The Chain Gang: Hefty Link Bracelets Are the New New Thing

ith so much novelty in the earring category (Climbers! Cuffs!) the arm parties of yore — colossal stacks of mismatched bracelets worn together in a jumble — have been displaced as the center of the jewelry universe. That doesn’t mean that wrists have to go bare to look current.

Instead of wearing a cascade of lots of little pieces, the pendulum is poised to swing in the opposite direction. Slipping into a single piece with a bit of heft to it is the cool way to wear bracelets now. And it doesn’t take a revolutionary, avant-garde design to do the trick. Some of the styles on the verge of popularity are variations on the classic link bracelet.

Texture and tiny details are what distinguish the new link bracelets from their predecessors. Instead of perfectly regular, high-shine pieces, look for styles that feature a mix of metals, finishes and colors—sometimes all at once. They’re reassuringly familiar but still have enough flair to look contemporary. Some designers are tweaking familiar formulas in their own image: Ann Dexter-Jones ID bracelets feature a sliver of semiprecious stone where ordinarily an engraving would appear and the closure of Loren Stewart’s Cuban link chain is in the shape of a playful barbell charm.

Any of the pieces in this slideshow looks perfect worn solo, but if the impulse to layer is too powerful to ignore, it’s easy enough to mix them with another bracelet or two.