Jewellery Trends That’ll Actually Last Beyond This Season

Every few months there’s a new jewellery trend. Chunky chains, delicate layers, statement earrings, minimalist rings – the cycle never stops. Most of them disappear as quickly as they arrived, leaving you with a drawer full of stuff you’ll never wear again.

So what’s worth paying attention to? What’s actually going to stick around?

Pearls Aren’t Just for Your Nan Anymore

Pearls have had a complete image overhaul. They’re not stuffy or old-fashioned anymore – at least not in the way they’re being worn now.

Modern pearl jewellery tends to be asymmetric, chunky, or mixed with other materials. Baroque pearls (the irregular, imperfect ones) are particularly popular because they look less formal.

The traditional pearl necklace still has its place, but there’s a lot more variety now. Pearl earrings in different sizes, pearl-studded hoops, pearl bracelets that don’t look like something you’d inherit from a relative.

Will this last? Probably. Pearls have been around for centuries. They just go through phases of being cool or uncool.

Chunky Chain Necklaces

These have been around for a few years now and they’re still going strong. The thick, bold chain necklaces that sit on your collarbone – you know the ones.

They work because they’re simple. One piece, doesn’t need anything else, makes a plain outfit look intentional. Gold or silver, doesn’t matter much.

The downside is they’re quite heavy if you go for anything substantial. Fine for a few hours, less fine if you’re wearing them all day. Something to think about before you spend money on one.

Signet Rings Are Back

Men have been wearing them for ages. Women are catching up. Signet rings – the flat-topped ones, often with initials or family crests – are having a moment.

Modern versions are less about heraldry and more about clean design. Simple bands with a flat face, sometimes engraved, sometimes left plain. They’re chunky without being overly statement.

These will probably stick around because they’re not trend-led. They’re just a solid, substantial ring that happens to be in fashion right now. When the trend passes, they’ll still be wearable.

Hoop Earrings in Various Sizes

Hoops never really go away, do they? But the size fluctuates. Right now, medium-sized hoops are everywhere. Not the tiny sleeper hoops, not the enormous door-knocker style – something in between.

Chunky hoops with some weight to them are more popular than thin, delicate ones. Gold more than silver, though both work.

The advantage of hoops is they’re incredibly versatile. Work, casual, going out – same earrings. That’s why they’re a good investment.

What About Diamonds?

Diamonds really are forever, as we’ve talked about before. They don’t go in and out of fashion in the same way other jewellery does.

What does change is how they’re set. Big, showy settings feel dated quite quickly. Simple settings, smaller stones, delicate designs – those tend to age better.

Lab-grown diamonds are becoming more acceptable, which means you can get a better stone for less money. That’s changing what people can afford and what they choose to buy.

Silver Is Still Here

Silver gets overlooked when gold is having a moment, but it’s not going anywhere. It’s cheaper, it suits certain styles better, and some people just prefer it.

Oxidised silver (the deliberately blackened finish) is particularly popular right now. It gives jewellery a vintage, almost gothic look without being too heavy-handed.

The problem with silver is it tarnishes. If you’re not going to clean it regularly, gold or gold-plated might be a better option.

Statement Earrings vs Delicate Studs

Both are fine. Depends on your style and what you actually wear.

Statement earrings are great for making an outfit more interesting. They’re also quite high-commitment – you’re going to notice them all day, and so is everyone else.

Delicate studs are practical. Choosing the right earrings matters more when they’re small though, because the wrong size or style just looks like an afterthought.

Vintage and Second-Hand

This isn’t so much a trend as a permanent shift. People are buying more vintage and second-hand jewellery because it’s better quality for the money and it’s more sustainable.

Art deco pieces are particularly popular. So are Victorian and Edwardian designs. Anything from the 1920s to 1940s tends to hold its value.

The catch is you need to know what you’re looking at. Vintage jewellery can be incredible or it can be overpriced junk. If you’re not confident, take someone who knows what they’re doing.

What to Skip

Anything that’s very obviously trend-led probably won’t last. If you can’t imagine wearing it in three years, don’t buy it.

Overly matchy-matchy sets look dated. Matching necklace, earrings, bracelet – it’s too formal for how most people dress now.

Very delicate, fragile jewellery might look lovely, but if it’s going to break the first time you wear it, what’s the point?

Investing in Jewellery

Not everything needs to be an investment piece. Sometimes you just want something cheap and cheerful for now.

But if you’re spending proper money, think about longevity. Classic designs in quality materials will always have value. Trendy pieces in cheap materials won’t.

Gold holds its value. Silver doesn’t in the same way. Gemstones depend entirely on what they are – diamonds, sapphires, and rubies retain value. Most other stones don’t.

The Bottom Line

Buy what you like. Buy what suits you. But if you want something that’ll still look current in five years, go for classic shapes in quality materials.

Trends come and go. Having a few solid pieces that work with everything is more useful than a collection of things you wore once.

And if something’s uncomfortable or impractical, you won’t wear it. Doesn’t matter how fashionable it is.

Wide-leg trousers are back, or, at least, they are having a moment. If you take a stroll down the street, you’ll see people of all walks of life, ranging from office workers to students, and everyone is sporting this style once again.  

In the last few months, many people bought a pair to hop on the trend, but \*spoiler alert\*, many people wore them once and they got pushed to the back of the closet. So, if you bought a trendy pair of wide-leg pants and are uncertain of how to style them, keep reading to find out what’s going wrong.  

### Getting the Fit Right  

This is where most people are stumped. Remember, wide-leg style pants do NOT mean frumpy or oversized. Wide-leg trousers are meant to leave extra space in the pants that looks flattering. The waist needs to fit properly. The pants must sit where pants of that length should sit on you.  

If they’re pulling or gathering around your thighs, you have the wrong style in relation to your body shape. Some brands do a proper wide leg. Others just make regular trousers a bit roomier and leave it at that.

The length of wide-leg trousers is more important than you’d think. If the length is too long, they will trip you. If the length is too short, it will look like you have borrowed your little kids’ trousers. The ideal length is when they skim the ground. The ideal length should be about an inch off the ground.

## What To Wear Them With

Now, this is the tricky part. since wide-leg trousers have a significant length, they also have a lot of volume, so you want to make sure the other items you are wearing are slim-fit, in order to keep the balance. If you wear a fitted t-shirt or blouse or a fitted, tucked-in, cropped, or oversized sweater, the wide-leg trousers will look so good. However, if you wear a loose or oversized top, it may look a little “off”. This is because the outfit may lack proportional balance, making the outfit look a little sloppy.

When it comes to shoes, this part also has to be balanced out according to what you are wearing in the top half of the outfit. If you are wearing loose clothing, you don’t want to wear shoes that are very delicate, slim, or strappy. You want a pair of chunky shoes, like boots, trainers, or heeled loafers. This is the ideal shoe to balance the trousers, and so is a good pair of heels, because they can be elongated and very “fashion-forward”.

Overall, remember to have fun with it! The wide-leg trousers tend to suit a lot of body shapes, so don’t be scared to wear a pair of wide-leg trousers.

## Styling for Different Occasions

**Work:** Wool blends and heavier cottons are super structured, and pair perfectly with a fitted blazer. Then, you’ve got an alternative work trouser that looks classy without trying too hard.

**Casual:** Denim wide-legs are surprisingly practical. Pair them with a t-shirt, trainers, and you’re done. For the weekend, cotton and linen are good substitutes. They’re light and comfortable, much better than skinny jeans.

**Going out:** It depends where you’re going, doesn’t it? For fancier places, satin and crepe fabrics are good options. Keep the top simple, let the trousers speak, and add heels if you’re into that. Pointed flats also look good.

## Common Mistakes

Wearing them low on your waist will make your legs look shorter, and it can look weird for any height.

Choosing styles that are too wide can also look a bit ridiculous. Make sure there’s a good amount of width to balance your frame, not just swallow it.

## Length Adjustments

It doesn’t matter how tall you are, you may need to get them hemmed, look for a petite range, or just get a regular length. However, it’s worth dealing with getting the length sorted properly.  

## Fabrics That Work

Thinner light fabrics like viscose or rayon can flow and drape nicely on the body, but they can be a bit clingy if they’re too thin, which is why it’s best to get them in a thicker variation. 

In terms of options, denim is probably the most forgiving for this. It doesn’t need a lot of thought, it’s easy to style, and it won’t lose it’s shape. 

Linen is also a great option for the hot summer months although it can crease like madness. If it doesn’t hurt you too much to give it a miss, it’s one of the most comfortable options you’ll find. 

Heavier wools and cottons are great for the colder months. They don’t lose their shape, they don’t crease or bag out, and they keep you very warm. 

## Colours and Patterns  

Black is the easy option and navy’s a close second because of how practical they are and how much they go with.  

If you are set on a pattern, you just need to keep it simple. pinstripes are in style, and small checked pants are fine, but big bold prints along with wide leg trousers can be a lot to look at.

Lighter colours are trickier. They show everything – every crease, every pocket lining, everything. Beige or cream can look elegant, but they need the right fabric weight, or they’ll look cheap.

### Are They Actually Practical?

Depends on what you’re doing. For office work, commuting, general day-to-day stuff – yeah, they’re fine. More comfortable than skinny jeans, smarter than leggings, and easier to move in than pencil skirts.

For anything more active? Not as much. You can, but it won’t be graceful. They take up more room in your wardrobe and washing machine. Not ideal if you’re short on either.

Wide-leg trousers are not for everyone, and that’s fine. If you tried it and it’s not your thing, that’s fine. There’s no rule saying you have to follow every trend. But if you’ve dismissed them without really giving them a proper go, it might be worth another look. The paired with the right length, right proportions and the right top is quite versatile. And more comfortable than most more alternative trousers.

In the world of stereotype vegan fashion that contains hemp trousers, shapeless beige-looking tops, and boring monotone outfits – if you believe this, change that mindset, you are mistaken. Vegan fashion is one of the fastest growing industries right now, and is more predominant than it was a decade ago.

You may now be able to find stylish, quality, and contemporary – Vegan Fashion – in mainstream stores. No more are you restricted to only niche brands that are only relatively popular in the industry.

What Does Vegan Fashion Actually Entail

For a form of fashion/ ‘style’ to be vegan, it must not contain any leather, suede, wool, or silk. It must not contain anything that is derived from an animal. Keeping that in mind, it does eliminate a decent amount of contemporary fabric in the fashion world today.

But it does allow and open the door for a wide variety of innovative alternative materials that have not been commonly utilized in the past. These include plant-based leathers, real synthetic materials that work, and modern day innovative materials that are designed to work better than most present day contemporary materials.

When it comes to the quality of the vegan fashion, the quality can vary from brand to brand. Vegan fashion is constantly innovating and changing for the better, and in this world, you have to know what you are looking for.

Other Vegan Leather Options

Improved vegan leather is new and more presentable than older styled vegan leather which was essentially plastic. It looked and felt like plastic, and the quality of the brand was overall very sub-par.

So, Keep the brand and quality of the new era of vegan leather in mind when second glancing the brand to know what you are looking for.

Vegan leather has recently improved. It’s made with materials like Piñatex (a leather-like material made with pineapple leaves), leather cork, and leather made with apples. They are designed like the real thing. They feel real, and with wear, they feel like real material without looking fake.

Of materials made to feel like leather, mushroom leather, made with mycelium, is the most fascinating. It’s pricey, but durability and mushroom leather goes the distance.

That said, inexpensive vegan leather is PU with a marketing change. It’s improved, but is still vegan leather.

Where to Really Shop

Highstreet Options

Retailers like H&M, Zara and ASOS have vegan ranges, but the quality is inconsistent and sometimes mostly fake.

Specialist Brands

Veja, Matt and Nat, and Stella McCartney are expensive but reputable in vegan fashion.

Smaller brands also exploring. There’s a whole realm of independent designers creating vegan fashion that does not seem to try too hard to be ethical.

Second-Hand:

Vintage and second-hand shopping is a good match for vegan fashion as well. The cheap synthetic textiles produced in the last few decades are of worse quality than synthetics produced in earlier decades. Old polyester dresses, jumpers made from acrylic from the 70s, and nylon jackets; they’ve all lasted a long time for a reason.

Shoes Are No Longer a Problem

Vegan shoes used to be terrible, uncomfortable and ugly (or both).

Now there is proper choice. Major brands, such as Adidas and Nike, have vegan trainers, and there are also vegan boots that don’t look like they are meant for hiking, and even wearable vegan heels.

Dr. Martens makes vegan versions of their classic boots, and they’re not cheap, but they last. Vegan Doc Martens look like the real leather versions, and for a good reason, they have a cult following.

The main problem with vegan shoes is breathability. Leather breathes. Synthetic materials do not, which means your feet will sweat. It is worth investing in better quality vegan shoes with some sort of moisture-wicking lining.

Bags and Accessories

One area where vegan style and design innovation really shine is in vegan bags. You can find vegan bags in pretty much every style: crossbody, clutches, backpacks, and totes.

It’s hard to believe, but cork bags can be really class. They’re Light and durable and, like some leathers, develop a nice patina over time.

Canvas bags are the obvious choice, but they’re not always the best. They stain and lose shape too easily.

Look for vegan bags with structured designs that aren’t too flexible. If there’s a design that is too stiff and requires leather to give it support, the vegan version will almost definitely flop.

Coats and outerwear

For a while, winter coats without wool or down meant you’d freeze. Not anymore, thankfully.

Synthetic insulation has improved a lot and you can find vegan coats that are just as warm as down-filled. Brands like Wuxly and Save the Duck are specialized in this.

The downside is that they are often more bulky and it is less space efficient than down that compresses to be very small. If storage space is a factor, that is something to keep in mind.

When trying to find lighter outerwear like waxed cotton or padded jackets there are many choices that do not need any animal products like leather, and they are all fine.

Evening and Formalwear

This one’s more difficult, as silk drapes and shines in ways that are difficult to mimic. There are vegan silks, but it is not the same.

That all said, it is true that there are vegan options for formalwear. There are satin polyester mixes, chiffon, taffeta, and many more. There are nothing short of elegant vegan fabrics.

The options extend beyond casual clothing. Smart trousers, cocktail dresses, and dresses for weddings are all available to you.

What of sweaters that aren’t made of animal products?

For lighter sweaters, cotton knits are fine. If you are looking to keep warm, you are looking for bamboo, acrylic, or cotton blends.

Acrylic gets a bad name but it is actually quite nice in higher qualities. It retains the shape well, stays clean easier, and does not pill at a rate that cheap wool does.

Bamboo is lovely for loungewear as it is softer but it is less durable and less practical for everyday.

The truth is wool is quite effective in its purpose. Vegan alternatives are getting better, but still aren’t the same. If you’re in need of maximum warmth, you may have to add more layers.

Animal Product-Free Jewellery

Many tend to forget the amount of animal products that get incorporated within the construction of some jewellery. While pearls may be the more notrable example, there are also bone, horn, and silk thread beads.

Finding animal-clothing-free jewellery means you have to check materials for horn and bone. Most metal, glass, wood, and resin options are good. However, leather cords, silk tassels, and pearl details need to be changed.

The good news is that a lot of jewellery is sometimes just naturally vegan. You just have to be more careful with your purchases.

The Price of Vegan Fashion

The answer is sometimes yes and sometimes no. Well-made, high-quality vegan fashion is sometimes the same price as, or more than, traditional styles. The materials are not as common, production is often smaller, and the brands charge appropriately.

On the other hand, fast fashion, vegan garments are often of poor quality. And quite cheap. Perhaps too cheap to be made ethically.

Like any other fashion, you get what you pay for. If you buy cheap vegan garments, expect them to fall apart as quickly as other cheap, conventional, animal-exploiting garments. Quality vegan garments will be worth the investment.

Vegan Fashion Care

Each type of material calls for a different care approach. Vegan leather does not require conditioning, while real leather does, but it can dry out and crack.

Most vegan fabrics can be machine washed, which is quite a convenience. Careful handling is usually necessary for wool and silk.

The biggest concern is some synthetic fabrics tend to hold on to odors more than natural fibers. Therefore, that vegan leather jacket might require more airing out than a real leather one.

Is it More Sustainable Actually?

That depends on what you are comparing it to. Vegan doesn’t automatically mean sustainable.

Vegan leather is plastic. It’s made from fossil fuels and when it wears out, it isn’t biodegradable. Not great for the planet.

On the more positive side, plant-based alternatives like Piñatex and cork are biodegradable and made from waste which is environmentally friendly.

The case made for sustainability on vegan fashion does not heavily relate to the environment, but more to the welfare of animals. Those are two separate issues.

What to Avoid

If it does not explain what the vegan leather is made from, it is most likely cheap PU, and not worth it.

Very cheap vegan shoes will fall apart quickly and hurt your feet. Either spend a little more money or stick to fabric canvas trainers.

Clothes thinking they’re the best in eco fashion. Cover me in silly eco fads. They are usually cheap material, so they expect you to wear and throw away in a month.

The Vegan Clothes Reality

Vegan Fashion has come a long way, but it’s not perfect. More materials are still not as good as their animal substitutes, and that’s just the way it is.

But it’s getting better. Every year better fabrics and more designs are released.

5 years ago, options available today such as styling a full outfit that looks good and is animal product free, were trending. Vegan fashion has come a long way

Getting Started

No need to throw away everything you have and start over. Wasteful and silly even.

When you want to replace a piece, just get the vegan version. The choice is growing, clothing, shoes, bags, everything is getting easier to find.

A lot of people get caught out when trying to buy discounted jewellery, thinking that they got some quality stuff when in fact they’ve been ripped off with some costume jewellery. Experts can usually tell immediately whether something is fake or not, but this is a bit more tricky for your average laymen.

A common occurrence with jewellery which is fake is that when in contact with skin for an extended period of time your skin will begin to turn green. This is due to a chemical reaction between the acids on your skin and the contents of the metal, and is a sure sign that what you have isn’t real gold.

In order to avoid getting ripped off, you need to look for some basic, easy to spot signs of jewellery being fake. Firstly, check for a stamp. Most precious metal productions will have a stamp placed on them to indicate the quality and contents of the metal. Secondly, check the weight, and see if any of the stones are fake. This is more difficult, but if you have some familiarity with gold, then you should be able to tell when it is costume gold. Likewise, stones are always imperfect, so if there are no imperfections in the “stone”, then you know it’s fake.