Chain Bras and Wearable Jewelry Trend

Chainmail was certainly popular in the ’90s and 2000s, with Paris Hilton quite literally owning the dress trend after sporting a memorable silver mesh birthday dress that Kendall Jenner recreated in 2016. But a piece of jewelry that acts as a bra — with nothing underneath — is something else entirely, and it changes the conversation about wearable materials in fashion. In 2021, Bella Hadid stepped out at the Cannes Film Festival, a vision in a Schiaparelli black dress with a gigantic cutout circling her bust. But rather than go bare, the look was completed with a massive brass necklace in the shape of branched lungs to cover her breasts and seemingly present the idea of artfully-constructed hardware as a top.

Two years later, we’re seeing more playful iterations, with simpler designs dripping in crystals and rhinestones. Tyla’s metallic bra on “The Tonight Show” is one such example, teamed with a star-adorned micro-miniskirt. Saweetie’s Hello Kitty bra by Laser Kitten had a DIY aesthetic about it, with dangling cat charms, pastel dice, bubblegum bows, tiny pearls, and diamond strands sewn on haphazardly. And leave it to Kim Kardashian to nearly unveil her nipples in just a few Gucci chains strapped tightly across her chest. The Skims founder and reality TV star shot photos of herself in a campaign for the brand, meaning this fashion trend has now achieved icon status.

While jewelry-as-clothing isn’t something we see every day, the red carpet appearances, street style moments, and Instagram selfies are multiplying in Hollywood. Scroll to see our favorite collection of examples so far, then review other similarly-bold trends such as the visible bra, villain corsets, and boob windows.