How to Wear a Chain: A Man’s Guide to Wearing Necklaces in 2021

Knowing the right necklace to wear and how to wear it is an important skill you need. From knowing what size of chain to wear with a pendant to what type of chain you can wear with your work shirt to what type of chain you can wear when you want to make a bold statement – you need to know it all!

The presence of a necklace around your neck sends a message to those you meet in the course of your day – whether you intend to or not. These messages inadvertently affect the opinion of people and tend to colour their interactions with you. Therefore, it’s much better to take control of the narrative and send a message you would be comfortable with. 

To help you with this, this article explains time-tested tips for wearing men’s necklaces and looking good, no matter what statement you’re making. Here’s your man’s guide to wearing necklaces in 2020.

What are the things you should consider when choosing a necklace to wear?

Although it’s all well and good to affect a posture of insouciant style that says you look good without even trying, the truth is fashion takes a lot of care and intention. There’s a lot to consider when it comes to wearing men’s necklaces, including the accompanying outfit, what the necklace is made of and so much more. 

The message you want to send

Whether you want to go for understated elegance or a bold as brass notice-me look, your necklace can help you with it. The general rule here is – the bigger the chain, the bolder the look. You can go with a wide gold chain for a bold statement or a simple steel chain with medium length (20”) and slim width (5mm) for an understated look. You can also choose to wear your necklace with or without a pendant. Although, pendants work best with slimmer chains. 

What outfit you want to wear with the necklace

Are you going for a plain T-Shirt with a round neck or a V neck? Or is your outfit-of-choice a button-down shirt? Do you want your necklace to rest on top of your shirt or would you prefer it just peeks out from under? Wearing a tasty gold necklace with just the upper part showing around the back of your neck can deliver a smooth, stylish vibe that also packs a bit of mystery. 

The metal of your necklace

Chains are made from different metals ranging from oxidized sterling silver to solid gold, waxed cord or even beads. A gold chain can help you achieve a luxurious look and feel, while silver generally looks more subtle. Other materials, such as waxed cord and beads produce a playful or indie appearance. 

A word about the metal you choose though. Experts recommend that you stick with either sterling silver or solid gold chains, especially if you have sensitive skin. Some alloys, such as those that include nickel can produce skin irritation. 

At Twistedpendant, our necklaces are made from 18-karat gold/silver with 316L stainless steel to give you a super-strong, high quality, and timeless necklace. With us, you get a necklace that will meet your fashion needs and that is guaranteed to never fade. What’s more? You also enjoy the guarantee that they won’t irritate your skin.

One or more?

Having concluded on your choice of outfit, you can then decide how you want to complement it with your necklace. You can choose to go with a single bold or understated necklace. Or, to really draw attention to your neckline, you can choose to layer your pieces instead. 

Remember that layering only works when you have multiple chains with different textures and varying lengths. You can choose a choker length anchor piece paired with a longer (and thinner) chain with a pendant. However, you decide to go, keep in mind that three is a good figure for a layer. Anything more and you risk looking like an advertisement for a mumble-rap track. 

Pendant or no?

Pendants are popular and versatile and are a great way to tell your story. They come in different shapes that hold different meanings. Some of them are the cross to denote religion, the anchor to symbolize strength, the skull to symbolize mortality, and the feather to denote peace, pacifism, and spiritual unity.

You can choose to wear your chain as is or add a pendant to it. Your choice of pendant should be based on what you are attracted to, what complements your style, and what you want it to say to others about you. 

When adding a pendant, the width and length of your necklace are important. Pendants often look best with a chain of between 22” - 24”inches which finishes in the middle of your chest.  

We have a stylish selection of gold and silver pendants that you can pair with chains of your choice. Some of them are the Compass North Star, the silver Medusa, and the Double-Sided Smiley Pendant, all of which come with the guarantee that they will never fade.

The Compass pendant is £22.99 in Silver and £23.99 in Gold. The Medusa pendant starts from £21.99 and is in Silver. The Smiley pendant is £22.99 and can be found in both Gold and Silver.

Our stone pendants are also available for you. They are created using real cuts of Opal, Onyx, and Lapis Lazuli stone. The Opal stone pendant is £28.99 and the Onyx pendant which comes in black & gold and black & silver is £19.99.

The width of the chain

The decision of how wide your chain is depends on what statement you want to make. As a general rule, you should choose a chain that fits your size. For slim guys, slim chains of between 2mm and 4mm will work well while guys on the bigger sides should consider 6mm chains. For context, a 2mm necklace is about as wide as the wire of your earphones, while a 6mm necklace is about the width of a pencil.

However, this rule is not binding as a thick chain can give character to a slim neck. What is most important is that your chain communicates your sense of style.  Our necklace collection includes the popular Figaro chain, 8mm thick Curb chains, 1.5mm Cuban chains, and other thin chains that help give you that subtle look.

Our Cuban chains come in sizes ranging from 1.5mm to 13mm in both gold and silver. We also have sleek 5mm twisted rope chains in silver (£18.99) and gold (£19.99).

The length of the chain

The length of your chain affects your overall look especially in complement with the type of shirt you wear. Most chains come in the length of between 18 and 20 inches. This length sits just beneath the collarbone. 

There are also chains of lengths of around 20 to 24 inches that fall around the sternum. They can usually be worn without a pendant. If you choose to wear this type of necklace with a pendant, it will hang around your chest area. A long chain helps elongate the neck and draws attention to a broad chest.

There are also chains of length 16 to 18 inches. These types of necklaces are called chokers and fall just around the base of the neck. They are usually worn above a low collar. Click here to see what these chain lengths look like.

Conclusion

Our men's necklaces at twisted pendant are made with 18-karat gold/silver plating on 316L stainless steel to give you a super strong and timeless piece that comes with a guarantee of never fading. We have the latest in men's jewelry and a great selection of chains, pendants, and rings you can choose from.

What’s more? Our pieces come at pocket-friendly prices, meaning you don't have to break the bank to get one. Who says you can't have your cake and eat it? Visit our shop and let us help you with your fashion journey. You can also visit our Instagram page to get some fashion inspiration.