5 Elegant Jewelry Trends From the '80s That Are Everywhere Again

Question: What would you expect to find in a loved one’s jewelry box? Sure, there’s a chance you’d see a few family heirlooms. But what you might also discover is that those more “dated” jewelry pieces from a different era in time feel, well, relevant again. At least that’s the case with the rise of ‘80-inspired jewelry, which has, by all accounts, been plucked out of the obscurity of the bottom drawer to become one of the biggest jewelry trends of this moment. Although, for the record, it’s hard to escape the prevalence of ‘80s-coded fashion in general as it’s present in various parts of pop culture—from the return of exaggerated suiting on the runway to the rise of the “old money” aesthetic on social media. However, we’d argue that while various trends from the ‘80s have become popular again, none have encapsulated the enduring elegance of this era quite like the jewelry.

After all, many trinkets we now consider timeless staples, such as hoop earrings and bangles, were popularized during this period. Therefore, it’s only natural that the fashion crowd would want to rummage through the archives to bring back certain accessories. But make no mistake: While many of the jewelry trends we now see are very ‘80s-coded, they’ve never felt more contemporary. Don’t believe us? In an effort to prove that point, we did extensive image research to identify the five jewelry trends from the ‘80s that can currently be spotted everywhere, from the runway to real life. Plus, we shopped out each trend so that you can avoid pillaging your loved one’s collection in search of vintage jewelry from the ‘80s (thank us later).

No other jewelry trend quite embodies the excessive approach to accessories that defined ‘80s fashion quite like the oversized earrings that were trending during that era. It wasn’t that one style of earrings that was popular per se—everything from chunky clip-ons to huge hoops and bulky door knockers—but rather, an all-out embrace of sizing up earrings, period. It’s an approach that’s made a big comeback, as various S/S 24 and F/W 24 collections featured excessively oversized earrings. But let us be clear: while the return of large earrings does feel reminiscent of the ‘80s, designers revitalized it for this era in time by opting for sharp geometric shapes and minimal styling (refer to Saint Laurent, Coperni, and Ferragamo). By reimagining this jewelry trend, designers have made embracing big earring energy, again, all the easier.

You couldn't flip through the pages of a glossy magazine in the '80s without seeing women wearing one jewelry trend: Big bangles. However, if we're honest, sometimes this trend veered into the territory of being slightly tacky—talking about you, neon plastic bangles! Luckily, the versions we've seen make a big comeback aren't the bangles of the past. Far more "minimal" in comparison, the cuffs spotted in recent collections feel contemporary because of how designers have played with proportions, shapes, and styling. For example, in Alaïa S/S 24 and F/W 24 shows, looks were adorned with colossal circular cuffs that only came in silver and gold. While at Schiaparelli, the accessories' shape was a bit more sculptural, giving it a sharper feel overall. And then, there was Saint Laurent and Carolina Herrera's spring shows, which used stacked bangles to add visual intrigue to runway looks with more streamlined silhouttes. Each runway show proves this formerly "dated" jewelry trend has undergone a big shift.

What’s another jewelry trend that defined ‘80s fashion? Long necklaces. During that period, it was all about opting for chunkier chains or larger pendants and stacking them on each other to create a perfectly layered look. Far more maximal in nature, this trend is far from the minimal jewelry we’ve seen takeover in recent years. But we’d argue that as people tire of the quiet luxury fashion aesthetic, it’s only natural that they’d want to embrace a louder take on accessorizing—which designers have made far more appealing, BTW. The case for embracing layered long necklaces was made more prominently in Chanel’s S/S 24 and Louis Vuitton’s F/W 24 collection, as classic silhouettes felt far chicer with the addition of layered chains. It may have taken a long time for this trend to come back into style, but it’s got a stake in the game for the unforeseeable future.

One could argue that no other fashion era was as heavy on accessories as the ‘80s—refer to the popularity of scrunchies, leg warmers, and even fanny packs. However, if we were to identify one particular item that’s come to embody the fashion aesthetic visually, it would be chain belts. Although the style was first popularized in the ‘20s, chain belts reached cult status in the ‘80s because they linked two of the biggest trends of that time (bold jewelry and big belts) into one accessory. While the allure of this accessory has never waned, in our minds, they’re about to make an ascension in popularity. In part, that’s because belts have, overall, been more prominent in recent runway collections. But it’s also because we’ve seen designer brands use chain belts to make even the most “casual” runway looks chicer—e.g., Michael Kors’s spring collection and Patou’s fall collection spiced up a black mini skirt with a linked belt. Similarly, tweed suit sets were made a bit more trendy with the addition of chain belts in Chanel’s spring and fall runway shows. All proved that it’s about time we linked up with this trend.

By now, we’ve hopefully made it abundantly clear that the jewelry trends that defined fashion during the ‘80s were anything but subtle. That’s no more apparent than with one particular trend spotted on powerhouses during that period: pearls. From Madonna to Princess Diana, there was no shortage of ‘80s style icons who not only wore pearls but often pushed the trend to the limits by wearing them in plenty. While styling multiple pearl pieces together might seem like a sensation of the past, recent runway seasons have proven otherwise. It could be an after-effect of the rise of the “old money” fashion aesthetic, but runway looks across collections featured looks drippin’ in pearls. There were more approachable iterations of the trend, such as cluster earrings in Versace’s S/S 24 collection or the single pearl necklace at Miu Miu’s fall show. However, more conceptual takes on the pearl jewelry trend also tapped into the cultural iconography of the ‘80s, such as the low-slung pearl chain belt in Kimhekim’s spring show. Or the over-the-top pearl body chain draped over a black dress in Moschino’s fall collection. While each designer varied in approach in how they played with pearls, each runway look proved the larger point that ‘80s fashion can’t be overlooked (quite literally).