Jewelry pieces, especially in college, hold a long lasting sentiment. I remember thrifting a few necklaces: a pearl necklace, a simple tennis necklace, and a larger pendant. I wore them in a stack throughout my senior year of college with an array of outfits ranging from casual to dressy. I would often look to my baggy jeans and a graphic T-shirt paired with a blazer and sneakers for a chill study session. Or at times I’d opt for a denim skirt with a ribbed knit tank top and flats with my stack to complete the look.
College and the back-to-school season was an experimental time for me in regard to my style. I tried all the aesthetics and somehow landed on one that I still lean toward today: casual, cool, and elevated. That’s always been the energy I went for when I got dressed to go to class in college. During my senior year, I’d say I’d perfected it. I wasn’t always interested in trying out every single new trend, and at that point more of them were coming and going quicker as microtrends. My jewelry taste back then was always gold with the exception of mixing metals from time to time with silver.
Now, if I could go back, I would’ve tried a few of the styles I’m seeing grow in popularity today such as charms on my bags, chunkier statement pieces, and abstract shapes rather than just a traditional basic. Since I can’t go back in time, I thought I’d share the styles I think you should try instead, keep scrolling for styling tips and a few styles that I think would pair well with your BTS outfits.
Charms On Your Bag
Adding a few charm pieces on your bag is a trend I’ve noticed is on the rise. If there are pieces in our jewelry box that may have broken or don’t fit your style now, try hooking them onto your bag handle if you carry a leather tote or on your back zipper if you’re on the move on campus. Stylist extraordinaire Gabriella Karefa-Johnson has been seen wearing a colorful Chanel bag with beaded necklace by Don’t Let Disco hooked onto the handbag. In college I was not wearing Chanel bags, but I did thrift a gorgeous structured leather tote bag that would’ve been the perfect candidate for this trend. I’d style it quite casually as I was a busy student with a pair of breezy pants, a white tank top with some sort of silly graphic on it. To round out this ensemble I would wear a pair of chunky sneakers with my leather tote and an array of beaded charm necklaces and bracelets around the handle and top zipper.
A Chunky Statement
Statement jewelry in college may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you’re the type who likes eyes on them then you should try styles that gravitate toward artsy pieces. For instance, these earrings from Larroude are a pair I would’ve had to save up for in school, but it’d elevate all my outfits. For a more affordable everyday option these heart-shaped earrings from Free People would be my go-to for dressing up my outfits. I’d wear these on my presentation days to speak in front of class for group projects (where I was most likely the only one who did all the work, as we’ve probably all experienced).
For a statement necklace, I’d likely wear a large pendant necklace like this Mango piece with a relaxed oversized T-shirt, a pleated tennis skirt, and leather sneakers.
The Classic Nameplate Piece
If you haven’t gotten a nameplate necklace yet, I highly recommend doing so. Even if it isn’t coming to you as a gift, it’s such a special piece to carry and wear proudly. I’d wear mine mostly on its own as an everyday piece with a blouse and a long tiered skirt paired with platform sandals. Or on a cooler day with a plain cropped zip-up hoodie, loose fitted jeans, and booties if I was feeling like dressing up my casual look a little bit. You could also always stack a few other dainty necklaces to compliment the main piece.
A Maximalist Stack
This is definitely for the woman who couldn’t care less of what others think about them. I’m talking about those who wear heels to class and a full face beat for an 8 a.m. class. Stacking many necklaces, bracelets, rings if you have is the way to go to achieve a maximalist look.
Since we’re entering into the fall, I’d wear a ton of all these stacked with a fuzzy striped sweater, my favorite jeans and a pair of New Balance sneakers. The stacked necklaces dress your looks up almost instantly. But if you’re heading somewhere after class try wearing a satin bias cut skirt with a button down tied at the bottom, and a pair of strappy sandals.