Every Celebrity Seems To Be Wearing This ‘90s Necklace

Remerged trends from the ‘90s are going strong for fall, at least if celebrities have a say. They’re continuing to tap into everyone’s favorite nostalgic fashion trends. Take the sheer slip dress, for example, which Gabrielle Union recently wore in Milan (her whole look screamed ‘90s Kate Moss.) The platform shoes, too, beloved by Emma Bunton, aka Baby Spice, in her pop star era has made its return with Hollywood fashion enthusiasts like Olivia Rodrigo and Dua Lipa. And ahead of autumn, another style from this decade is making a comeback: the cord pendant necklace. Celebrities have adopted the grunge accessory into their 2022 wardrobes, and are making a solid case for why you should own one too.

The popularity of cord pendant necklaces within the celebrity community can be traced back to supermodels like Naomi Campbell and Moss rocking the accessory in editorials. (Moss, for instance, styled said piece with a pink dress and Mary-Jane shoes for a shoot with i-D Magazine circa 1994.) Actors Drew Barrymore and Kate Winslet, on the other hand, wore black cord pendants to major red carpet events. (Winslet wore hers to the premiere of the Titanic.) Additionally, Alicia Silverstone, one of TV’s most beloved fashionistas, sported a black cord necklace in Clueless (1995), which served as further proof that the trendy jewelry piece was a staple in every teen’s wardrobe.

Fast forward to this year, It girls have revived the cord pendant necklace for a new generation of wearers (ahem, Gen Z) and aptly reminded everyone why this style is so beloved. “I think that [the] Gen Z [crowd] is loving this trend because of how fun and easy to style the necklaces are,” Pia Mance, founder and designer of vintage store Heaven Mayham, tells TZR. “The vintage nature of this style of jewelry makes each necklace feel timeless and special, almost like they are a piece of art.”

The playfulness and casualness of the cord pendant necklace has been a hit with Gen Z tastemakers Matilda Djerf and Iris Law. Additionally, millennials such as Emily Ratajkowski, Elsa Hosk, and Bella Hadid have re-embraced this nostalgic jewelry trend and utilized it to showcase their own personal style.

Hadid, below, expertly layered two cord necklaces together: one had a heart pendant while the other featured a geometric shape design. Meanwhile, Djerf opted for a gold heart pendant on a black cord to signal happy-go-lucky vibes. For a colorful twist, Law swapped out the traditional black cord for a red one and placed a chunky gold heart pendant on the end.

Ultimately, the cord pendant necklace trend is all about showcasing one’s individuality. You can style it with sheer dresses à la EmRata, with a tube top like Djerf, or match the necklace cord to the color of your dress like Law did. For even more dressing inspiration, however, you can look to the Spring/Summer 2023 runways at Copenhagen Fashion Week. Labels like The Garment and Mark Kenly Domino Tan sent models down the catwalk wearing — you guessed it — pendant necklaces. This purposeful styling decision hints that the jewelry trend will make a major splash next season with the masses, going well beyond the celebrity circle.

To start wearing the look ASAP, shop a few TZR-approved cord pendant necklaces ahead. This ‘90s accessory will be the statement piece you need to help you channel the nostalgic style well into 2023.

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