Heads up: we earn from qualifying purchases through our Amazon.ca and Amazon.com links. No extra cost to you.Details

Style guides

Styling silver in your next fit

Written by DJ from StyleUp ·

A silver chain is usually the first piece of jewelry people picture with a streetwear fit, and I think it’s one of the cheapest ways to make a plain fit look finished. A lot of guys skip it because they picture something big and flashy, but the silver that looks best day to day is usually thin and simple. This guide covers how to wear chains and rings, with the pieces we think work best in your next fit.

In terms of styling silver, there are only two things to get right: how thick it is and where it sits. Every fit on this site wears the same 4mm Cuban link, over a tee, a hoodie and a sweater, and it works with all three because it’s thin enough to wear every day and still catches the eye.

The short answerHow to wear silver in five steps
  1. Start thin. Around 3 to 5mm is visible without being loud.
  2. Let it sit at the collarbone or just below. About 20 inches is a safe length for most guys.
  3. Wear it over a plain top. A chain over a busy graphic gets lost.
  4. Stick to one metal. If the chain is silver, keep the rings silver too.
  5. Start with one. Add a second chain or a few rings once one feels normal.

What size chain should a guy wear?

Thickness is measured in millimeters across the link. As a rough guide, 2 to 3mm is subtle, 4 to 5mm is a good everyday size, and 6mm and up is a statement piece. If you’ve never worn a chain, I’d start around 4mm, since it shows up in photos without feeling like a costume.

Length is measured in inches, and where it lands depends on your neck and build, so I’d take these as a starting point rather than a rule:

  • 18 inches sits close, around the base of the neck.
  • 20 inches sits at the collarbone or just under it. This is the easiest length to wear.
  • 22 to 24 inches hangs onto the chest and works better for layering or over a hoodie.

Should you wear a chain over or under your shirt?

Most of the time I’d wear it over. Silver against a solid color is what pulls the eye up, so a chain over a plain tee or a crewneck is really the whole point. Black is the easiest background, which is why the all-black fit below leans on it.

Under the shirt makes more sense with a button-up or a collared shirt, where you only want a little silver showing at the neck. It’s more low-key, and it’s a good option if you’re somewhere you’d rather not stand out.

Can you wear a chain with a hoodie or sweater?

Yes. With a crewneck sweater, wear it over the collar so it sits on the knit. With a hoodie, it can sit over the neckline, and a slightly longer chain helps so it doesn’t get buried under the hood. The baggy cargo fit does this with a washed charcoal hoodie, and the sweater fit does it over a patchwork cable-knit.

How to stack chains and rings

One chain is plenty to start. If you want to stack two, make them different lengths, about two inches apart, and ideally different thicknesses so they don’t tangle into one line. In my opinion two is the limit for a clean look.

Rings work the same way. Two or three across a couple of fingers looks styled, while a ring on every finger starts to look like a lot. A pocket chain clipped from a belt loop is another way to add silver lower down, but if you’re wearing one, I’d keep the neck to a single chain.

Stainless steel vs. sterling silver

Both look silver, but they’re made differently. Sterling silver is 92.5% silver, usually mixed with copper, and it slowly tarnishes, so it needs a polish every so often. Stainless steel is a steel alloy that resists rust and tarnish, so it holds up to water and sweat and is usually the cheaper option.

The Cuban chain and the ring set on this site are both stainless steel, picked for the look and the price. If you want to move to sterling later, the same rules about thickness and length still apply.

Three fits that wear silver

These are the fits on the site with silver in them. Open one to see every piece and the job it does.

All black, plus silver

This is where a chain does the most work. Black tee, black cargos and white sneakers, then a Cuban chain, a pocket chain and a couple of rings. With no other color in the fit, the silver is what you notice.

Monochrome cargo fit with silver chainsSee all 6 pieces and what each one does
Illustration of the monochrome cargo fit with silver chains

Illustration of the full fit. Open the full fit

Over a hoodie

Here the chain sits over a washed charcoal hoodie with gray-green cargos and a black cap. It’s a small detail in a big, relaxed fit, and I think it’s what makes the hoodie look like a choice.

Baggy cargo fit with a cap and silver chainSee all 6 pieces and what each one does
Illustration of the baggy cargo fit with a cap and silver chain

Illustration of the full fit. Open the full fit

Over a loud sweater

The patchwork sweater is the loud piece, so the chain stays thin. It sits over the collar and keeps the sweater from looking too soft.

Color-block sweater fitSee all 5 pieces and what each one does
Illustration of the color-block sweater fit

Illustration of the full fit. Open the full fit

Common silver mistakesThings that make silver look off
  • Starting too thick. A heavy chain on a plain fit can look like a costume.
  • Mixing gold and silver before you’re comfortable with either.
  • Stacking chains of the same length, so they tangle into one.
  • Wearing it over a busy graphic tee where it disappears.
  • Too many pieces at once. A chain, a pocket chain and rings on every finger is a lot.

Where to start

If you’re buying one piece, I’d get a thin silver chain around 20 inches and wear it over a plain black tee. One example of this would be the all-black fit above with fewer pieces, and once that feels normal, adding two rings gets you most of the way there.

From this guide

The fits

All fits