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Chain Sizing
Interested in a chain?
An important but often overlooked part of the jewellery buying process.
Necklaces
Chain length is something that doesn’t really seem that important until you almost choke yourself out with a 40cm necklace.
As a general rule of thumb, keep in mind that the thickness of your neck will make a big difference on how tight a chain fits. Something that strangles me might fit quite nice on a slimmer neck.
As a default option, I’d recommend a 50cm necklace. 50cm is the most common length of necklace for men, and a slightly longer pick for women. They tend to sit up pretty high on the chest without being too tight. For men with thicker necks I would advise not going any shorter than a 50cm chain. (Slate necklace pictured, 50cm.)
mDepending on your neck size, 40-45cm may be way too tight for you and fit like a choker. Here’s a 40cm chain on my neck (way too tight) and a 45cm chain on a girl’s neck (about right). This length is generally not worn with pendants, and may end up flipping above and below the collar of a T-shirt. (Ashen necklace pictured).
60cm is generally gonna hang pretty low on anyone. Here’s how it looks on my neck:
60cm works great for wearing over a couple layers of clothing. It’s a good pick for the winter months. It’ll generally hang around a few inches below your collar-bone, or under the second button on a button up shirt. 60cm is a great pick to hang a pendant from.
I don’t have any photos of a 70cm on the neck yet, but it’s long. Unless you’re a professional wrestler and have a huge neck it’s probably gonna hang down to the bottom of your sternum. Here’s some diagrams of even longer lengths to give you an idea of the appearance. This style is primarily worn over a shirt, and can be complimented nicely with a pendant.
Some other factors to consider:
- What kind of top are you gonna wear the chain with? Anything with a collar probably won’t work so long with long necklaces. The collar will cause the chain to sit weirdly. Also, shirts without a collar won’t work with super short necklaces, because the necklace will keep flipping above and below the collar. Ideally, you’d want a longer chain with a round neck T-shirt and a shorter chain with a collared shirt. To pair with a collared shirt, I’d suggest a 50cm chain with for most men, and a 45cm for most women.
- Will you wear the chain under or over your shirt? Anything super thick that’s kinda long will look like a bulge under your shirt, especially if you attach a pendant. If you’re gonna be wearing the chain primarily under your shirt you’re best off with a thinner or shorter chain.
- Do you need an adjustable necklace? An adjustable necklace will allow you to reduce the total length of the piece, so you can wear it with different tops.
Interested in a chain?
Bracelets
Bracelets are pretty simple. Just measure your wrist and go for the next size up if you’re in between sizes. Since you can clip a bracelet clasp onto any link, there’s no need to worry too much about the bracelet being too large. Here’s a 19cm on bracelet on my wrist and 19cm on a girl’s wrist. (Ignis bracelet & Slate bracelet pictured)
