Necklaces to Wear on Your Hips
The chain belt craze has reached new heights, all thanks to Miu Miu. I’m pretty sold on the idea, but not in a go out and buy a chain belt kind of way (at least not yet?). It just made me want to give my necklaces a little more love. They were basically like “hey we’re tired of your neck, we want to be on your bodice.”
I’m always looking for ways to make the most of what we already have, and styling a necklace at the waist is one of those ideas that’s simple but high-impact. It’s easy to play with and adds some sauce to any outfit.
Below, I’ve broken down a few key tips for making it work, plus some outfit ideas I’ve tried (and enjoyed).
Tips for Styling Necklaces as Belts
Clasp two or more necklaces together to get the length you want: shorter if you're aiming for a higher fit at the waist, longer if you want it to sit low on the hips.
This works especially well with beaded styles, since you can clasp the necklace in the middle of the beads to hit exactly where you want.
Just treat the beads or chain links like belt loops and use them to anchor the necklace where you want it to sit
Don’t worry if they don’t match, let the front be different from the back (you’ll see I mixed some beads with pearls and chains etc).
Use small safety pins to secure short necklaces, especially when styling it with bottoms that have belt loops.
Loop it through a belt loop and let it hang like a little charm charm (not as a belt but just as kewl)
Add it as a layer to your actual belt. it adds another layer that feels really right.
7+ Ways to Wear It
Over a Dress (2 ways)
First, I threw a sweater on top of my slip dress and buckled a belt to give it a bit more shape and then layered a long pearlized beaded necklace underneath for some extra love:
Second, I took off the sweater and layered the same pearl necklace (first on its own which looks lovely, then I added a belt and a rolled scarf - inspired by Amanda Kraemer). Let it feel found and styled in the moment. You can go as layered or dialed back as you choose! FREEDOM:
Hooked Through a Single Belt Loop as a charm charm (this word feels good to say twice, no?)
This works well when you want to experiment with a beaded necklace that doesn’t open. I pulled it through a single belt loop on this pair of trousers and tied it once to hold it in place:
Layered With a Real Belt
Try a gold chain worn just below the belt line on your favorite jeans. It doesn’t matter if the denim sits high-rise or low-slung. I used a safety pin through one of the links to secure it to the belt loop (it’s so small you can barely tell). The extra detail is subtle but adds just enough (see what I mean?):
With Cotton or Silk Pants
There’s something really good about the contrast between the shine and the softness. It makes the whole outfit look way more styled than it actually is. Here it is paired with a few different soft bottoms, starting with the white cotton pant:
I clasped two necklaces together to get the length I wanted. I liked the idea of it hanging asymmetrically:
I love pairing shorts with a long-sleeve top. It’s that balance of covered on top, bare on the bottom that I always go for when the weather is nice to me. I digress.. in this look, I layered a soft grey knit with a shiny gold "belt" on top. Actually, two. The one in the back is actually beaded, but I needed a necklace with a hook to grab onto.
Here she blows with a silk pant, I tied a long necklace at the waist and tucked the knot under the hem of the tee. Without the beads, the look would feel a lot more undone. But the texture of the beads adds something unexpected and makes it feel, more moi.
Lastly on soft bottoms. I used my mala beads as a belt and twisted them at different points to adjust where the tassel falls. If I wanted the tassel to hang longer in front, I twisted the beads near the front (in first picture). If I wanted the tassel to sit higher and closer to the waistband, I twisted them in the back instead. That creates a small loop in the back, which doesn’t bother me. But you can always tuck it into your waistband if you prefer a cleaner look.
old deiji studios pants (try these), same white tee throughout, jellies, merci c’est vintagee necklace,
Over a Skirt
In the first cut-out image of myself (lolz), I clasped the necklaces lower so the belt sat below the waistband. In the second, I clasped them to make a shorter chain so it sat higher, right above the waistband.
One of my favorite necklace/belt combos: a beaded heart necklace clipped to a pearl strand:
Over a Bathing Suit
This works especially well if you have a high-waisted bikini bottom with removable belt loops, you can fasten a necklace right onto them. Over a one-piece, it acts like a body chain and feels a little sexxx. I'll try that next time
It’s a great way to make your swimsuit feel “new” without buying another one.
Over a Pencil Skirt
Adding the belt jewelry dials down the conservativeness of a pencil skirt and gives it a more playful twirl.
The whole point is that you don’t need to buy one butttttt here are some actual chain belts that are in fact belts BUT can be also be worn as necklaces - see what I did there? There are SOO many out there, but here are a few that caught my eyeballs:
Give ‘er a go! And share with me if you do! You can feel safe in knowing there is no way to mess this up
Love ya!
Kelly
also new here. so inspired to try some of these ideas! love your style!
New subscriber here, I’m getting so much from your wear it like this series!!! 🫶👏👏👏