The '80s Jewelry Trend Revival Proves Girls Still Want to Have Fun
Today's trendsetters and luxury designers are taking cues from the decade of decadence.
![A collage on a gold background of Joan Collins, Hailey Bieber, a model from Saint Laurent Fall 2024 with 80s jewelry trends](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gbT2eANhejGaNU7T4Lg8vA-415-80.jpg)
1980s fashion trends were all about excess. Flaunting "it"—your status, personality, or power—was the motivating force behind getting dressed during the decade. And along with the era's boxy blazers and souped-up shoulder pads, the '80s jewelry trends were just as instrumental in achieving a more-is-more mood. The bigger, bolder, and more maximal an accessory, the better.
Madonna, being the "Material Girl" she was, layered gold chains with cross pendants and charms. Princess Diana wore big button earrings and looped her pearls in three and four strands. Joan Collins, as Dynasty's vengeful Alexis Colby, was draped in multicolored gems or chunky yellow gold in every episode. Collins's character from the soapy drama was an icon of the era—melodrama and maximalism personified.
While a lot has changed since those days, the style sentiment that defined that decade of decadence mirrors this one. Chanel, Schiaparelli, and Versace are selling circular earrings the size of half-dollars, a supersized silhouette that's the clear front-runner of summer 2024 accessory trends. Brooches have become street-style staples at Fashion Week, and Bella Hadid arrived at the recent Cannes Film Festival wearing clusters of her best bangles and supersized square studs.
Bella Hadid wearing chunky gold, square-shaped earrings and a statement stack of bangles at the 77th Cannes Film Festival.
But Bella isn't the only tastemaker of today in a throwback spirit. Sister Gigi Hadid pairs pendant necklaces with an extra chain of charms on summer strolls, while Adele endorses the '80s jewelry trend with hefty, yellow-gold knot-motif earrings worn courtside at a UEFA Championships game. As for Jasmine Tookes, the fashion model takes an '80s beach outfit approach, wearing a one-piece, octagonal earrings, and a sculptural gold collar—one that Alexis Colby would absolutely covet.
Jasmine Tookes in Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello's cut-out swimsuit, black-and-gold geometric earrings, and gold necklace on July 5th 2024.
Helping modern muses tap into the glitzy glamour of the past is precisely what founder Pia Mance hopes to do with her vintage-inspired jewelry line Heaven Mayhem. “My biggest inspiration comes from the idea that vintage pieces stand the test of time,” says the jewelry designer. “[Heaven Mayhem’s] are pieces my grandmother wore, my mum would still wear, and I would love to pass down one day.” Mance counts Emily Ratajkowski, Lori Harvey, Sofia Richie Grainge, and Sydney Sweeney as fans, but her most loyal customer is unquestionably Hailey Bieber: the Rhode founder owns Heaven Mayhem’s Vase Earrings, Ribbed Earrings, and Tabi Gold Earrings, all gold square-shaped sets similar to the pairs in your mother’s cherished jewelry collection.
Hailey Bieber wearing Heaven Mayhem's ridged and square-shaped Vase Earrings.
Consumers are quickly catching on to the most sought-after styles. Isaac Manevitz of Ben-Amun, a brand known for its kitschy-chic costume jewelry, reports “a huge spike in our chunkiest jewelry pieces since last year,” as well as its “larger-than-life earrings and bold bangles.” Vintage jewelry specialist and collector Susan Caplan also shares that sales of her authentic 1980s earrings, “from oversized hoops and discs to excessive crystals and oversized pearls,” increased by 30 percent on her site, with demand growing.
Joan Collins wearing a chunky gold charm necklace with matching drop earrings in a 1989 episode of Dynasty.
Admittedly, the revival of bodacious ‘80s jewelry is a hairpin turn from last year’s quiet luxury minimalism. But it does track with the public’s growing pursuit of personal style. “80s jewelry is a grand way of saying, ‘I’m here, I want to be seen, and I am important," says Manevitz. "The 1980s style resurgence goes back to the idea of independence and finding your own style instead of wearing what everyone else is wearing. Personality brooches, easy-to-wear earrings, and stackable bangles are an easy way to showcase your style in a way that is completely and totally you."
In other words, 2024’s fashion girls just want to have fun, and today's newfound take on ‘80s jewelry trends lets them do just that.
Ahead, you'll find a thorough breakdown of the '80s jewelry experiencing a revival, according to fashion's recent runways and the key styles to shop. And remember, when it comes to styling the below pieces, more is more.
Bold and Gold
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Supersized gold jewelry seen at Schiaparelli, Chloé Fall, Patou, and Chanel's Fall 2024 shows.
Nothing screams the '80s like a bodacious gold bauble—preferably, several worn at once. To start, consider knotted double-hoop earrings like Heaven Mayhem's or St. Morna's bulky chain-link cuff.
Hit the Button
Circular and square-shaped studs seen at Patou, Saint Laurent, Versace, and Carolina Herrera's Fall 2024 shows.
Button earrings—or as some simply called them during the 1980s, "Big Earrings"—are back, baby. Take your pick of metallic, color, and price range—though we'd be remiss not to shout out Versace's signature medallion studs featuring the fashion house's signature Medusa emblem.
Long Layers
Louis Vuitton, Ralph Lauren, Ermanno Scervino's Spring 2024 an Chanel Fall's 2024 all featured longline necklaces stacked and layered.
In 2024, it's no longer a matter of which necklace to wear, but how you wear multiple at once. A pre-layered option—like Tory Burch's trio of gold chains—makes necklace stacking easier, but mixing and matching yourself is always a worthwhile option. You'll just want to keep an eye on the lengths of each piece, though.
Pile on the Pearls
Moschino, Carolina Herrera, Miu Miu, and Alessandra Rich all heavily featured pearls throughout their Pre-Fall 2024 and Fall 2024 collections.
2024 encourages you to put pearls in the center stage. Whether you're drawn to supersized single-pearl drop earrings or singular strands (or several worn at once, as seen at Moschino and Alessandra Rich), invite the milky gemstone into your jewelry box this year however you please.
Beaucoup de Bangles
Fendi, Saint Laurent, Schiaparelli, and Alaïa made it perfectly clear that Fall 2024 will be the season of the big bangle(s).
Be it a hefty bracelet sculpted from molten metallics or translucent resin, make 2024 the year you commit to the bangle. Wear one on its own, or take a styling cue from Fendi, Saint Laurent, and Schiaparelli and slip on a stack.
Put a Pin in It
In the Spring and Fall 2024 showings from Tory Burch, Carolina Herrera, Moschino, and Miu Miu, bodacious brooches added extra shine and shimmer.
Again, the '80s were about adding flair whenever and wherever you could—thus, clip-on brooches played a big part in the decade's signature style. As seen at Tory Burch, Carolina Herrera, Moschino, Miu Miu, and more, ornate pins offer extra impact to a blouse or blazer.
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Emma is the fashion features editor at Marie Claire, where she writes deep-dive trend reports, zeitgeisty fashion featurettes on what style tastemakers are wearing, long-form profiles on emerging designers and the names to know, and human interest vignette-style round-ups. Previously, she was Marie Claire's style editor, where she wrote shopping e-commerce guides and seasonal trend reports, assisted with the market for fashion photo shoots, and assigned and edited fashion celebrity news.
Emma also wrote for The Zoe Report, Editorialist, Elite Daily, Bustle, and Mission Magazine. She studied Fashion Studies and New Media at Fordham University Lincoln Center and launched her own magazine, Childs Play Magazine, in 2015 as a creative pastime. When she's not waxing poetic about niche fashion topics, you'll find her stalking eBay for designer vintage, reading literary fiction on her Kindle, and baking banana bread in her tiny NYC kitchen.
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