Schoolgirl Twist

Peter Pan collars never fail to remind me of my whopping twelve years as a Catholic schoolgirl. I haven't gone near them since then, as they're not exactly flattering. Plus, after those twelve years, I never want to see a plaid skirt or knee socks or, of course, button down shirts with Peter Pan collars ever again. But this season, designers have gone a different route:

However, Peter Pan necklaces reimagined in tough metals? That's more edgy than schoolgirl savvy. The collared blouses themselves were all over the Fall/Winter 2011 runways, but so were the necklaces. And I love them. They're so versatile and can dress up a scoopneck tee in an instant (stay away from v-necks, however). They'd even look great worn over an actual collared blouse. I'd want to try it over something sheer and polka-dotted, in an uncomplicated black and white palette.

Here are my favorite ones:

Chanel, on the left, is light years out of my budget (duh), but the silver number is handcrafted and the perfect way to jazz up an otherwise simple ensemble.

[photo cred here and there]