Beauty...
Be your own
kind of beautiful
Be your own
kind of beautiful
By: Kate Davidson Hudson
Few pieces are as timeless as a gold chain necklace. The tough-luxe spin connoted by this evergreen staple has been deftly reimagined by designers from New York to Paris for chicly upgraded wear throughout the fall/winter months, and beyond. If there is one accessory to invest in that our editors stand behind as the piece guaranteed to get the most play in your day-to-day look rotation, it’s the perennially-chic gold chain necklace.
It’s no wonder gold chains are having a high-fashion comeback this season. Dating back to 2500 BC, ancient Egyptians were chronicled to have started threading rarified gold into chains to adorn themselves with; only to later adorn those chains with hand-crafted pendants. The gold chain quickly became a symbol of the elite, wealthy class in ancient Egypt and has since somewhat cemented this connotation throughout the history of modern civilization. In the late 1900s, along with the advent of the pocket watch, gold chains took on another elevated connotation in modern sartorial vernacular when men deferred to the new cable and flat chain link iterations to fasten their pocket watches [all the rage in high society at the time] to their 3-piece suits.
As pocket watches faded from fashion, mid-century artists from Jimi Hendrix to Jefferson Airplane introduced the gold chain in a pop cultural context as a more decorative application of artistic expression.
Another decade later, advances in technology paved the way for mass production of chain necklaces. It is at at his point that directional members of hip hop community in the 1970s-90s including, Run DMC, LL Cool J, the Beastie Boys, and the Notorious BIG reimagined the storied chain link necklace as more of a demonstrative fashion statement that became a pivotal component of their respective highly-marketed images.
Today, the fashion equity inherent to the gold chain is informed by this rich medley of elite historical references and directional pop culture inflection points. It is similarly, perhaps, some of today’s most influential fashion and cultural trendsetters that are again reviving the gold chain to renewed relevance in contemporary fashion. From supermodels Kendall Jenner to Bella Hadid, megastar and fashion icon, Rihanna, to fashion influencers Pernille Teisbaek and Chloé Harrouche of @louloudesaison, the gold chain necklace is taking a new high-fashion, pop-culture-infused spin through out collective style consciousness. High fashion design houses have also taken note, Italian legacy brands from Bottega Veneta and Gucci to French houses Louis Vuitton and Saint Laurent have all issued new season spins on the classic gold chain necklace.
And, as this is not your grandmother’s gold chain, here are 5 key ways to style a gold chain necklace to thoroughly modern effect this season.
Style this perfect chunky gold chain necklace with a scoop neckline to frame the architecture of the links and not interrupt the dramatic, fluid drop of the chain.
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For double the luxe impact, try styling two curb link gold chains necklaces of similar lengths for a hyper-polished, dimensional impact added to every look
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Make a gold chain necklace your go-to base piece to artfully anchor a medley of various length pendants and talismanic jewels for a well-curated dose of chic neck art.
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Choose two chain link necklaces with different shaped links, set at similar lengths, and style them together as an unexpected mashup to add a dimensional sense of visual intrigue to every look.
Style a chunky gold chain necklace over a sleek turtleneck to instantly elevate everything from sweaters and high-neck shirts through the fall/winter months.
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