Stacking isn’t a new idea in jewellery. The near-ubiquitous wrist stack has shaped the idea of arm candy—a nice watch, paired with bracelets on bracelets on bracelets. Then came the necklace stacking trend, as the long and short of chokers, pendants and sautoirs came together to form a layered, tiered look. Now, it seems like it’s all about the wrist again. This is a season of bangles and bracelets galore—from the runways to the It girls of the moment with the coolest style.
Dua Lipa stepping out on the streets of New York with a blocky black plexiglass Tom Ford bracelet; Keke Palmer switching up from her luxurious go-to stack of four Cartier Love bracelets to playful, colourful crystal-studded plexiglass; Jenna Ortega rocking up to the Dior show in Paris with a sleek trio of silver bangles. The mood? Confident, expressive and decidedly bold.
Yet amid all the sparkle and the wealth of options out there, how does one build a stack that looks and feels more cohesive, less chaotic? The beauty of curating a wrist stack today lies in versatility. Simple lines and consistency for devoted fans of the clean-girl aesthetic. A well-curated mishmash of textures and styles for whimsical dressers drawn to eclecticism. Or, for the fashion-forward, exploring bracelets crafted from unconventional materials like acrylic, wood and leather.
Ahead, discover Vogue Singapore’s essential tips for mastering the bracelet stack, inspired by how celebrities who’ve embraced the trend are wearing theirs.
Super sleek
A sleek stack is an easy, everyday stack. Restraint is your best friend when it comes to perfecting a minimalist look. Focus on a uniform tone throughout your pieces for harmony—mixed metals with a similar polish and size style better together. Keep an eye out especially for thinner bangles and bracelets that won’t build up too much volume. Jewellers have taken heed of the trend, and many a signature bracelet (the Cartier Love, Tiffany & Co. Lock, and Chanel Coco Crush to name three) come in narrow versions. Aim for a delicate simplicity, which will feel polished and wear timelessly.
Maximum texture
If the maximalist aesthetic is more your speed, try playing up different of styles when building your wrist stack. Here, it’s less about perfection, and more about a bold attitude. Don’t be afraid to mix fine gems with funky charms, a chain bracelet with beaded pieces—the look comes together the more varied and textured it becomes. And if you’ve been building a collection of varied bracelet styles, it’s one way to wear them all together in a unique, individual way. You might take a page out of Chloe Bailey’s book and mix famous jewellery icons together—a Diva’s Dream from Bvlgari with a Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra, for example. It’s all about defying the rules.
More than metal
Speaking of breaking the rules, this season welcomes the revival of big, bold bracelets in unconventional materials. Beyond traditional metal, chunky bracelets in wood, plexiglass, resin and leather have found their way into the collections of the style set. Both on and off the runway, it’s a way to introduce unexpected playfulness, scale and texture to a look. Dua Lipa, in particular, is a long-time advocate of playful accessorising who’s been spotted wearing a diverse collection of statement bangles. Vogue’s tip: stick to same or similar materials when building a stack like this. One or two big pieces on a wrist will do the trick.
