Who could have imagined that Timothée Chalamet, affectionately known as “Sweet Tea,” is not only adept at wearing jewelry but also capable of designing it himself? Recently, during the awards season, he graced the red carpet wearing a Cartier colored gemstone necklace – a personal design created in collaboration with the luxury brand.
Indeed, today’s fashionable men are seasoned players in the jewelry world, confidently adorning themselves with jewels and creating their own unique styles. It’s no surprise that they’re gaining recognition from established jewelry houses!
Undoubtedly, Chalamet’s approach to jewelry styling stands out among his peers. He has consistently demonstrated a natural flair for incorporating high jewelry to express his individuality. Unlike hip-hop artists who stack diamonds to make a statement, or King Charles III who adheres to tradition, Chalamet skillfully combines jewelry with his personal charisma and overall look to create truly eye-catching ensembles.
Chalamet’s jewelry choices never feel ostentatious, as he expertly maintains balance: he may opt for luxurious high jewelry designs but never overloads with multiple pieces. If the jewelry appears too heavy, he counters by reducing the formality of his attire.
For instance, he might pair a Cartier Art Deco vintage clip brooch with a slightly casual jacket. While King Charles III, representing the old-school elite, would typically pair such a classic brooch with a formal suit – resulting in a look that’s classic but conventional and less striking – Chalamet pins it to the pocket of a casual jacket, creating a refreshingly unconventional vibe.
Moreover, he often chooses more eye-catching designs, such as those featuring rubies and diamonds, which are more vibrant than the sapphires, emeralds, and onyx typically favored by men. This allows the jewelry to become a focal point against a backdrop of predominantly dark colors.
When men wear jewelry, 80% opt for brooches or lapel pins – a standard choice typically affixed to suit lapels or chests, with some pinning them to collars or ties.
Chalamet, however, prefers pairing these vintage brooches with various casual outfits, his secret to effortlessly breaking stereotypes.
When formal attire is necessary to highlight an event’s theme, such as the 2021 Met Gala’s “White Tie” dress code, he did wear a white tuxedo. However, he paired it with Rick Owens-designed pants with an Arabic flair and Converse sneakers. And where did he pin the Cartier vintage brooch? On his waist! Isn’t this “unconventional” pairing more eye-catching?
Moreover, Chalamet’s jewelry choices are far from typical for men. He doesn’t limit himself to chain necklaces, vintage brooches, or conventional cufflinks. Instead, his signature jewelry looks often center around necklaces. His style isn’t confined to traditional men’s jewelry, nor does he indulge in ostentatious layering. His trademark move is pairing a bare chest with a statement necklace.
Indeed, this young man understands his fans’ psychology perfectly – teasing with just the right amount of skin! But if you think about it, this styling technique is similar to actresses wearing long necklaces with deep V-neck gowns. Jewelry is most beautiful when close to the skin, and wearing it over a shirt can seem superfluous. Chalamet has astutely identified this issue and boldly eliminates the “redundancy.”
He also chooses necklaces that align with themes. For instance, at the “Bones and All” premiere, Chalamet wore a “bone” necklace from Vivienne Westwood’s design, exuding punk vibes and directly addressing the film’s theme.
In his most recent appearance, Chalamet has taken another step forward. At the premiere of his starring film “Wonka,” he wore a Cartier necklace that he helped design!
This necklace consists of 964 emeralds, rubellites, pink tourmalines, blue opals, and black enamel, echoing the film’s theme. The movie tells the story of Willy Wonka from “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” and as you can imagine, those wonderful candies and chocolates are undoubtedly the film’s central motif.
It’s worth noting that this is Cartier’s first jewelry design collaboration with a celebrity. Chalamet reportedly made two trips to Paris to seek inspiration from Cartier’s archives and worked with the studio team led by Marie-Laure Cérède, Cartier’s Creative Director for Jewelry and Watchmaking, to create this three-dimensional necklace.
You have to admit, this “top celebrity’s” aesthetic sense is indeed on point. The vibrant gemstone color combination resonates with Cartier’s classic “Tutti Frutti” style, while the three-dimensional modern design pays homage to the brand’s modernist style used in recent high jewelry collections. Although it’s unclear how much he contributed, judging from his theme-appropriate premiere look, this author would give him five stars.
Thus, the allure of jewelry is irresistible. While female celebrities love to wear, collect, and even design jewelry, male celebrities are not far behind, showing a rapid catching-up trend. After all, looking back in history, Indian Maharajas and British Kings were also passionate jewelry enthusiasts. Jewelry has never been exclusive to women!
Timothée Chalamet: The Unlikely Jewelry Icon Outshining Hollywood’s Leading Ladies
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