Harry Styles and Frank Ocean Are Leading the ‘Kidult’ Jewellery Trend. Here’s How to Get in on It
frank ocean #frankocean
You hear that, right? The sound of kidult jewellery, the kind worn by Harry Styles, Frank Ocean and Bad Bunny, jangling its way into the mainstream. Over the past year, the trend – necklaces, bracelets and earrings adorned with the colourfully kitsch insignia of our youth – has been steadily making its way through A-listers, B-listers, Tiktokkers, Instafluencers and /r/malefashionadvicers, and will soon reach the wrists, necks, ears and fingers of Joe Public. Unlikely as it may seem, we anticipate the day when smiley face bracelets, candy charm necklaces and flower power studs are as ubiquitous in ends as they are on End. Just trust us on this one.
In recent times, the jewellery industry has been busy playing with childhood tropes to: a) evoke happy childhood memories, b) act as a reminder to not take life too seriously now that we’ve – fingers crossed – reached the epilogue of the covid pandemic, and c) challenge outdated gender norms by inviting guys to embrace traditionally feminine fashion choices (and vice versa). As a result, pioneering labels like Éliou, Serge DeNimes and Hatton Labs have crafted some of the most experimental bijouterie to emerge this millennium – souped-up versions of the beads, charms and gummy rings that we all flaunted when we were rugrats.
Want to beat everyone to the craze? For your convenience, we’ve handpicked the best kidult jewellery pieces on the market and listed them below. Admittedly, some of the pieces are a bit out there (okay, very out there), but we believe it’s our job to coax you into extending the limits of your style. You can thank us later, kiddo.
© Cindy Ord