28 Statement Necklaces

Over Christmas - yep, it still seems like no time ago - Matt and I were emailing each other with gift inspiration. I said I'd quite like a necklace, and gave him an incredibly long and specific list of my requirements. It went something like 'I like dainty jewellery, preferably silver but gold is fine, but not bright gold, ideally an antique or matte gold, and I like birds and hearts and initials but I don't like flowers or sparkle or too much colour. Coloured beads are fine if there's like one but I don't want loads and I don't want painted metal either. Oh, and nothing too chunky or too long.'

I know, it made me feel like a brat. You know when you don't realise you're that fussy until you're asked something like that? Anyway, he did a damn good job, but I then confused him by picking up a necklace on a post-Christmas sales trip that broke almost all my rules. Big, chunky and blue - because the only person who can break the rules is me, after all.

Since then, I've been more and more drawn to chunky necklaces. If you're wearing a plain, high-neck dress, they're just the ticket to jazz it up a bit. A colourful beaded necklace over an LBD can make it look like a completely different garment, and I constantly see stylish women teaming them with white t-shirts and skinny jeans - if I had a figure that suited jeans and a t-shirt, I'd be one of them too. So simple, SO chic. I love you, chunky necklaces!

Some of them are a little on the expensive side, so hunt around - I've found some gorgeous ones on eBay and even in Claire's Accessories (I was in there with my niece, and pleasantly surprised!). It's also always worth stalking the sales section for... I was waiting for that Topshop elephant one to go down in price, although ended up getting it for my birthday!

Click the pictures for the links. :)