When it comes to first styling jewellery, necklace layering can seem a bit daunting. Chain types, necklace widths and lengths, plus which order to layer each piece can feel too complicated for casual look. However, this guide is here to show you that layering is a really fun and easy way to tie an everyday outfit, keeping you looking together and effortlessly stylish.
Necklace Types
The first thing to keep in mind with layering is the three different types of pieces you will be considering to create a look.
Chains
Chains are the building blocks of layering. They’re the ultimate team players and your styling best friend. Generally speaking, these necklaces are the easiest to layer with. Especially if you’re wanting to stack with more than three pieces. Chains come in many different styles but as the name suggests, there’s no accent or featured element of the necklace. These pieces are great to start layering with and always create a sleek, stylish element to your outfit. They’re also a great option if you’re using jewellery to compliment your clothes or layer as a compliment to a feature necklace.
High Rotation Staples
If you are reading this blog, chances are you have at least one of these types of necklaces! High rotation staples are those classic pieces that stay fashion-forward and chic no matter what the trend. They go with virtually everything you wear and are a permanent fixture in your jewellery box. For a very simple, effortless look, these necklaces pair excellently with chains.
Accent/ Feature Pieces
This type of necklace is usually the feature piece of your layering look and is designed to stand out and rake in compliments. A good accent piece should be as sturdy and reliable as the aforementioned necklaces but take a little more consideration when layering. These pieces are a great way to add a dynamic, fresh take to your layering. Although not a strict rule, it is easiest when starting to style jewellery, sticking with one accent piece in a look.
TIP: sixD offers an extender with almost all of our pieces. If the necklace you want doesn’t already come with one, we can attach one for no extra cost. Extenders are ideal for layering as they provide flexibility.
Layering Looks
Now we’ve got the basics covered, let’s get into our looks! We’ve chosen three casual tops that generally cover what you’ll already have in the wardrobe and how to approach layering with them. We’ve taken into consideration different textures and cuts that will help you apply these techniques to your personal style. This guide is specifically for everyday/ casual looks and layering for people who are new to styling jewellery.
TOP 1: Green Ribbed Mock Neck
With bold colours and thick textures it can be difficult to find necklaces that don’t get drowned out whilst remaining casual and effortless.
TIP:With this style of top, wearing an accent piece or thick, bold chain on its own is a great casual look.
Two Necklaces
Two necklace layering is the easiest and quickest to execute. This look is all about symmetry and balance. The Medusa Chains always look great together. The varied thickness of the two chains adds a good contrast to maintain a simplicity to the outfit. Spacing the chains a couple inches apart creates a more casual, everyday feel.
TIP: When in doubt, you can’t go wrong with putting the heaviest piece at the bottom then working your way up.
This is great if you’re wanting to play with different chain types to create a dynamic look. The bar chain is a solid piece, so it still stands out if you’re wearing a heavier textured top or bold colour.
Layering the heaviest chain at the bottom isn’t a hard and fast rule. As an alternative, we chose an accent piece for the bottom that hangs as a ‘v’ shape, drawing the eye to the Baby Medusa. We chose the baby over the regular chain to highlight the Shell Impressions Necklace as the centrepiece.
Three Necklaces
If you’re wanting to add a third layer to the previous look, we recommend choosing a new chain type. Each chain being starkly different creates a nice harmony between the three styles.
The Figaro 3+1 works best in the middle of the stack as it contrasts the boldness of the two other necklaces.
TIP:When adding more chains to a layering look, don’t be afraid to mix chain types together. Variety in chains creates a dynamic, cohesive look altogether.
The Figaro 3+1 works best in the middle of the stack as it contrasts the boldness of the two other necklaces.
TIP:When adding more chains to a layering look, don’t be afraid to mix chain types together. Variety in chains creates a dynamic, cohesive look altogether.
TOP 2: White Ribbed Mock Neck
With classic top cuts and colours, you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to layering! Both fine and chunky jewellery is easy to style on these tops.
TIP:The tighter the top, the easier it is to style jewellery as you’re only working with the contours of your body, not competing with the shape of another fabric.
Two Necklaces
The Tarot Necklace is a very strong centrepiece, balancing nicely with the Baby medusa. The intricate detailing of the accent piece creates a complete feeling to the look, whilst only using two necklaces.
Three Necklaces
The Perfect Dot Necklace is a high rotation staple. It adds depth and killer contrast between the first and third pieces. Playing with similar shapes is a fun way to add cohesion to your layering. The Ring Necklace plays on the same shape as The Perfect Dot, whilst creating visual intrigue being a different size and style to the other piece.
TIP: Daintier necklaces work well for stacking in the middle as they don’t take away from the feature necklace but still stand out in their own right, adding to the complete look.
TOP 3: Lilac Tie Up Top
Although this style of top may seem intimidating to layer necklaces with, because of the decolletage (revealing neckline), there’s a lot to work with!
TIP: Layering necklaces can help keep the look more casual as it draws the eye to the face, minimising the accentuation of the bust from the top.
Two Necklaces
For this look we placed the necklaces lower on the chest but kept them close together. The Love Letter necklace is great to layer fine, dainty pieces with. The T-Bar is a staple that plays well with the accent piece as it contrasts the shape and density of the feature perfectly.
NOTE: The Love Letter Necklace is styled here as a feature. However, many people who own this piece use it as a high rotation staple, wearing it 24/7.
Three Necklaces
We added the Chain Mail Necklace, worn as a choker, as an option for three necklace stacking. As the two bottom necklaces are very fine, there’s a lot of options for chains to add to the look whilst remaining casual.
TOP 4: Black Lace Trim Singlet
Two Necklaces
The Satellite Chain is a great all-rounder piece, we highly recommend adding this to your collection. The simplicity of the top allows for a bold accent piece that doesn’t feel too extra or flashy. This layering option is very versatile and could be transitioned from a day to night look, with a different outfit.
The ring necklace compliments the reflections necklace as they both have the ‘v’ shape. As the feature detail of both necklaces are around the same size, they work effortlessly as a pair. This is a great option if you’re looking for something that looks great without feeling too fussy.
Top Takeaways
As with all styling “rules” and tips, there are going to be exceptions. If something you try looks good and breaks one of our “rules”, don’t be discouraged! Your individual look and style will be the biggest factor in what works and what doesn’t. This is simply a starting off point for you to have the confidence to layer from here. Most importantly, have fun and choose pieces that make you feel the best and most stylish.