Last Saturday I went to a wedding. And I swear, the question I was asked most often wasn't "where is your dress from?" but "is that esdeinés around your neck?" and "wait, are you wearing the necklace on your wrist?!"
Yes. I was wearing the Maxi Pink Necklace around my neck and two long basic necklaces—one green and one orange—wrapped around my wrist like bracelets. A look improvised the night before that became the accessory of the day.
And, of course, when I got home I thought: I have to write this. Because combining basic necklaces holds no mystery, but it does have some tricks that change everything. And that's exactly what I'm going to tell you today.
What necklace layering is and why it changes everything
Necklace layering (or "stacking necklaces," if you prefer) is the technique of wearing several necklaces at once, playing with different lengths, textures, and colors to create your own look.
It's not new. It's been trending for years. But something has changed: it used to be done only with delicate, gold necklaces, very coordinated with each other. Now the trick is to mix, to create contrast, to make it clear that you are the one who chose each piece.
And this is where handmade basic necklaces make all the difference. They are not identical—because they are handmade, one by one—but they complement each other in a way that mass-produced necklaces never achieve. Each piece has its own character, and that is precisely what makes the ensemble special.
The rules (that you can break) for combining basic necklaces
There are some guidelines that almost always work. I'll tell you about them, and then I'll tell you when to disregard them.
The length rule: create visual levels
The basis of layering lies in different lengths. Ideally, combine:
- A short necklace or choker close to the neck (or a maxi that hugs the collarbone)
- A medium-length necklace that falls on the chest
- A long necklace that reaches almost to the sternum
With this structure, you create a visual cascading effect that elongates the neck and adds depth to the look. No necklaces should overlap or sit at the same height: that's the most common mistake.
In the esdeinés basic collection, you have pieces in all these lengths, which makes combining them much easier.
The color rule: mix, but with discernment
Two approaches:
Option 1: Tone on tone. Combine necklaces of the same color in different materials. For example, green in matte porcelain with green in shiny crystal. The result is sophisticated and very editorial.
Option 2: Color pop with neutral. A vibrant colored necklace—orange, fuchsia, blue—alongside a neutral one in white, cream, or beige. The neutral grounds the look and allows the color to take center stage without being overwhelming.
What I do not recommend: three distinct vibrant colors at once unless you have a very clear vision for the look. It can work, but it requires more effort.
The mix rule: neck + wrist
This is the one that fewer people know about, and it has the biggest impact.
The long necklaces from the basic collection—those that fall almost to the navel—don't have to stay only on your neck. Fold them two or three times and wear them as bracelets. The result is stunning: you have the same piece working in two places at once, and the look is naturally coordinated without effort.
This is exactly what I did at the wedding.
How I combined my esdeinés basic necklaces at a wedding
Let me tell you about the complete look, because I think the details matter.
I wore a bottle green dress, with almost no jewelry because the fabric already had a strong presence. The question was: necklace or earrings? I didn't want to overdo it, but I also didn't want to arrive "empty-handed."
The solution came naturally when I opened my esdeinés drawer:
- Maxi Pink Necklace around my neck: that earthy, almost salmon pink, which worked wonderfully with the green of the dress. The contrast was deliberate and gave it a beautiful bohemian touch.
- Green basic long necklace and orange basic long necklace on the wrist: I wrapped them together several times so they were tight like a wide bracelet. The orange and green clashed (in a good way), and the result was exactly that "I thought about it, but don't let it show too much" look.
The result? I didn't need anything else. No earrings, no rings. The basic necklaces did all the work.
And at a wedding, where everyone wears the same old jewelry, that detail makes all the difference.
3 looks with esdeinés basics for any occasion
If you don't have a wedding this weekend (or if you do and want more ideas), here are three combinations that work:
Look 1: Effortless everyday
Short necklace in a neutral tone + long necklace in the same color. That's it. It works with a white t-shirt, with a blazer, with a slip dress. This is the "I'm in a hurry today but want to wear something" look.
Look 2: The event look
Colored maxi necklace around the neck + two or three basic necklaces of the same length folded on the wrist. Coordinated in palette but not identical. This is the look for a wedding, a birthday, an important dinner.
Look 3: The ultimate editorial
Three necklaces around the neck in different lengths + different colors but within the same warm or cool palette. For everyday if you dare, or for when you want your look to tell a story.
In all cases, the key is that the pieces are handmade. The small irregularity, the handmade finish, the slight difference between one piece and another: that's what makes the set not look like a kit bought all at once, but something you've built with discernment.
My personal tricks to make layering always work
After years of combining my own pieces—and seeing how the girls who follow esdeinés wear them—I've learned that there are a few small details that make a big difference. I'll tell you about them frankly.
Start with the necklace you like best. Don't build the look from scratch: start with the piece you most feel like wearing that day and add the rest based on it. If your starting point is the Maxi Pink Necklace, everything else has to complement that protagonist, not compete with it.
Don't be afraid of empty space. Sometimes two well-chosen necklaces are more powerful than five. Layering isn't about quantity, it's about intention. A choker around the neck and a long one hanging freely can be all you need.
Try it with your neckline before you go out. What looks perfect on the bed doesn't always work the same with the collar of your t-shirt. Put on the necklaces with your clothes on. Sometimes you have to adjust a length, change the order, or remove a piece that interferes.
Save the combinations that work for you. When you find a look you love, take a quick photo. Not for Instagram: for yourself, for the day you're in a hurry and want to repeat it without thinking. My gallery is full of those photos and it saves me a lot of time.
Why handmade necklaces make a difference
There's a question I get asked a lot: "Why esdeinés and not just any other necklace?"
The answer is simple: because no two are alike.
Each necklace in the basic collection is handcrafted from porcelain. This means that the shape, the finish, the weight… everything has small variations that make your necklace truly yours. No two are identical. And when you layer, that subtle variation between pieces is what brings the whole ensemble to life.
It's the difference between an IKEA shelf and a piece of furniture made by an artisan. Both can be beautiful. But only one has a soul.
And if you need more convincing: Victoria Federica chose an esdeinés necklace for her vacation this summer, and ¡HOLA! dedicated an article to it. Not because it's the most expensive brand, but because it's the brand that has something the big ones don't: each piece tells a story.
Find your perfect combination in the basic collection
If anything is clear, it's that combining basic necklaces doesn't require being a fashion expert. It just requires having the right pieces and knowing that rules exist to be broken.
In the esdeinés basic collection, you have all the lengths, all the seasonal colors, and pieces that work alone or combined. From the Basic Choker Necklace to wear close to the neck to the Basic Long Necklace, which is multi-positional and also turns into a bracelet. Each one is handmade, in porcelain, with the care of someone who knows that what they make will last.
What's your favorite combination? Tell me in the comments—or tag me on Instagram with your look. I can't wait to see how you wear it.
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