Oppose the Opposing Trend

Sitting in a room with women whose style came straight from Vogue’s latest cover can be a humbling experience. From the chic red ballet flats to green capri pants, from inspiring fashion to the hellscape of a competitive runway, it all went wrong when the interrogation over jewelry started.

Bella Hadid, IG

We have all seen it recently—from the bulky necklaces to a myriad of edgy vintage rings and overstuffed bags. Suddenly, everyone around me knew what they should be wearing except for me. While I was still stuck in the Minimalist era, its competitor has been gaining more and more popularity recently. The Maximalist Jewelry style has been around for ages for some artists like Rihanna who is known for fashionably stacking lots of bracelets. Yet, only recently did most people hop on this maximalist style as a trend—one could say it was TikTokified into the everyday life of people.

Rihanna, IG

Now it’s everywhere. Going out today, we are surrounded by a feast of accessories which usually opposes what we are primarily taught to consider classy or elegant. The main accent recently has been on layered jewelry—be it necklaces, bracelets, or rings, layering those pieces adds depth to any look and can make even the simplest outfit more eye-catching.

Attention-grabbing pieces have been a huge statement recently too. Big hoops, chunky necklaces, sometimes inspired by nature, are adding positivity to one’s appearance, portraying their cheerful mood, and creating a unique outfit. Celebrities like Justin Bieber, Doja Cat, Bella Hadid, and Katy Perry are some of the many who can occasionally be seen with eye-catching jewelry.

Another new trend arising nowadays is metal mismatching. While a couple of years ago, you would risk getting publicly humiliated if you went out of your house (actually, inside too) mixing gold and silver jewelry, today you might get praised. This modern stack that’s breaking the rules is considered a brave statement and an evolution of one’s personal style.

Dua Lipa, IG

While those statement pieces are one of the greatest ways to convey your personality through fashion, I lost some great aura points (losing points of coolness—TikTok vocabulary) when I limited my showcasing to one bracelet, one thin gold chain, and bare fingers. Thinking I am not alone in this makes me feel better in that airless situation in the room with those fashionable girls. While I am haunted by the thought of running to the shop and stacking some rings on my fingers (let’s be honest, it looks crazy cool), I keep wondering why I didn’t do it before that. I kept seeing influencers and peers doing it, I kept reading about it in my favorite magazines; was it simply not my priority? And am I hopping on the aesthetic bandwagon now, or do I indeed like that style?

I might stack some rings tomorrow, and I know I’d consider it impractical. I would want to layer a bunch of necklaces, but the dilemma between taking them off each night or worrying I might suffocate in my sleep is too much for me to handle daily. What I am trying to say is, I understand it is trendy, and I am ready to lose a few more aura points in order to keep foreign influences a little bit far from my style of choice. Why would we all want to have the same style and statements anyway?

Or, as Bulgari’s creative director for jewelry, Lucia Silvestri, stated in front of Vogue: “you can wear as much or as little as you want.” And as I would add: Don’t be scared to oppose this opposing trend. Just make it feel right!