Men’s Gold Chains and How to Style Them
You may have a gold chain lying unused. You may have been gifted one for Father’s Day (it’s becoming quite a thing to present jewelry for Father’s Day gifts) or some other special occasion. You like the idea of wearing your chain but are a novice when it comes to men’s jewelry.
Jewelry is a great way to amplify an outfit and chains of all sorts - link chains, rope chains, chunky chains, and fine gold chain necklaces - are more versatile than you might think. Chains are classic men’s jewelry and the look you create can be subtle or rockstar. The choice is really up to how you want to express your style and hint at your personality.
Here are some ideas for how to style men’s gold chains to give different looks for different days, different moods, and different occasions.
A Single Gold Chain With a Plain White T-Shirt
The most basic of casual men’s outfits is a plain white T-shirt with trousers - usually jeans. It’s pretty bland when you think about it and it’s hard to stand out or make an impression no matter how much you love being in your comfort zone clothes-wise.
The easiest way to zhuzh up this simplest of ensembles is with a simple piece of jewelry - i.e. a gold chain. Yellow gold chains work well with any color and will stand out more than silver, white gold, or rose gold. But, if you prefer other colors to yellow gold, go for it.
cuban link men's gold chains
5MM Miami Cuban Link
Does it matter what type of chain or the chain length? Not really. You can choose a box chain, cable chain, curb chain, or Cuban link chain. Choose a chunky gold chain if you want an eye-catching look or choose a Figaro chain if you are more interested in the intricate pattern of the jewelry against the plain white material.
Multiple Chains with a Plain White T-Shirt
Layering necklaces has been a favorite trend for both sexes in recent times. It’s a great way to add bling easily. You can go for an elegant look or take inspiration from famous rappers and go all hip-hop making a very bold, in-yer-face statement.
Layering necklaces require chains of different lengths so they all hang at a different point on the chest. You can choose gold chains all in the same pattern or mix and match. For example, an intricate herringbone chain looks good with some slim gold chains and or a wheat chain. Generally, layering should be of two to five necklaces but the most common choice is three.
One thing to note about layering is that unless you are extremely confident or it’s part of your overall look generally, a choker is not a good choice when layering necklaces.
Pimp Up a Turtleneck
Like a plain white T-shirt (or any other plain color Tee), a turtle neck is a good canvas for some jewelry. A single chain, even though a minimalist look, can stand out and nicely draw the eye. a mid-length gold chain is another good look.
The layered necklace look also works on a plain turtleneck top. Choose different styles of chains of varying lengths and wear them with confidence.
men's gold chains
2.7MM Miami Cuban Link
Another way to dress up a turtleneck is to choose a single statement piece. With a turtleneck, you don’t have to consider whether the neckline is right for your jewelry. Opt for a dog tag on a slim gold chain or a chunky cross on a heavier chain. the right length is whatever feels right for you.
Gold Chains For an Open Neckline
The difference between tops with an open neckline and tops like t-shirts and turtlenecks is that you have to consider chain length with an open neck. A chain of longer length simply won’t show and therefore doesn’t really act as an accessory. Gold jewelry deserves to be seen!
A shallow opening is ideal for a choker or a short chunky chain. If you want to draw attention to your neck a pendant on your short-chain is very effective.
With a deeper neck opening, choose a longer-length chain. There should be a clear gap between the bottom of the necklace and the item of clothing for a clean look.
Choosing Men’s Gold Chains
These tips will help you not only with how to wear gold chains but also how to choose the right chains for your jewelry collection.
Types of Gold Chains
You’ll find many different designs of men’s gold chains. Some of the most common are:
Rope Chain: Have the effect of multiple strands of gold twisted together. Even in finer chains, the small oval links look tough. Rope chains are a versatile type of chain.
rope chain men's gold chains
6MM Rope Chain
Cable chain: In the simplest form, a cable is made from uniformly round or oval links.
square link men's gold chains
5MM Square Link
Miami Cuban: A form of the cable chain where the oval or round links are twisted.
miami cuban link men's gold chains
7MM Miami Cuban Link
Curb chain: In this type, the chain is made from interlocking links that are flattened and twisted tightly together.
men's gold chains flat curb cuban link
2MM Flat Curb Cuban Link
Franco chain: Making a statement, this chain of Italian origin is the interwoven v-shaped links of two to four curb chains.
diamond cut frankco chain men's gold chains
4.5MM Diamond Cut Franco Chain
Chain Lengths
Just like women’s chains, men’s gold chains are available in lots of different lengths.
14-18 inches: These are chokers and short chains. If you have a wide neck, you may need to consider 18 or 20-inch chains as short. Never choose a chain that is too short - there is nothing attractive about a chain cutting into flesh.
20-24 inches: Men’s chains most commonly fall in this size bracket. On the average-sized man, a 20-inch chain generally falls between the first and second buttons on a shirt. 22 and 24-inch chains are commonly used for pendants, crosses, dog tags, and other charms.
26 -30 inches: Low-hanging chains are best seen as bling and often bear a large pendant. They work well in layering but if you really want to make a statement wear it rapper style!
As well as length, consider chain thickness.
There are more variants in thickness than lengths. They can be anything from the finest 1mm wide to a chunky substantial 21mm wide.
Typically, length and width should be proportionate. A fine chain of 24 inches works fine but a choker of 20mm+ looks more like a dog collar.
The Takeaway
There are some generalizations of how to style men’s gold chains but there are no hard and fast rules. Rules are meant to be broken! Jewelry is all about how you want to accessorize an outfit and the impression you want to convey. The most important thing is that you like the look and are comfortable wearing it.
Jewelry is a great way to amplify an outfit and chains of all sorts - link chains, rope chains, chunky chains, and fine gold chain necklaces - are more versatile than you might think. Chains are classic men’s jewelry and the look you create can be subtle or rockstar. The choice is really up to how you want to express your style and hint at your personality.
Here are some ideas for how to style men’s gold chains to give different looks for different days, different moods, and different occasions.
A Single Gold Chain With a Plain White T-Shirt
The most basic of casual men’s outfits is a plain white T-shirt with trousers - usually jeans. It’s pretty bland when you think about it and it’s hard to stand out or make an impression no matter how much you love being in your comfort zone clothes-wise.
The easiest way to zhuzh up this simplest of ensembles is with a simple piece of jewelry - i.e. a gold chain. Yellow gold chains work well with any color and will stand out more than silver, white gold, or rose gold. But, if you prefer other colors to yellow gold, go for it.
cuban link men's gold chains
5MM Miami Cuban Link
Does it matter what type of chain or the chain length? Not really. You can choose a box chain, cable chain, curb chain, or Cuban link chain. Choose a chunky gold chain if you want an eye-catching look or choose a Figaro chain if you are more interested in the intricate pattern of the jewelry against the plain white material.
Multiple Chains with a Plain White T-Shirt
Layering necklaces has been a favorite trend for both sexes in recent times. It’s a great way to add bling easily. You can go for an elegant look or take inspiration from famous rappers and go all hip-hop making a very bold, in-yer-face statement.
Layering necklaces require chains of different lengths so they all hang at a different point on the chest. You can choose gold chains all in the same pattern or mix and match. For example, an intricate herringbone chain looks good with some slim gold chains and or a wheat chain. Generally, layering should be of two to five necklaces but the most common choice is three.
One thing to note about layering is that unless you are extremely confident or it’s part of your overall look generally, a choker is not a good choice when layering necklaces.
Pimp Up a Turtleneck
Like a plain white T-shirt (or any other plain color Tee), a turtle neck is a good canvas for some jewelry. A single chain, even though a minimalist look, can stand out and nicely draw the eye. a mid-length gold chain is another good look.
The layered necklace look also works on a plain turtleneck top. Choose different styles of chains of varying lengths and wear them with confidence.
men's gold chains
2.7MM Miami Cuban Link
Another way to dress up a turtleneck is to choose a single statement piece. With a turtleneck, you don’t have to consider whether the neckline is right for your jewelry. Opt for a dog tag on a slim gold chain or a chunky cross on a heavier chain. the right length is whatever feels right for you.
Gold Chains For an Open Neckline
The difference between tops with an open neckline and tops like t-shirts and turtlenecks is that you have to consider chain length with an open neck. A chain of longer length simply won’t show and therefore doesn’t really act as an accessory. Gold jewelry deserves to be seen!
A shallow opening is ideal for a choker or a short chunky chain. If you want to draw attention to your neck a pendant on your short-chain is very effective.
With a deeper neck opening, choose a longer-length chain. There should be a clear gap between the bottom of the necklace and the item of clothing for a clean look.
Choosing Men’s Gold Chains
These tips will help you not only with how to wear gold chains but also how to choose the right chains for your jewelry collection.
Types of Gold Chains
You’ll find many different designs of men’s gold chains. Some of the most common are:
Rope Chain: Have the effect of multiple strands of gold twisted together. Even in finer chains, the small oval links look tough. Rope chains are a versatile type of chain.
rope chain men's gold chains
6MM Rope Chain
Cable chain: In the simplest form, a cable is made from uniformly round or oval links.
square link men's gold chains
5MM Square Link
Miami Cuban: A form of the cable chain where the oval or round links are twisted.
miami cuban link men's gold chains
7MM Miami Cuban Link
Curb chain: In this type, the chain is made from interlocking links that are flattened and twisted tightly together.
men's gold chains flat curb cuban link
2MM Flat Curb Cuban Link
Franco chain: Making a statement, this chain of Italian origin is the interwoven v-shaped links of two to four curb chains.
diamond cut frankco chain men's gold chains
4.5MM Diamond Cut Franco Chain
Chain Lengths
Just like women’s chains, men’s gold chains are available in lots of different lengths.
14-18 inches: These are chokers and short chains. If you have a wide neck, you may need to consider 18 or 20-inch chains as short. Never choose a chain that is too short - there is nothing attractive about a chain cutting into flesh.
20-24 inches: Men’s chains most commonly fall in this size bracket. On the average-sized man, a 20-inch chain generally falls between the first and second buttons on a shirt. 22 and 24-inch chains are commonly used for pendants, crosses, dog tags, and other charms.
26 -30 inches: Low-hanging chains are best seen as bling and often bear a large pendant. They work well in layering but if you really want to make a statement wear it rapper style!
As well as length, consider chain thickness.
There are more variants in thickness than lengths. They can be anything from the finest 1mm wide to a chunky substantial 21mm wide.
Typically, length and width should be proportionate. A fine chain of 24 inches works fine but a choker of 20mm+ looks more like a dog collar.
The Takeaway
There are some generalizations of how to style men’s gold chains but there are no hard and fast rules. Rules are meant to be broken! Jewelry is all about how you want to accessorize an outfit and the impression you want to convey. The most important thing is that you like the look and are comfortable wearing it.
