A wallet chain is one of the most unpredictable and contradictory wardrobe items. Like no other accessory, it alternates periods of ardent love with periods of total oblivion. Nevertheless, every decade it makes a comeback and seeps into fashionista’s wardrobes. Is it cool wearing wallet chains today? In this post, we’ll try to answer this question.
What Do Fashion Trends Say?
According to reports from fashion shows, wallet chains are in again. Karl Lagerfeld decided to revive the iconic accessory: a photo of Kaya Gerber in cycling shorts, a white blouse, and a chain belt spread around the world of fashion in no time. Today, this accessory can be found in the collections of Gucci, Balmain, Versace, as well as in the stores of more affordable brands such as Mango.
So, if fashion was the only obstacle that stopped you from wearing a chain around your hip, now you can get your good old accessory from the closet and confidently ride the trend wave.
Not Only a Fashion Accessory
The beauty of wallet chains is that they don’t disappear even when trendsetters decide they are not in fashion anymore. This is because they weren’t created for fashion purposes. In times when fashionistas turn their back on them, people whom chains are intended to keep on flaunting them. Who are those people? The answer is as clear as day – bikers.
Bikers basically created wallet chains in the modern alteration. Of course, in one way or another, chains for wallets existed long before motorcycle clubs. However, riders improved their design and turned a solely practical thing into a sought-after accessory.
Bikers still value the practical side of their wallet chains though. They prevent wallets from falling out of jeans’ pockets. No one would want to spend a day in a saddle and then find out their wallet is somewhere hundreds of miles away. Thanks to a chain, this will never happen. So, we should give credit to biker wallet chains for being anti-lost and anti-theft solutions.
What Options do You Have?
If you decide that a wallet chain would be a great addition to your look, let’s see what options you have. Basically, all models can be divided into two large categories: fashion accessories and biker wallet chains.
The former can be of any size and thickness. They are not really designed for securing a wallet so they don’t need any particular durability. Both ends of such items are attached to a belt or belt loops. Some models are basically a double or triple chain belt with one of the chains flowing around the hip. Clearly, these models exist for decorative purposes only. They are made of inexpensive metals and often carry charms, decorative buckles, gemstones or rhinestones, etc.
Contrary to these items, biker wallet chains are made with practicality in mind. To reliably secure a wallet, they must be thick and stout. More often than not, they would be made of steel. Along with that, there are plenty of silver models – they are marginally less sturdy but stand leaps and bounds above steel in terms of appearance and value. Some bikers don’t mind flaunting leather wallet chains (although ‘chain’ wouldn’t be a correct name since these items are rather cords). Leather chains blend perfectly with leather vests, jackets, and pants, but they are not nearly as durable as metal counterparts.
How to Wear a Wallet Chain
If you buy it as a fashion accessory, you are more flexible in your options. Ladies can rock it as a belt around their waist or hips if they wish, just need to connect both clasps together to form a full circle. When it adorns your waist, it makes it look thinner, and when you drape it loosely around your hips, it provides more volume and roundness for your haunches. And, of course, you can still attach a chain to a belt or pants/skirt’s loops and let it hang freely from your hip.
If you decide to wear it in a more traditional way, you will have to make sure your pants feature strong loops. On top of that, you will need a wallet that can be paired with this chain. Your chain doesn’t have to be long; it just needs to cover a few inches from your back pocket to your hand stretched in front of you. If you go with a longer chain, be ready for constant jingle as you walk. If you ride a bike, a long chain may become an inconvenience since it would tend to cling to the protruding parts of your mean machine.
If you’re a righty, you probably wear your wallet in the right pocket. Then, a chain should be attached to the right side as well. If you’re a left-handed individual, everything is the other way around.
Wallet chains, whether you actually wear them with a wallet or not, can dramatically spruce up your look. Don’t miss your chance to turn your style appeal up to eleven, especially when chain accessories are back into fashion!