THE EDIT

The Second
Skin Bangle

These are the bangles that you
never never take off.

Photographed & Directed by: Jennifer Livingston
Styled by: Haidee Findlay-Levin
  Words by: Jill Newman  

The bangle. It’s simple, effortless and universal. And yet it’s a defining accessory. A single diamond bangle can become a person’s moniker, a piece so lived in that it’s like a second skin. Stacked in multiples, bangles are an expressive statement that can be graceful, boho chic or stylish chaos. It’s been a wardrobe essential for decades, so why all the fuss about bangles now? It’s this year’s signature accessory: it’s genderless, fashionable and versatile, and one is never enough.

Jewelry houses and countless designers are putting their own spin on diamond bangles. Today’s stylish options signify friendship, love, milestones and status. New signature designs, including Tiffany & Co.’s Lock, Pomellato’s Together and Louis Vuitton’s Empreinte, are as recognizable as a status handbag: You can identify it from across the room.

Stylish and Sentimental

For Victoria Lampley, owner of The Stax jewelry advisory, “the bangle marks milestones, time and relationships.” Her stack includes matching Tiffany & Co. friendship bangles that she received from her mother on her 18th birthday (it never comes off), and one she shares with her own daughter.

“I’m more of a maximalist in terms of jewelry,” says Lampley pointing to Iris Apfel’s signature armfuls of bold bangles as a great example of personal expression. While Lampley prefers to wear them stacked, she says a single bangle can look beautiful.

“I get wrist envy when I see a woman who has beautiful skinny bird-like wrists that are perfect for the bangle.” She lists Pippa Small, Beck Jewels, Octavia Elizabeth and Rosa de la Cruz as her favorite diamond bangles.

Pro Styling Tips

Another great thing about bangles is that they don’t require much thought; just slip one on anytime. Still, some of the simplest looks are, in fact, nuanced. “Scale and comfort are key to a bangle that you can live in,” says Anne Russell, Executive Vice President of Hamilton Jewelers. It should fit snug but easily move on the wrist, she says.

“The bangle is like a blazer; it can pull your look together and appear really elegant,” she adds. Hamilton’s most popular bangles are a stretch diamond style, Fred’s bangles with diamond clasps and Walters Faith’s Fluted diamond and gold bracelets. Russell suggests pairing a wider bangle with your signature timepiece or on the opposite wrist to balance your look.

Don’t be shy about piling them on. Go on and mix old favorites with new designs to refresh your wrist game.

Sexy is Back

There’s something sexy about slipping on a bangle and never taking it off. Now that fashion designers are bringing sexy back, the slinky and sparkling diamond bangle fits right in.

Cartier’s iconic 70s-era Love Bracelet—worn by style icons from Jennifer Aniston and Tina Turner to Tom Ford and Kendall Jenner—is an instantly recognizable status bangle (we love it with diamonds). It literally locks on the wrist with screws and requires a special screwdriver to open it. In a show of commitment, famous couples like Steve McQueen and Ali MacGraw, and Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton wore matching Love Bracelets; the romances didn’t last but the style endured.

The bangle’s symbolism was established long before designer Aldo Cipullo dreamt up the Love Bracelet in Cartier’s New York studio as a symbol of love and promise. In ancient times, the bangles denoted power, wealth and devotion. They were worn by Ancient Egyptian women as early as 2000 BCE and by both men and women in ancient Greece, Rome and China. In Hinduism women still wear them as part of the marriage ceremony to reflect their commitment.

Photographer/Director: Jennifer Livingston
Stylist: Haidee Findlay-Levin
Hair: Junya Nakashima
Makeup: Charlotte Day
Manicurist: Mamie Onishi
Model: Zoe Pena
Creative Director: Lizzy Oppenheimer
Creative Production: Petty Cash Production
Director of Photography: Matthew Schroeder
Photo Assistants: Hans Olson, Eric Tanaka
Digital Tech: Chris Rice
Fashion Assistant: Jasmine Fontaina