in Armani Prive, that was the year of the black and white gown and that high ponytail, remember? The earrings were dangling emerald chandeliers by Neil Lane. (She wore long emerald earrings again at the 2018 SAG Awards). At The Hollywood Film Awards of 2015? Irene Neuwirth long mixed gemstone earrings of turquoise and tourmaline. And of course, the moment that lives forever on best red carpet and revenge dresses of all time: the 2007 Golden Globes yellow Nina Ricci cocktail dress with the Van Cleef & Arpels rubies.
The fact that her dress was yellow got the most attention. She looked fabulous in it and yes, yellow is a daring and notoriously difficult color to pull off, (which she did, again at the Globes in 2017) but more impressive to jewelry experts is the decision to pair an equally bold stone with it. Those three Van Cleef bracelets on her wrist echoed the color of her slingback red shoe. Someone with less jewelry ambition might have kept those bracelets to a completely neutral palette, or worn none, but Witherspoon consistently makes the bolder choice, most visibly with colored stones. It is that age old mystery of knowing when it's just enough to make a statement, and not too much to say the wrong thing.
Earlier this year, T&C spotted Witherspoon at a Tiffany event in Beverly Hills to unveil their new High Jewelry Collection. There too, Witherspoon chose to wear one of the most ambitious necklaces of the collection, a three dimensional color of diamonds and gold. It was total, what Joan Rivers used to call "old Hollywood glamour" on E!'s Fashion Police. It's an era Witherspoon channels often, and, looking back at her red carpet jewelry history, very, very well.
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