For most males who like to accessorize, deciding whether to wear the chain necklace over the shirt or underneath is one of the biggest accessorizing challenges faced because you could wear it outside the shirt; they feel that maybe you should have worn it under.
You may have made some mistakes in the past too. But you are here, and you want to learn.
So, let’s take a look at all you need to know about wearing chains outside your shirt the right way.
Do you wear them tucked or out?
- Intended look/ feel
For a more professional look, you should keep the chin tucked. Remember that when it comes to the chains that are worn by men, modesty is the name of the game, and you always need to tread on the side of caution, making sure that your jewelry is not overwhelming.
So, if you are going for a more professional look and you consider the chain an accessory that is just as important as your watch or tie, then you should wear it tucked in.
You don’t want to have the chain getting in the way in the middle of a presentation because, in as much as chains and bling are now a big part of modern fashion, they are situations where a loud peeking or hanging chain tends to be more distracting rather than complementing.
The other thing you need to think about, especially in professional settings, is the length of the chain. Keep the length short, wearing the 16inch and the 18inch chains, rather than the chains that are more than 20inches long.
The other reason why you may want to wear the chain tucked in is if the nature of your job doesn’t allow you to wear anything too flashy.
It’s interesting to note that after some time or years of wearing the chain tucked in, you will always find yourself tucking in the chain necklace, even in casual settings.
If, on the other hand, you are dressing up for a casual event, you could wear the piece over the shirt. Essentially, wearing the chain on top of the shirt is more casual, whether you’re wearing a fully collared shirt or a t-shirt.
- Personality and style preferences
You may have come across some individuals who love to accessorize, but they seem to always stick to dainty pieces and tuck away their necklaces. This is because they prefer that look. If this sounds like you, you will find that you seem to always prefer wearing your chain tucked in.
- Shirt/ Chain Design
If you are going to button your collared shirt all the way up, you may find that you will look better with the chain over the shirt and not tucked on.
This works best with collar chains where you wear the chain right under the buttoned-up collar where you’d put your bowtie normally. This works best for 16-inch chains.
It also works if you are wearing a flannel. But if you prefer leaving the top two buttons of your collared shirt unbuttoned, you may want to stick to tucking in the chain so that only a small part is seen – this subtle design is a great option for anyone who likes jewelry but doesn’t want the jewelry to speak for them.
This is also the case where the chain has a pendant and where it wouldn’t make sense for you to keep the chain tucked away when it features a beautiful pendant. Pendants are meant to be seen, really, which is why it is ideal for wearing the chain outside if it is tucked. Also, the pendant should rest in the middle of your chest.
This is also the case if you prefer wearing longer chain necklaces; for instance, anything longer than 20inches should be worn outside, especially if it has a pendant or if you are going for a t-shirt look, maybe even a t-shirt-flannel or jacket look.
If you are wearing a chunky piece, you may want to keep it outside your shirt. This would make sense more especially because you wear a chunky necklace to show it off, and also, it would feel uncomfortable if you had a big chunky necklace right under your shirt and on the skin.
- Length
The ideal length of chain necklaces for men is 20inches, and this chain will rest on your collar bone between the top two buttons of your shirt. At this length, you can wear the chain outside or inside the shorts.
The form-fitting chains between 14-18inches are only visible from above your shirt, and that is where you should wear them.
Chains between 20 and 22 inches can be worn outside or inside the shirt, as is the case with the longer chains between 22 and 24 inches which will fall right in the middle of your chest and can be worn outside or inside your shirt.
But for the really long chains between 24 and 30 inches, you should only wear them outside the shirt. Note that the longer chain necklaces look best when they are made of a thicker chain or if they feature a large pendant. This is because this long chain is an instant attention grabber, and you can only wear it outside your shirt.
- Chain width
This is the other important feature to take into account. Generally, any chain that is 1-6mm thick goes under the shier, while thicker chains above 6mm should be worn outside the shirt.
Conclusion
Not all chains should be worn outside the shirt, but with chunkier and longer pieces, t-shirts, or fully-collared shirts, you can wear the chains above 20inches long outside the shirt rather easily.
Stephanie is a jewelry lover when she was a teenager. Her major was fashion design when she was in college. She is a jewelry designer at SOQ Jewelry and other design companies. Now she is also a writer for our website. She writes a lot of designs&brands posts with very actionable tips.