How to Rock a Skull Pendant Like a Boss
It is not every day that you get to wear a skull pendant. If nothing else, your job may frown upon such an unconventional accessory. Nevertheless, if you are going to rock one for real, you should know how to do it to look best. Here are our do and don’ts regarding wearing a skull pendant.
Are they worth wearing in the first place?
If you do not know what a skull means, do not categorically state that jewelry with this symbol is a no-go. Many believe that the skull is nothing more than death and this is true. Or is it?
In fact, a skull encompasses is a multitude of meanings, which it has acquired over the millennia. Ancient people used skulls as totems to ask for protection from adversity and win the favor of the higher powers. At the same time, a skull became a symbol of military prowess, strength, and courage since only the strongest and bravest warriors of a tribe could wear skull ornaments. They also used skulls to intimidate enemies by putting them on sticks and thus transparently hinting that such a fate awaits everyone who dares to invade tribe lands. In this regard, skulls meant death indeed.
On the other hand, a skull has become a symbol of life. Since flesh turns to dust but craniums do not, ancient people believed that it was because they were somehow connected with the other world. If you respect a skull, it can reveal its secret of eternal life and safe from diseases. That is why skulls can be seen in the hands of shamans as attributes in magical rituals.
On top of that, skulls were revered in alchemy as a signifier of intelligence and knowledge, they were used by armies as insignia for their troops, they served as memento mori, they represented hermits and rogues … it’s almost impossible to list all the meanings of this multifaceted symbol. The point is that you shouldn’t be afraid to rock a skull symbol because it is associated with something evil and bad. It has many positive meanings, too, and it would be unforgivable to ignore them.
How to Incorporate A Skull Pendant into Your Garment
Now that we hopefully justified the use of skulls in jewelry, let’s focus on how to incorporate it into your image. Let’s start with where and when to wear them. We do not think that a formal business suit is a suitable outfit for such an informal accessory. The formal is best combined with more formal, and the informal with more informal. Being from different worlds, skulls and tailored suits will simply clash. If you still don’t want to leave your pendant at home when you go to work, make sure that your clothes hide it completely. It’s not worth it to infuriate your boss because you fail to keep up with corporate standards. If your job doesn’t involve wearing a tie, you have more options regarding jewelry. However, if you work with clients, it is best that you don’t distract them with a skull peeking out from under your shirt.
Skull ornaments go well with biker and rocker style outfits. They can be an unexpected but welcome addition to casual outfits. Even the athletic clothing style leaves room for experiments.
What to Wear With
The answer will depend on whether it is a silver skull pendant or a gold one. If you opt for the pale metal, we suggest combining it with a leather cord in neutral and dark shades (black, graphite, blue, etc.). Such a pair may not be very durable, but they perfectly complement each other bringing softness to the firm metal and enhancing its generally discreet appearance.
If you go with a gold skull, the best choice for a necklace is a chain. It is should be made of gold, too. Leather cords are acceptable (in this case, pick either black or warm colors such as burgundy or tobacco) as well but they are not as good at conveying a sense of luxury as gold necklaces.
Never try to blend a silver pendant with a gold necklace and vice versa. It will show your poor taste and no understanding of basic look-good principles. That said, if both your pendant and necklace feature gold and silver in approximately equal proportions, then this combo won’t raise eyebrows.
Finally, you should consider the length of a necklace you’re going to pair your skull pendant with. If a pendant is large and heavy, you should go with a thick durable chain or cord. Keep its length on a shorter size though. For small and lightweight pendants thin and delicate necklaces work best.