multi-chain necklaces are huge this year, no question about it.  and i admit, it’s one of the few spring looks i’m really loving – it’s kind of refreshing, actually, after all of the trend-bashing i’ve had to do this season.  when you’re breaking out those sweet spring dresses and tanks, what better way to keep the cute and the preppy from getting out of control than by adding one of these necklaces.  part rocker, part just good sense (layering jewelry is always ultra hip, and ultra hard to successfully accomplish), i’m dying to pair one of these multi-chains with everything from a tee to an evening dress…i love nothing more than a little versatility.

after an exhaustive search (just like with every trend, there are a thousand incarnations of this one), i’m pleased to report i think these versions from designer katharine sise are, by far, the best of the bunch – and i’m not alone.  lucky magazine used her designs in three separate styling pages in their march issue, which is all but unheard of!  normally, katharine is my go-to designer for much sweeter, classic styles, but her venture into multi-chain territory is sheer genius.  not only are these the perfect combination of tough and sweet, but check this out:  each necklace is built to be worn multiple ways.  i asked katharine to explain, and she kindly obliged:

I wanted to create something “tougher” and more substantial.  For me, putting on one of these multi-layered pieces makes me feel like my look is complete.  I love that these pieces can be worn in different ways, depending on your mood or what you’re wearing.  You can wear them short and chunky, or, you can remove the pin, pull a strand (or two) behind your neck and wear them long and loose.  In that long and loose position, you can pin the pin through the front so that the piece is in the shape of a men’s tie, with the chains cascading down the front.

i can hardly wait to get my hands on one of these lovely pieces.  at first glance, i was wholeheartedly in love with the version above on the left…but the more i hear her talk about how many ways there are to wear the other version, well, it makes the decision much harder.  hmm…i may just have to have both.

head to katharine’s website and view the “mary tea” collection to see all of the variations on this lovely theme.