The leather cord pendant, back from the nineties
A cord instead of a chain, with one charm, stone or medallion on it. Softer than metal and considerably cheaper.
Swapping the chain for a cord changes the register of a necklace completely. Metal on metal reads as jewellery; a stone or medallion hanging on black leather reads as something you picked up somewhere, which is a much harder effect to buy and the reason this is being called the modern answer to statement pieces.
It is also the most forgiving neckline solution in this whole category. Leather cord sits flat against the collarbone instead of sliding, so it holds a position on an open shirt where a fine chain would disappear inside it. And because the cord is matte and dark, it does not compete with earrings — which matters in a season where the earrings are large.
Length is the decision. Short, at the base of the throat, is the nineties reference and works with a crew neck. Long, sitting at the sternum, works with a shirt open two buttons and is the more wearable of the two if you are only buying one. Adjustable sliding knots are common at the affordable end and are genuinely useful here, since the same piece then does both.
Leather cord perishes — it stiffens, cracks at the fold and eventually snaps, usually within a couple of years of daily wear. That is worth knowing before you attach a pendant you care about to one. Waxed cotton cord looks nearly identical and lasts considerably longer.
How to wear it
- Long, at the sternum, with a shirt open two buttons. The most useful single length.
- It does not fight statement earrings, which most necklaces do.
- Waxed cotton over real leather if the pendant matters — leather cord cracks and snaps.
Sources
This page reports what the fashion press published. We have not handled any of the products below. How we work.
- Marie Claire — The Defining Jewelry Trends for 2026 (read Aug 14, 2026)
