How to curate a necklace stack, according to Melbourne content creator Elsa Mullins

“Don’t be afraid to DIY.”

As the fashion pendulum continues to swing between refined minimalism and all-out maximalism, it’s evident some trends are sticking around. Pared-back tailoring, inspired by brands like The Row, is going nowhere. At the same time, on the other end of the spectrum, fashion creatives continue to love tongue-in-cheek graphics and more-is-more jewellery.

Describing her style as “French-ballerina-cowgirl”, Melbourne content creator Elsa Mullins is a proponent of fashion that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Leaning more towards maximalism, she has a penchant for colourful knitwear and artfully curated necklace stacks. It’s the latter that has us interviewing her today.

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Usually comprised of a mix of different chains, chunky gems and her signature initial charm, Elsa’s stacks have become somewhat of a signature. Here, she shares her top jewellery layering tips to help you start stacking.

For those who haven’t before, what are your starter tips for layering jewellery?

My number one tip would be to look for variation. A great stack consists of multiple chain types, lengths and thicknesses. I’d also recommend starting with a simple mix of textured plain chains and pendants on thinner fine chains.

Also, don’t be afraid to DIY – I always take the pendants off the chains they come on, and swap them out to mix and match! Sometimes the unexpected combo of a large link chain with a large pendant is the exact ‘wow’ piece you need to complete your stack.

How do you choose the pieces to layer without clashing (not in a good way)?

To avoid clashing, I’m super meticulous when it comes to the distances between chains. I find it helps if you leave about a centimetre or so between each necklace in the stack, so they look like a neat cascade instead of a clunky pile-up. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly how I choose which pieces to stack – honestly, half the time it’s whatever’s on the top of my jewellery pile and is the least tangled.

What are the staples in your jewellery collection that you turn to when layering?

My staples are definitely my textured plain chains (ones that I don’t use for pendants). I have a mix of rope, Figaro, herringbone and snake chains that always make up the base of my stacks.

I’ve also recently started adding a tennis necklace – either classic or bezel set – to my every day stacks for a little bit of bling! I’d say my staple pendant is definitely an ‘E’ of some sort. I love a bit of self-branding.

Can you talk us through some of your favourite stacks?

I tend to rotate between three styles of stacks – a chunky gold, a more simple silver, and then an extremely OTT mix of everything with pearls, colourful charms and the lot. One of my favourite stacks ever has got to be this one [above image] because it has everything I love – an oversized beach motif, a sparkle of pink, varying chain link styles and of course, my signature ‘E’ pendant. On the contrary, I also love the simplicity of this stack [below image]. It’s hard to go wrong with a simple box chain, a tennis necklace and yet again, a statement ‘E’.

How do you store your jewellery/layer without tangling?

I don’t – eek! It’s a gruelling process to craft my stacks, especially when I’m inevitably running late for something. I’d say I’m in the habit now though where every half hour or so, I untangle my stack so it doesn’t get too knotted up. But my jewellery storage is carnage, something I’m definitely trying to get better at!

What are some of your go-to jewellery labels?

I always try and shop Aussie brands, as we have so many incredible jewellery labels here! My favourites are Bonito Jewellery, Alix Yang, EF Studios, Slow Burn, Reliquia, Elsie Jewellery and Kaarme Jewels. I also source a lot of my unique statement pieces from eBay and Etsy – they have some incredible hidden gems!

For more jewellery layering tips, head here.