Bigger Is Better

They say that in certain areas of interest, size matters and bigger is better. Well this certainly seems to hold true in fashion, especially in the case of Chunky Necklaces.




I spotted this lady in black at Greenbelt wearing an eye-catchy necklace. Compared to her companion in white with the more conservative pearl strands, girl-with-the-chunky-necklace definitely stands out more in my eyes. I loved how she used the necklace to spice up an otherwise plain black outfit. And this is the right way to wear it, not with a loud outfit that may overpower the accessory.

The Chunky Necklace made its way back to the fashion forefront in 2008, enjoyed its popularity all throughout the year 2009 and it is still alive in kicking up to this new decade. Looks like the chunky is still at its peak and here to stay. It made its way to the fashion mainstream from the top to the bottom (trickle-down theory), first appearing in major fashion runways, trendsetters, and celebrities (dominating in the 2009 Golden Globes fashion) before finally being adopted by the majority.

The necklace has been a staple aesthetic accessory in human history. Historians and archeologists have found the origin of the necklace to be maybe forty thousand years before originally believed. A cave excavated in South Africa was found to have contained a possible neck jewelry made of 41 mollusks that were strung together, which was estimated to be 75,000 years old. Other archeologists had gathered that the oldest known finding was from 30,000 B.C., made of stones, animal teeth and bones and claws and shells strung onto thread, much like the concept of today's modern necklaces.
In 2500 B.C., necklaces were already being made from gold. These gold pieces were found in Ur. Then came the Sumerian's with their beaded neck jewelry made of colored stones, copper and other metals.
Then the ancient Egyptians revolutionized the necklace, giving it more complicated and intricate patterns. They also conceptualized the broad collar and pectoral type necklaces that both men and women wore, especially the wealthy and royalty.
During the classic Greek period of around 480 to 300 B.C., three-dimensional necklaces were created. These types of necklaces were hung from a row of flat rosette type beads.
During the reign of Alexander the Great gold was in great abundance and of heightened significance. The Greeks used gold in their necklaces and other types of jewelry for a long period of time.
The end of the second century brought about piercing. This new technique produced a lace like effect to gold necklaces. The most popular style was the chain with different colored gems connected by links of gold.
As the years progressed, it became popular for women to wear several necklaces at once. This would be an indicator of her level of wealth or her class. For a few years, the popularity of necklaces waned until the late 14th century when they regained popularity.
And now in modern times, the necklace is still here, in many various makes, styles and colors, ever versatile and ever trendy.

-May Daquil