Anklets occupy an odd place in most jewellery collections — owned by more people than wear them, associated vaguely with beach holidays, and rarely thought about between summer trips. That’s a waste of a piece that can add something genuinely distinct to an outfit when it’s worn with intention rather than habit.
Why anklets fell out of regular rotation
For most of the last two decades, anklets were fashion adjacent rather than fashion — a holiday accessory rather than a considered piece. The styles available reflected this: thin chain with a charm, braided cord, or beaded string. Not much to work with for everyday dressing.
What’s changed is the range. Contemporary anklet styles include substantial chain pieces, stone-set designs, layered fine chains, and minimalist single-strand options in materials that hold up to daily wear. The piece has grown up alongside the ankle interest that came with wider-leg trousers, midi skirts, and a generally higher waterline in contemporary dressing.
What to wear them with
Anklets become visible when the ankle is visible — which means they work best with cropped trousers, wide-leg styles that skim the ankle, midi and maxi skirts with movement, shorts, and bare legs. They disappear under straight-cut jeans and longer hemlines, which is worth knowing before you invest in a piece you’ll rarely see.
Bare feet and sandals are the most natural context. An anklet against bare skin, particularly with a simple sandal, has an ease that’s hard to achieve with more elaborate jewellery. With more structured footwear — a block heel, a strappy sandal, or even a clean trainer — an anklet adds an unexpected detail that works well with casual dressing.
Layering anklets
Two or three fine anklets at different weights on the same ankle is one of the more considered contemporary approaches — similar logic to layering necklaces, with the same rules applying. Vary the weight and texture rather than the length (unlike necklaces, anklets sit roughly at the same point), and keep to two or three maximum before it becomes cluttered.
Which ankle, and does it matter
It doesn’t. Wear it on whichever ankle you prefer, or on both if you’re layering. There’s no meaningful convention here worth following.
Matching to the rest of your jewellery
You don’t need to match your anklet exactly to your wrist or neck pieces, but a degree of coherence helps — same metal tone, or a shared material like shell or stone. An anklet in a completely different register to everything else you’re wearing can look like an afterthought. One that shares a quality with the rest of your jewellery looks chosen.
The anklet is a small piece with a specific role: to add something to the ankle that makes you notice it, briefly, and think it looks right. When it works, it’s one of those quiet details that distinguishes a considered outfit from a good one.
The layering logic here carries over from the rest of your jewellery. How to Layer Jewellery: A Simple Guide to Mixing Pieces covers the same principles in more depth, and our anklets edit has pieces in a range of weights worth stacking.