Move over bag charms. Sayonara charm bracelets. Consumers’ unwavering love for personalization, coupled with the “kidult” and nostalgia movements are paving the way for jean accessories.
Chains, strings, bows, keychains and small furry toys are just some of the add-ons sported by celebrities and other style influencers, giving their denim a young and carefree vibe.
At the forefront of the trend is Swedish pop princess Zara Larsson. Throughout August and September, the “Pretty Ugly” singer opened for Tate McRae’s sold-out “Miss Possessive Tour,” capturing the zeitgeist during her high-energy performance of “Midnight Sun,” the title track from her fifth studio album.
Related Stories
While Larsson frequently switched up her on-stage looks, one detail remained constant: The explosion of trinkets and charms hanging from her denim and sequin shorts. Among them? A Swedish-flag keychain, a guitar pick, a mermaid tail, a soccer ball, a bottle opener and a handful of other Y2K-inspired charms.
She carries the aesthetic offstage, too.
In a recent Instagram post, the singer hiked in a pair of acid-wash purple jeans and a matching bra top and a chain belt overloaded with charms. On TikTok, she’s seen dancing in wearing Y2K-inspired low-rise True Religion jeans and a chain draped from her hip.
Aside from Larsson, other trendsetters are joining in on the trend, attaching chains, keychains and other baubles to their jeans.
Media personality Avon Dorsey, for example, has been spotted zhuzhing up his jeans with an oversized chain, while influencer Kyan attended an Acne Studios show sporting a keychain stamped “innocent.”
Rapper Vic Mensa took the maximalist route at the BET Awards earlier this year, wearing dark-wash jeans loaded with heavy metal chains on both hips and a goth-inspired belt. Model Giulia Maenza kept it pared back, opting for simple black strings looped through her belt hoops.
Meanwhile, consumers are putting their own spin on the trend by accessorizing their jeans with Labubus latched onto belt loops. The street style at recent fashion weeks in New York, London, Milan and Paris demostrated trendsetters’ love for decorated denim.
Check out how other celebrities and tastemakers are accessorizing their jeans in the gallery above.
