Sautoir
When did this style emerge, and what cultural influences shaped its development?
The sautoir emerged during the late Victorian era but reached its defining moment in 1920s France when Coco Chanel revolutionized women’s jewelry. The word “sautoir” derives from the French verb “sauter,” meaning “to jump,” describing how these long necklaces moved gracefully with the wearer. Originally worn by French aristocrats in the 18th century as decorative chains for watches or seals, the sautoir transformed during the Jazz Age into a symbol of liberated femininity.
Chanel’s introduction of costume jewelry sautoirs in the early 1920s democratized what had been an exclusively upper-class accessory. The style gained momentum as women abandoned restrictive corsets and embraced looser silhouettes that complemented long, flowing jewelry. French jewelry houses like Cartier and Boucheron elevated the sautoir with precious materials, while Chanel’s faux pearl versions made the style accessible to modern working women.
Chanel’s introduction of costume jewelry sautoirs in the early 1920s democratized what had been an exclusively upper-class accessory. The style gained momentum as women abandoned restrictive corsets and embraced looser silhouettes that complemented long, flowing jewelry. French jewelry houses like Cartier and Boucheron elevated the sautoir with precious materials, while Chanel’s faux pearl versions made the style accessible to modern working women.
What are the defining characteristics and techniques that make this style distinctive?
The sautoir is distinguished by its exceptional length, typically measuring 60 to 120 inches, designed to be worn in multiple loops or knotted for versatility. Authentic 1920s sautoirs feature uniform beads or pearls strung on silk cord, often with a decorative tassel, pendant, or ornamental clasp that serves as both functional and aesthetic element. The construction technique involves hand-knotting between each bead to prevent loss if the strand breaks, a hallmark of quality craftsmanship.
French sautoirs often incorporated semi-precious stones like jet, coral, amber, or rock crystal, while Chanel’s revolutionary costume versions used glass pearls with weighted centers for authentic drape. The Art Deco influence appears in geometric tassels, angular pendants, and contrasting color combinations like black and white or coral and jet. Quality sautoirs display consistent bead sizing, smooth silk threading, and secure clasps often hidden within the design.
The weight distribution is crucial for proper drape, with heavier elements strategically placed to create the characteristic fluid movement. Original pieces show period-appropriate aging in the silk cord and natural patina on metal components.
French sautoirs often incorporated semi-precious stones like jet, coral, amber, or rock crystal, while Chanel’s revolutionary costume versions used glass pearls with weighted centers for authentic drape. The Art Deco influence appears in geometric tassels, angular pendants, and contrasting color combinations like black and white or coral and jet. Quality sautoirs display consistent bead sizing, smooth silk threading, and secure clasps often hidden within the design.
The weight distribution is crucial for proper drape, with heavier elements strategically placed to create the characteristic fluid movement. Original pieces show period-appropriate aging in the silk cord and natural patina on metal components.
Which fashion movements and social trends prominently featured this style?
The sautoir became synonymous with the flapper movement and women’s liberation in 1920s fashion. Jazz Age socialites wore multiple sautoirs simultaneously, creating dramatic layered effects that complemented dropped waistlines and shorter hemlines. The style perfectly matched the era’s rejection of Victorian modesty, as women twisted, knotted, and swung their long necklaces while dancing the Charleston.
Art Deco fashion embraced the sautoir’s geometric potential, with designers creating angular tassels and streamlined pendants that echoed the movement’s architectural influences. The costume jewelry revolution, led by Chanel’s philosophy that fake jewelry could be more beautiful than real gems, made sautoirs central to accessible luxury. Evening wear of the period featured sautoirs as essential accessories, often worn with backless dresses to showcase the jewelry’s dramatic length.
The Bohemian artistic movement also adopted sautoirs, particularly versions made from exotic materials like carved wood, bone, or ethnic beads that reflected global cultural influences. Department stores began featuring sautoir sections by 1925, indicating the style’s mainstream acceptance and commercial viability.
Art Deco fashion embraced the sautoir’s geometric potential, with designers creating angular tassels and streamlined pendants that echoed the movement’s architectural influences. The costume jewelry revolution, led by Chanel’s philosophy that fake jewelry could be more beautiful than real gems, made sautoirs central to accessible luxury. Evening wear of the period featured sautoirs as essential accessories, often worn with backless dresses to showcase the jewelry’s dramatic length.
The Bohemian artistic movement also adopted sautoirs, particularly versions made from exotic materials like carved wood, bone, or ethnic beads that reflected global cultural influences. Department stores began featuring sautoir sections by 1925, indicating the style’s mainstream acceptance and commercial viability.
What notable designers, jewelers, and style icons are most associated with this style?
Coco Chanel stands as the most influential figure in sautoir history, transforming costume jewelry into high fashion through her innovative use of faux pearls and contrasting materials. Her boutique at 31 Rue Cambon became the epicenter of sautoir design, where she personally styled clients with multiple strands of varying lengths. Jeanne Lanvin created exceptional Art Deco sautoirs featuring geometric pendants and exotic materials like carved jade and onyx.
The jewelry house of Cartier produced luxury sautoirs for elite clientele, including the famous platinum and pearl creation for the Duchess of Windsor. French actress and fashion icon Josephine Baker popularized ethnic-inspired sautoirs, often wearing oversized versions with African-influenced beads and materials. Louise Brooks, the quintessential flapper, made the pearl sautoir her signature accessory, influencing countless fashion photographs and film costumes.
Jewelry designer Jean Fouquet created avant-garde sautoirs that pushed Art Deco boundaries with cubist-inspired pendants and unusual material combinations. American socialite Millicent Rogers commissioned custom sautoirs from top French jewelers, helping to establish the style’s international prestige and desirability.
The jewelry house of Cartier produced luxury sautoirs for elite clientele, including the famous platinum and pearl creation for the Duchess of Windsor. French actress and fashion icon Josephine Baker popularized ethnic-inspired sautoirs, often wearing oversized versions with African-influenced beads and materials. Louise Brooks, the quintessential flapper, made the pearl sautoir her signature accessory, influencing countless fashion photographs and film costumes.
Jewelry designer Jean Fouquet created avant-garde sautoirs that pushed Art Deco boundaries with cubist-inspired pendants and unusual material combinations. American socialite Millicent Rogers commissioned custom sautoirs from top French jewelers, helping to establish the style’s international prestige and desirability.
What should you look for when identifying authentic vintage examples, and does this style influence modern jewelry?
Authentic vintage sautoirs show specific construction details including hand-knotted silk cord between beads, period-appropriate clasps often concealed within the design, and natural aging patterns in both materials and threading. Original Chanel pieces feature distinctive glass pearls with weighted cores, giving them authentic drape and movement that modern reproductions cannot replicate. The silk cord should show appropriate wear and slight discoloration consistent with age, while metal components display period-correct patination.
Hallmarks on luxury pieces include maker’s stamps from established French jewelry houses, often found on hidden clasp mechanisms or pendant backs. The sautoir’s influence on contemporary jewelry remains profound, with designers like Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel continuing to produce modern interpretations using updated materials and techniques. High-end fashion houses regularly reference the 1920s sautoir in their collections, creating pieces that capture the original’s spirit while incorporating contemporary aesthetics.
Modern pearls and beads often lack the slight irregularities found in period pieces, making authentic examples distinguishable by their subtle imperfections. The sautoir’s versatility continues to inspire contemporary jewelry designers who appreciate its transformative potential and timeless elegance.
Hallmarks on luxury pieces include maker’s stamps from established French jewelry houses, often found on hidden clasp mechanisms or pendant backs. The sautoir’s influence on contemporary jewelry remains profound, with designers like Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel continuing to produce modern interpretations using updated materials and techniques. High-end fashion houses regularly reference the 1920s sautoir in their collections, creating pieces that capture the original’s spirit while incorporating contemporary aesthetics.
Modern pearls and beads often lack the slight irregularities found in period pieces, making authentic examples distinguishable by their subtle imperfections. The sautoir’s versatility continues to inspire contemporary jewelry designers who appreciate its transformative potential and timeless elegance.
