THE ALLURE OF THE ANKLET – FROM BOHO TO CHIC

    The ultimate in accessorising, the anklet, ankle bracelet or ankle chain, as they are sometimes called, is very alluring. 

    With a certain bohemian quality, anklets can look both casual in a relaxed beach-party-look kind of way but shouldn’t be underestimated as they can be dressed up for a much more formal occasion with a simple, but beautifully elegant, design.

    Ankles have always been considered a very alluring part of the female body. In Victorian times, it was very tantalising for a lady to show her ankle and they would, very occasionally, be glimpsed under the hem of her long dress or skirt.  

    Anklets, along with toe rings and other body jewellery like nose rings, were originally worn in India.  They also adorned ladies in Egypt, where the fashion lasted for centuries. 

    They were crafted in gold or silver with gemstones for the wealthy or made in leather and shells for the lower classes and continued to be worn until more recent times when Islam regarded them as being immodest. 

    Belly dancers in the East wore anklets with other jewellery as a way of enhancing their art of dancing – the charms and bells added to their ankle chains added a beautiful sound as they moved and swayed in their dance.  

    In South-East Asia anklets were sometimes worn on both ankles attached with a connecting chain thereby limiting the length of the stride, the idea being that smaller steps appeared more feminine and demure. 

    Ankle chains were introduced into Western culture in the 1970‘s and were very much a bohemian fashion statement. 

    As the decades have rolled on, anklets have become more accepted with all styles of dress and the material used reflects this – 9ct gold and simple designs are used for more formal, dressier wear whilst multiple strands, charms, colours and dangles are suited to more casual wear.

    A whole array of types of chain links can be used in anklets, as they can with a bracelet or necklace chain. 

    Jewellery has always been worn to draw attention to the most desirable parts of our body, with the ankle being no exception.

    Anklets look very pretty with skirts, shorts or cropped trousers either with flat pumps, high heels or strappy sandals. The only consideration is, in very high heels the anklet may sit in the crease of your ankle as your foot is forced into a more pointed position, so do watch out for this as it may be uncomfortable.

    A delicate chain with or without a little bit of sparkle, or an anklet with a dangling charm or two, can really catch the eye and a beautiful way to finish an outfit. 

    The only time it is not advisable to wear an anklet is with tights or stockings, where they can easily snag the fine material, or get caught and break. 

Match your outfit with the style of anklets on offer – an ankle with many ‘dangles’ will be suited to more casual wear.  Simple but very elegant anklets look super even with the most glamorous of outfits.  

As with any jewellery, if you have cooler skin tones we recommend going for a silver anklet, for those with warmer or golden skin tones the warmer-looking yellow or rose gold will suit.

We sell many anklets in both sterling silver and solid 9-carat gold, although gold anklets you see are often gold vermeil (gold heavily plated onto sterling silver). Silver and gold vermeil anklets are less costly than gold pieces.

Slim ankles will suit finer chains with delicate charms, heavier ankles can take a wider anklet with larger charms. 

    Any beliefs that may have indicated something if you wore your anklet on the left leg verses the right leg have, luckily, long since disappeared and bascially anything goes. 

    Many ladies find that wearing the anklet on the left leg carries a more “balanced” look if she is wearing bracelets on the right wrist. 

    It is also not advisable to keep your anklet on if wearing tights or socks and could cause damage to your anklet when dressing or undressing (as well as ruining your clothes).

    So, as you can see, there are still lots of options even if you don’t feel that a bohemian-style ankle bracelet is your thing.  There are styles to suit any occasion and every taste.  Anyone  who has fancied wearing an anklet but in a much more dressy, upmarket way, now can – the choice is wide and varied. 

     Do drop us a comment below.  Let us know what is the prettiest style anklet you’ve seen. You never know, we may try and find some to stock.