The Statement Necklace Renaissance is Here

Back in 2010, most of my life’s greatest questions could be solved with a statement necklace. What should I wear to school? How can I stand out at a job interview? How do I get Zac Efron to fall in love with me? You know, the usual. But just like my teen acne, my love for statement necklaces eventually waned.

I traded my J.Crew Bubble for a whisper-thin gold chain from Mejuri and moved on. So you can imagine my surprise when the accessory I had so successfully broken up with over a decade ago re-emerged on the Fall 2024 runways. I love nostalgia as much as the next person (Gilmore Girls is a regular re-watch), but if the return of statement necklaces seems a little premature for your liking, I’ll let the runways of Chanel (layers of chokers and dangling chains), Fendi (oversized curb chains worn atop turtlenecks) and Chloé (layers of overlapping gilded medallions) convince you otherwise.

Newly inspired and determined to bring the statement-necklace trend back on new, modern terms, I committed to wearing giant jewellery for a week. And the results of my maximalist experiment surprised me. Namely, the styling.

What did I learn? Well, when it comes to statement necklaces, one neckline doesn’t fit them all. Your silhouette should depend on the length and width of your piece. For a chunkier choker, try an off-the-shoulder shirt. A punchier pendant usually calls for a deep V or scoop. And for a true collar necklace, try wearing it underneath an unbuttoned oxford shirt.

Also, consider colour theory. Do you want your bejewelled bauble to be the star of the ensemble or simply another piece of the outfit puzzle? Once you’ve decided, play with your shades accordingly. A monochromatic colour scheme will always look elevated and help tone down your OTT accessory. But pairing a brightly beaded necklace with an otherwise-neutral palette will serve some serious style.

And finally, to keep your statement necklace from venturing too far into costume territory, embrace the sartorial splendour of Fall 2024 trends and stay away from the skinny jeans, peplum tops and jersey skirts of 2014. Instead, look for sheer separates, oversized suits, denim dresses, textured cardigans and leopard print. Très au courant!

How did I fare sporting the trend IRL? See the results of my sartorial experiment below.

Swarovski Sublima Choker

How do you know when someone used to dress like Zooey Deschanel circa 2013? Simple: They wear a collared necklace. I donned this bedazzled blue choker by Swarovski to go to a cocktail party at the Art Gallery of Ontario, and it was as if I had unleashed the Bat-Signal for former Deschanel fan girls; I had large groups of women stopping me to admire it and share their stories of fashion nostalgia.

Unlike with my 2010s style, which relied on preppy staples like colourful leggings and flared skirts, I toned down the jewels by pairing them with a vintage denim dress, a Reformation bag and Revolve heels. With such success on my hands, I might just consider adding this Swarovski necklace to my regular rotation.

Biko Cece Tie Necklace

You know when you get a dramatic haircut and no one says anything the next day? Wearing this chunky pendant by Canadian brand Biko felt a bit like that. While the statement necklace was decidedly outside my comfort zone, when I wore it to the office, it sparked very little reaction. But no comments are good comments, right? Surely someone would’ve said something if I looked decidedly out of place...

Though I will say that this piece proved to be more of a styling challenge than I had anticipated. The secret was in the neckline, with this V-neck cardigan (and the rest of my outfit) coming from Joe Fresh.

Alexis Bittar Brut Curb Link Necklace

I’m not going to lie to you — I almost didn’t leave the house wearing this gargantuan Alexis Bittar gold piece from Holt Renfrew, and I really had to hype myself up before heading to the subway to meet my most stylish friend for lunch. Not only was it as heavy as it looks but I was hyper aware of the bulbous bauble hanging from my neck and something as simple as running for the train felt like a safety hazard.

While I did receive a wonderful compliment from a friendly stranger, I also garnered a lot of confused looks, so I guess I broke even with this necklace. I paired it with a camel Wilfred coat, a Uniqlo turtleneck and Zara leopard-print jeans.

This article first appeared in FASHION’s Winter 2025 issue. Find out more here.