Men's Necklaces: Why Length Matters

27" Leather and Pendant Necklace

When shopping for a mens necklace online or for a gift, the length is an important consideration. Just as important as the design and materials, the style of a mens necklace and how it will be worn factor into the selection of a good length based on where it will drape on your chest. 

Necklace lengths that are right for an individual’s style are determined by how you will usually wear them. If you regularly wear your necklaces on a bare chest, over a T-shirt or tank top, even underneath a shirt, consider the best choice of necklace length for your personal look.

It is typical for length descriptions of mens necklaces to be approximate, since measurements can be rounded off. Some manufacturers measure the necklace without the closures, so consider that the lengths given may not be precise. How a necklace will drape has an affect on the overall appearance of a necklace when worn, but since material weights and pendant weights will influence each one differently, model depictions may also be inaccurate. To add to the confusion, shirt sizes are not a good way determine a good necklace length since a neck measurement is taken above where a necklace will lay. Body structure and muscle mass also effect how and where a necklace hangs on a chest.

One of the easiest ways to measure where a necklace might fall on your chest or what length you want to look for is to place a washer on a string and knot it where you want your necklaces to fall when it is around your neck. Take it off, cut the string in one location and measure the distance from one cut to the other. Do the reverse if you are considering a necklace and know the length measurement.

Length Comparison

To provide a general picture of length draping, the photograph from PalmLeather.com shows the most common lengths in the marketplace, when placed on a mens torso with a shirt size 'Medium' and a 15-151/2” neck size. The addition of weight such as from a pendant would likely cause each necklace to lower slightly in the center, but unless it is heavy, the droop is more of a "centering" on the chest. Additionally, the type of necklace material will influence the drape of a necklace. For example, a chain necklace will lay differently than a leather necklace. The photograph illustrates approximate necklace draping using rubber cording (buno); a popular necklace material.

Some necklaces are adjustable, providing some variance in length. This is especially true of cotton or leather designs that may offer extra length for wearing or removal with an adjustment option. Ball type chain necklaces are easily shortened to a desired length although most look better when worn at longer lengths.

For some guys who wear more than one necklace at a time, different lengths might not matter unless you want them all the same or for one to stand out from the rest. In any case, with the huge popularity of mens necklaces and a wide selection available, there is likely a length just right for every personal style.

Men's Leather Bracelets

Palm Leather offers black leather bracelets for any look

Soft and Seductive

Fashion trends often change like the Trade Winds and staying on top of them can leave some guys years behind what is hot right now. Men’s bracelets are seen as the latest wave of accessories for the in-look and as times change, unlike other here today and gone tomorrow trends, they promise to be here for some time to come.

Guys are used to wrist fashion with watch styles and their materials constantly changing. The practical reason for watches that made them part of a standard wardrobe is slowly going away. Telling time, once a function of clocks on a wall and watches on a wrist has recently drifted to cell phones and other portable devices that provide reliability and accuracy.

So it should come as no surprise that as watches become less a part of everyday dressing, men are replacing their time pieces with bracelets; signature jewelry that makes a statement. Unlike the metal chain bracelets that came and went in the seventies, the best selling bracelets for men today are fashioned from leather.

Nothing says quality quite like leather. Leather is a great material for bracelets for the same reasons men select it for belts, wallets, jackets and footwear. It is durable, but unlike metal, it softens with age and without any negative distraction in appearance, worn leather is very attractive and desirable. 

When selecting a leather bracelet, an important consideration is color. Black is the top-selling color, partly because is the standard go with-everything choice. Brown is a very close second especially for bracelets that exhibit the natural shades of leather. For a personal choice, think about what you wear most; brown or black shoes. Although there are no rules when it comes to personal style, your look will be more handsome if you don’t mix leather colors at the same time. So while you may like brown and have much it, a brown bracelet looks best when worn with other shades of brown or tan leather. The same with black; wear it alone or mix it with other shades of black or gray leather.

Sizing is something else to consider. Many bracelets are designed to be adjustable so they will range in measurement from about 7 to 9 inches. Adjustable types allow you to set how close the band comes to your wrist and to allow removal of the bracelet. Stationary bracelets typically have a clasp mechanism to open and close the bracelet.

A large appeal of leather bracelets is the individuality of each piece, given the irregular nature of the material. Handcrafting also adds individuality to a leather bracelet, so even the same styles will vary slightly. To add to the personal accessory, in a sort of natural customization, the leather in a bracelet will change as it is worn, both in shape and in coloration. Finally, many styles of leather bracelets allow the addition of personal charms or pieces of jewelry art.

Care for leather bracelets is essentially the same as for any other leather apparel item. Use cleaning or conditioning products designed for leather and always avoid water, the enemy of leather. Like most jewelry, it is important to remove a leather bracelet before bathing or swimming and keep it away from prolonged moisture or wet conditions. If it does get wet, let it dry naturally with minimal handling so it does not change its shape.

Leather bracelets are a great way to strike a clean and current look for both casual and formal attire. As men’s leather bracelets gain in popularity, even the less fashion conscious are discovering the attraction. Besides looking good, they are sleek, soft and unlike their metal predecessors from decades ago, can be very seductive.


For more information about leather bracelets for men, visit PalmLeather.com
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