How to Wear a Statement Necklace

Statement necklaces have been heating up the fashion world for a few seasons now, and the trend is stronger than ever. Bold jewelry can transform a simple look into a style statement, and can seamlessly transition from class to work to going out at night to a fancier occasion. The look is so popular and women are becoming more creative with accessorizing that there are few places that a statement necklace would look out of place! Okay, maybe the beach. But even then I’m sure there is a style maven out there that could make the look work for her (a nautical gold-tone long necklace over a classic navy one-piece, anyone?).

The easiest and most fool-proof way to wear a statement necklace is with a simple outfit. If you’re wearing skinny jeans and a loose white tee, you could seriously wear that exact outfit every Monday with a different statement necklace and I doubt anyone would even notice. This is because eye-catching necklaces become the focal point of your look, and bring more attention up towards your face. If you’re wearing neutrals like denim, white, grey, beige, brown, or black, throwing a bright statement necklace on can bring the pop of color that the color scheme needs. Neon stones, color-blocked styles, and statement necklaces that have a variety of jewel-tone or bright hues look the best with soft neutrals. If you have a curvier chest regular length necklaces work the best (18-24 in.) and if you are flatter up top you can wear longer length styles if you’re drawn to them. Here is a handy chart for reference. Choker styles look the best on women with thinner necks as they tend to visually shorten them slightly. A smaller and more delicate necklace will cancel out this effect.

The styles above are from Charlotte Russe.

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Statement necklaces look great with a little black dress! You can experiment with complementary tones such as wearing a sparkling gold statement necklace with red pumps, or a bright blue necklace with silver heels. Metallics pair nicely with any color, but gold goes especially well with warm tones (red, orange, yellow, coral, pink) and silver accents cool tones the best (blue, green, purple, turquoise, mint). For a pretty, stylish color combination, pair shades that are next to each other on the color wheel, and for color-blocking, pair shades that are directly opposite to each other. For instance, wearing a yellow bauble necklace over a green dress flows easily together because the colors are related, whereas pairing a yellow/gold statement necklace with a plum purple outfit is more of a bold look. Pairing pink and red together has been trending on the runways lately, as have coral and mint.

If you work or intern in a more conservative office where most people wear suits that range from dark gray, to darker gray, to black, you can still be stylish and appropriate by adding chic accessories like a statement necklace in classic styles like strings of pearls, turquoise stones, or a chunky row of gemstones. Save the rhinestones, spikes, and neons for another place. Also, avoid details around the necklace like ruffles, sequins, or any other embellishments to keep the look streamlined.

The styles above are from Choies.

Get an exclusive discount HERE.

My favorite way to wear a statement necklace is with a plain (often black…just because it goes with everything) tube top, tucked into a simple body-con skirt. If your necklace is unique, artistic, and bold then it’s best to keep the accessories minimal, like opting to forgo additional jewelry or just wear simple studs. This is because jewelry overload can look too busy. However, a fun way to mix up colors and textures is to layer 2 statement necklaces on top of each other! White and a vivid color look especially cool and unexpected. Have fun with this style, and remember that you really can’t own too many necklaces! If you need a justification, you can use mine: jewelry only gets better with age, à la “vintage.”