Optimal chain length for men

But jewelry of inappropriate length can visually shorten the neck, enlarge the chin, emphasize age, and more. Let's talk about how to choose the length of a chain for a man's neck and not make a mistake.

The optimal length of a chain for a man’s neck is considered to be 50-60 cm. But this is too general a recommendation - the approach to choosing jewelry should be individual, because each person is unique and has his own taste and preferences.

Traditionally, chains for men look more solid and massive than women's ones. There is a simple explanation for this: jewelers strive to create jewelry that will emphasize masculinity.

How to choose a chain as a gift for a man

If the gift is for the man you love, of course, choose with your heart and follow your intuition! But it won’t hurt to arm yourself with our recommendations - what if they come in handy?

If a man is thin and wears size 44-46

Thin men and teenagers should try on chains 40 cm long. If the jewelry seems a little short, choose a length of 45 cm - this will be enough.

If a man is of average build and wears size 48-52

For men of average build, neck jewelry with a length of 45 cm is usually suitable if the chain needs to be precisely sized. In order for the chain to hang slightly below the neck, but not lie too loosely, you need to choose a size of 50 cm.

If a man is fat

For large men with thick necks, we recommend choosing chains longer than 55 cm. Elongated jewelry visually “stretches” the neck and narrows the face.

If a man is muscular

For a guy with a muscular figure and a wide neck, it is worth buying chains with a length of 55 cm or more. Products of shorter length will look ridiculous and may simply be too small.

If the man is still small

For children, we recommend short and thick chains that will be difficult to get tangled in or break. Typically, children's chains are made 30-35 cm long, but there are other options.

A few more tips:

Chubby people should avoid short chains - they make the face wider;
When choosing neck jewelry, you should take into account the man’s height. Short people are better suited to chains 40-50 cm long, and tall guys can safely wear chains 50-60 cm long or even longer;
Are you planning to add a pendant to the chain? Choose products that are proportional to each other. A miniature cross on a massive chain will look inharmonious, just as large pendants do not go well with thin chains.

The appropriate type of weaving is usually chosen based on one’s own taste and preferences. However, there are types of weaving that are more suitable for men than others - these are “bismarck”, anchor, “diamond”, armored.

How to choose the right chain for a cross

One of the most important attributes of a Christian is the pectoral cross. As a rule, it is bought before the sacrament of baptism, but it happens that the cross is lost, most often due to a broken chain. To prevent this from happening, a suitable chain is needed for the pectoral cross. You need to choose it correctly in order to wear your pectoral cross for many years without taking it off. There are several simple rules for selecting a chain for a cross:

The chain should weigh twice as much as it will have to withstand (sometimes this is not only a cross, but also a small icon). If the chain does not match the weight of the cross, its links will quickly fray and a voluminous pendant on a thin chain will look strange. The weight of jewelry is always indicated on the label; the price of the chain depends on it. It should be borne in mind that a voluminous chain can actually be hollow, and an unremarkable and narrow one is usually full-weight, so you must not only pick up and examine the product for kinks, but also find out its characteristics from the seller. This will only take a minute, but will save you from further unpleasant surprises.
It is important that the chain is made of the same metal as the cross, although in some cases, white gold and silver are almost impossible to distinguish from each other - this must be kept in mind if you have to save money. Regular and gold-plated silver chains look great with mixed gold crosses (red, yellow and white). Silver goes well with both heavy men's crosses and small women's and children's crosses. There are even blackened silver chains - they match large men's crosses made of silver, covered with blackening.
The length of the chain depends on the gender and age of the person. For women, 50 - 55 cm is enough. A shorter chain is usually chosen for the summer to show off the jewelry to others, and a longer one is for those who want to hide the cross under clothes. A tall, large man may need even a 70-centimeter chain, while a smaller one will need 55 cm. Infants take chains of about 40 cm, and older children (preschoolers and primary schoolchildren - about 45 cm, and girls will wear them longer). Teenagers are entitled to an adult length - from 50 cm. Of course, these figures may vary depending on the height and weight of the person for whom the chain is intended.
Weaving is also chosen taking into account the characteristics of the person who will wear the chain. It is important that it not only looks appropriate, but also does not cause discomfort. For example, flat, twisted or brittle weaves (Singapore, snake, Nonna, love) are not suitable for small children. Lace, shell, diamond and anchor are more appropriate options. Teenage girls can already buy lava or Nonna openwork weaving, and boys can buy flat machine-made Bismarcks. There are, of course, universal weaves - they are suitable for both sexes and for all ages, but then the cross should also be neutral.

If a family wants to save money, there are special ropes with clasps for body crosses, called gaitans. It will turn out to be budget-friendly, practical, but stylish. The length in this case is selected in the same way as for an ordinary chain. Gaitans go well with crosses made of any materials, even wood. As a rule, they are bought for small children and men. For everyday wear, children can choose a rope of bright color (blue, green, red, pink); for christening, it is appropriate to take a white or ivory gaitan - under the baptismal robe. Adult men and teenagers prefer thick wicker or leather gaitans with a large gold-plated or silver clasp, decorated with blackening and engraving. There are men's gaitans with a gold clasp, but such a thing sometimes costs not much less than a regular gold chain.

Silver or gold?

Gold chains are undoubtedly the leaders in the jewelry market. Products made from this precious metal are suitable for men of all ages; they are even given to babies. If you are choosing jewelry as a gift and don’t know what metal a man prefers, take gold, it’s a win-win!

Silver is cheaper, and therefore the demand for it is higher. Silver chains with their cool shine suit men and harmonize with any skin and hair color. Perhaps, only in rare cases may a silver chain not be suitable - if a man does not like this metal or if he constantly wears other gold jewelry (for example, a bracelet).

How to determine the optimal length of a chain for a man’s neck yourself

Take the lace and wrap it around your neck so that it fits snugly, but does not dangle or put pressure on you. Remove the lace and measure the resulting length. Multiply the result by 2 - this will be the optimal chain length for you if you wear it as a separate piece of jewelry. If you want to wear a cross or pendant on a chain, add 5-10 cm to the resulting value.
Stand in front of a mirror, take the lace and wrap it around your neck so that it lies as you like. Do you want the chain to be just below the neck? Tie the string at this height. Do you like longer jewelry? Secure the lace below. Then remove the lace and measure the resulting length - take this into account when choosing a chain in the store.
You can measure the length of the finished product if you like how it looks on you. A soft tape measure or regular tape is suitable for measuring - whatever you have on hand. Important: when measuring the length, do not take into account the lock.

How long is the accessory?

Everyone chooses the length of the accessory that he likes. Everyone has different tastes, some like the chain to fit tightly to the neck, while others, on the contrary, want it to hang on the chest. Basically, all manufacturers adhere to standard decoration length systems. The chain length must always be a multiple of five. This does not depend on what material the product is made from.

The length of the jewelry starts from 40 cm. The smallest sizes are 40, 45 cm. The next length reaches 50, 55 cm, this is considered the most universal size for any man. Even overweight men can choose this size. Longer chains have a length of 60, 65, 70, 75 cm. Such options are very rare in stores, since few people like to wear a very long accessory.

For reference! Long chains are suitable for those guys who want to wear amulets or talismans.

What chain thickness should I choose?

You should not rely solely on the “like/dislike” principle when choosing the thickness of the chain. The thickness of the jewelry varies from 2 to 20 mm - from the thinnest to solid, massive chains.

2-3 mm. Thin, almost weightless jewelry that should not be worn with pendants - they are not designed for that. Exceptions are possible: there are miniature pendants for thin chains. Just remember that ideally the weight of the pendant should be no more than 50% of the weight of the chain. Such products are suitable for children, teenagers, and thin, short men.
4-5 mm. These are chains of medium thickness, the most common and practical. Pendants, pendants, and crosses are put on such products. Jewelry of this thickness is universal and will suit almost every person.
6-20 mm. Products of this thickness are considered massive and are worn as solo jewelry. As a rule, they have large links and voluminous weaving. We recommend choosing thick chains for men of large build.

How men wear a chain

There is no unanimity among men in this matter. Some people wear voluminous gold chains as an independent decoration, others prefer medium-thick chains, and young people often prefer thin items. Putting crosses or pendants on them is a personal matter for everyone; there are no prohibitions for men in this.

There are also no restrictions on clothing - men wear chains with a T-shirt or a shirt unbuttoned a couple of buttons, wear jewelry over jumpers, and combine gold and silver chains with clothes of different styles. But do not forget about the dress code - in some situations it will be inappropriate to show jewelry.

How to choose the size of a men's neck chain: choose for yourself

Having decided to buy a chain, a man or woman needs to know how to choose the size of a men's neck chain.
It is important to choose the length that would help the chain decorate a man, and not just talk about his financial condition. Today we will talk about the features of men's jewelry. Let's find out what their sizes are. Let's see how to independently determine the length of the accessory. Let's pay attention to tips that will help you choose a quality model.

Should I rent at night or not?

Depends on how comfortable the guy is sleeping in jewelry. If the chain is thin (up to 5 mm thick), then it is unlikely to create any inconvenience, so you can leave it on your neck overnight. The same goes for thick chains: if a man is comfortable and doesn’t want to take off the jewelry, then why not?

Do not forget to arrange preventive cleanings for your jewelry (about once every 1.5-2 months). You can clean your jewelry from dirt yourself or take it to a jeweler - do as you wish. When you do remove the chain, do not throw it on the table or store it on a shelf - use special bags, boxes or tree stands to store your jewelry.