The BBC drama has kicked off a major men’s jewellery trend
BBC Three’s Normal People has become a viral sensation—it’s broken records on iPlayer, generating 16.2 million views in its first week, smashing the streaming service's previous record of 10.8 million views for Killing Eve back in 2018.
The adaptation of Sally Rooney’s coming-of-age novel follows two high school sweethearts, Marianne and Connell, who begin an on-off relationship that continues well into their university years.
But despite the impressive performances and tear-jerking storyline, it’s a simple chain necklace worn by Connell (played by Paul Mescal) that has tongues wagging.
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During the first week of Normal People’s release, internet searches for “men’s neck chains” increased by 68%, according to jewellerybox.co.uk, and the show’s costume designer told British newspapers that Mescal’s wearing of the necklace is “comparable to what James Dean did for the simple white T-shirt in the 1950s.”
A bold statement, but it’s not untrue. While the “unadorned silver neck chain” is dismissed as “Argos chic” in the book (owch…), this modest item has reached such cult status that it now boasts its own Instagram account (@connellschain), which already has over 160k followers.
Here at Tatler Asia, we've rounded up the best men's neck chains that are in stores now. Get yours and perhaps you, too, will become an overnight internet sensation…