Stacks on stacks on stacks
The necklace formula
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Good morning, my fashion friends! I hope everyone had a good long weekend - I deep cleaned my apartment and watched many episodes of Lost. In my defense, it was raining and I really did need to clean. I got a vacuum, and I’m no better than a man. (This is a thing, right? Men love vacuuming? Go machines?) Anyway, let’s just get right down to it - we have a lot to cover. This might be the world’s most drawn out discussion on necklaces - I posted my initial necklace edit at the beginning of the month, and promised a swift follow up addressing the art of necklace stacking. Well, it may not be as swift as I had intended, but I’m back with the goods.
Necklace stacking can be daunting - how does one balance weight, silhouette, length, mixed metals, pendants, and chains, all on one neck? Are we being asked to do too much?? If this really the process we must go through, day after day? Well, I’m here to break it down for you. Once you know the elements it’s easier to figure it out for yourself. Think of it as a recipe - we shall discuss the ingredients, I will show you how I put these elements into practice, and then you can throw your own spice mix in there to fit your taste. Espresso versus dirty on the martini front. Savory versus sweet. Iced versus hot. The world (or your jewelry box) is your oyster.
The elements:
The basics
The stackers
The pendants
The statements
The Basics
These are the first building block. A solid foundation, like learning to walk before you can run. If you’re new to stacking, this is a good way to dip your toes in. Play with lengths and metals, without feeling daunted by scale. On the daintier side, I like a very small chain with diamond (or cubic, who is gonna know!?) details. My go to are Mejuri:
These are my everyday necklaces - truly, I hadn’t taken off the station diamond necklace in probably 4 years.
Plus, my grandma’s really good silver necklace - I found a nearly identical option on Mejuri. Nonnie did it first though, she’s a legend, she is an icon, she is the moment.
The Stackers
These are more statement, but still small enough to layer. My go-to is my tennis necklace - dainty and elegant alone, but she’s not afraid to get a little rock and roll with it if the occasion calls for such dramatics.
A pearl strand is always a good stacking piece - however, in my humble opinion, natural pearls are much better for this. We don’t want smooth edges, we want texture and dimension. And this is where smaller beaded pieces come in - they are a great way to add a pop of color. Summer layering is hard, so necklaces are my go-to to take a basic fit from boring to intentional and refined.
From left to right, numbers 1-3 were all made with my own two hands, some Michaels coupons, and absolutely no plan. In an ideal world, I’d use fishing line, but alas, Michaels is a craft store. So we made do with some other sort of filament thread. (Sadly, my lapis necklace broke, but I have photos below. That’s what I get for having no plan.) As for number 4, I snagged this natural pearl strand at an antique mall in New Orleans for a whopping $10, and it has yet to fail me.
The Pendants
After we’ve added our base piece (or pieces, in my case) and stackers, we turn to the pendants. This helps to add length to a stack - I have a variety of lengths, from 16” ish to 20” ish. Shorter lengths are great if you lack stacker pieces and want to fill a bit of negative space, and longer options work to add some interest if the rest of your stack is closer to the neckline. This is another way to add color - the stackers may be more of a solid strand, while pendants allow you a singular pop of color.
The Statements
The big guns. The quarterback, carrying the team on their back. If pendants are the underdog, the statement pieces are the high school class vice president - seemingly important, but more of a performative role to top off a resume. (Sorry to any vice presidents, I’m sure you did a great job.) Truly the cherry on top - this is where you go big or go home. I love a good chunky chain and a good chunky pendant. However, these necklaces have the potential to be prom queen material if worn solo. Then they can be the star of the show. Really just depends how you work with them. Despite the lack of discourse these days, two things really can be true at once.
Now, let’s get into the execution.
Now me, I love to stack. I love to stack so many necklaces. My personal philosophy is that there is always room for one more. My personal philosophy also supports the mixing of metals, materials, and so many lengths.
My current go-to summer stacks:
As soon as the weather hits 65º, I whip out my pearls. I keep the two Mejuri stackers, and I go to town. I throw on one, two, three stacking pieces, and top it off with a pendant.
Are we sensing a theme? I keep my chunky necklaces on the shorter side so I can let the pendants play. If you’re still wary of mixing metals, I’ve found that adding a pearl or two can help act as a middle man. Plus, a fully beaded necklace knows no metal allegiance, making them the perfect diffuser of mixed metal tensions.
Statements! Go big! My favorite way to wear said necklaces, you ask? With a button down. Button downs can either feel way too business casual or way too boring, so this is my favorite trick in the book. Go from naked neck to statement neck in seconds.
And then, finally, we have the very statement pieces. Sometimes, despite my previous claims, less really is more. Had I attempted a stack with these, they would have lost the oomph I was looking for. The statement would have been diluted. With a white base and sequin texture, I needed something to pop. A long gold pendant did the trick, and I left my neckline bare. Scandalous, I know. A tank top leaves a lot of open space between the neckline and ones actual neck - an excellent canvas for a statement. Enter: vintage Pierre Cardin. Nothing like a good mixed metal collar to really say, “this is my neck.” And lastly, we have the cord collars. A vintage modernist pendant on a rope is the perfect blend of casual and cool. It can be casual with a tee, or dressed up with sequins.
And a few more for the road:
And with that I leave you to go rooting through your jewelry box - bonus points if grandma lets you dig through hers as well. Don’t forget that jewelry doesn’t have to be expensive to be fun. So play around - throw all of your necklaces on. The best way to master a styling skill is to play in your own closet. Pinterest may show you the goods, but in order to execute, you have to learn what works for you. Don’t try to replicate, try to understand.
That is all for today. I hope you enjoyed this very long dispatch, and hopefully I inspired some ideas for your summer outfits.
Until next time,
K
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drooling
i’m obsessed with the bean necklace - does it come in different sizes?