mood #001: sterling & black for summer

a new series about mood based dressing

Jun 20, 2025

#001: the first in a new series about mood based dressing. as in, getting dressed to the tune of life as it is in this moment. being caught up in a wave of tailored menswear, or under the spell of earthbound elemental jewelry. over the top looks or under the radar vibes — whatever it is, this is where I’ll share the mood of the moment. xx, g

A SILVER REVIVAL

This is about a mood I’ve been slowly slipping into, starting when I bought myself a silver Grecian coin necklace, at which point sterling silver really started reentering my life. It’s been at the surface of my psyche, showing up again and again in the looks and styles I’m gravitating toward.

I wore sterling throughout my 20s, and though I gradually shifted toward wearing more gold over the past 5 years, I held onto a few .925 favorites — archived in an old jewelry box where they’ve been awaiting a return into the fold of daily wear. The nature of off-duty silver is that it takes on a serious patina — so bringing these pieces back to life involved buying silver cleaner and engaging some serious polishing power.

Maximalist earrings — from the early days of dating my now-husband — are one of the archival pieces staging my sterling revival.

ON WEARING BLACK IN SUMMER

The genesis of the black-for-summer aspect of this mood came during the Dan Gifford style feature interview. He complimented my outfit — entirely black — and my response was borderline apologetic. For what, you might ask. For having worn a fully black outfit on a beautiful, warm, spring day? As if wearing all black was somehow a slight to the general joyeux of the season. Having since self reflected on this response, I am here and now flipping the energy with which I received the compliment. Flipping the energy, and reversing the psychology of why black could and should be part of the summer style story.

THE REFERENCES

I was looking through Phoebe Philo Fall RTW 2025, and came across this image of a model in black & sterling. I was completely swept by the earrings, and it shifted something in me. All those feelings I’d been having about silver, and all that thinking I’d done about black clothing, it all came together in this look.

And wasn’t it just a couple weeks ago that I was praising the simplicity of Chloë Sevigny’s choice of oversized silver earrings & black blazer?

Black is svelt, sleek, and unfailing as the base to whatever energy you want to create. Bared skin, et al.

MOOD MARKETPLACE

Scroll on for lobe-livening vintage sterling, plus see how I styled my archival silver earrings with black summer selects from the closet.

Onyx & Pearl Drop Studs ($81), Cluster Drops ($106), XL Heavy Hoops ($36)

Linking drops ($220), Modernist sculptural drops ($93), Mexican shell & fish drops ($85)

Sterling & jasper post earrings ($75), Bezel gemstone studs ($60), Spiny oyster teardrops ($109)

Modernist geometric posts ($175), Serpentine chain earrings ($79), Panther link drops ($195)

Onyx & bar drop earrings ($170), Heart teardrops (screwback) ($115), Onyx oval studs ($50)

HOW I’M WEARING IT

My own Ready to Wear collection came in the form of the newly-polished sterling studs from my jewelry archival. Plus, all the black garments fit to wear this summer.

Silver ball cluster earrings as the main event, with layered necklaces — sterling chain, red cord snake talisman necklace, and gold chain — and a vintage velvet dress.

This dress has an amazing crossover effect in the back — it adds all the visual interest in an otherwise simple black garment.

A dressier look in the form of this sheer buttondown (the shirt I was wearing during the style profile interview) — letting the necklaces show through the fabric.

Adding shrouded color via a floral miniskirt — the shirt is long so it flows down over the skirt.

Here, a black cami is enough — same jewelry story, minus one red threaded talisman necklace.

Lastly, with a black shortsleeved sweater — featuring giant ruffled sleeves. This one has been hanging with the dresses in my closet, coding toward formal events. But I am 100% pulling this to the fore and wearing it all summer.

until next time — geo

Georgia Dixon writes about getting dressed. Subscribe to receive the weekly substack newsletter, and follow @geo.styled for daily doses of style.