Anklets Are Back – Here’s How to Wear Them the Modern Way
There are some accessories you can almost date by sight. A stretchy tattoo choker? The 1990s. A stack of brightly coloured plastic bangles? Pure 1980s. And for anyone who remembers the early 2000s, a beaded anklet probably belongs somewhere between a pair of flip flops and a low-rise denim skirt.
Except the anklet has found its way back into our jewellery boxes – and its latest incarnation feels considerably more grown-up.
Look down at some of summer’s most popular footwear and it suddenly makes sense. Barely-there sandals, ballet flats, kitten heels and simple flip flops all leave plenty of ankle on show, creating the perfect blank space for jewellery.
And rather than returning as an obvious Y2K throwback, the modern anklet is becoming one of those small styling details that can quietly pull an outfit together.
Why Is Everyone Wearing Anklets Again?
Pinterest behaviour suggests the renewed interest isn’t simply something we’re imagining.
Recent data supplied by jewellery brand PRYA showed engagement with anklet content increasing by 10%, while saves were up 24% and outbound clicks climbed 31%.
That’s an interesting distinction.
Searching for something suggests curiosity. Saving it suggests people are actively considering how they might wear it themselves. And an increase in outbound clicks points towards shoppers moving beyond inspiration and actually looking for the pieces they’ve seen.
But the anklets attracting attention now aren’t necessarily the colourful beads and chunky designs many of us remember.
Today’s versions are finer, simpler and often much more personal.
The New Anklet Is More Personal
One of the biggest changes is the rise of jewellery that actually means something to the person wearing it.
Initials, birth years, zodiac signs and small symbolic charms have all moved into ankle jewellery, mirroring the wider appetite for personalised necklaces and bracelets.
Sales data supplied by PRYA illustrates the shift. Comparing the first part of August with the same period in July, sales of its Pavé Zodiac Symbol Anklet increased 72.7%, while its Classic Pearl Initial Anklet rose 16.7%. Its Birth Year Anklet recorded a 150% increase, although from a smaller starting point.
The individual products may change from season to season, but the broader idea has much more longevity: shoppers increasingly have the option to make an anklet feel personal rather than simply decorative.
Arwa Hassan, co-founder and style director at PRYA, believes understatement is central to the trend.
“Rather than being the main focus of an outfit, it’s that final detail that makes a look feel considered.”
And that may be exactly why the anklet suddenly feels relevant again.
How to Wear an Anklet Without Looking Like It’s 2003
The easiest way to approach the anklet revival is to forget about recreating the way you wore one the first time around.
You don’t need matching toe rings, a sarong and a suitcase full of holiday beads.
A single fine chain around the ankle can work almost like an extension of your other everyday jewellery. If you normally wear delicate gold hoops, a simple gold anklet makes sense. The same applies to silver.
It’s less about making the anklet the centrepiece and more about adding another small point of interest.
That particularly suits the increasingly minimal footwear we’ve been wearing.
A fine chain can sit neatly above a ballet flat or simple leather sandal during the day, while a slightly more decorative anklet works with a strappy heel for evening.
Fine Chain Anklets Are the Easiest Place to Start
If you haven’t worn an anklet since your teens, a simple chain is probably the least intimidating way back in.
Fine gold and silver styles don’t demand much adjustment to the rest of an outfit and can be treated in much the same way as a delicate bracelet.
Wear one alone for the most understated effect or layer two chains of slightly different textures if you want the jewellery to be more noticeable.
The trick is not to overcrowd the ankle, particularly when your shoes already feature straps, buckles or embellishment.
Personalised Anklets Make the Trend Feel Less Disposable
Personalisation is particularly interesting because it takes the anklet away from being simply another seasonal accessory.
An initial, date, birth year, zodiac symbol or meaningful charm gives you a reason to continue wearing it beyond whichever particular jewellery trend happens to be dominating social media.
It can also make an anklet feel less like a nostalgic fashion revival and more like part of an existing jewellery collection.
If you already wear an initial necklace or sentimental bracelet every day, extending the idea to an anklet doesn’t feel like much of a leap.
Charms Bring Back Some of the Fun
Minimalism isn’t compulsory.
Charm anklets offer a playful alternative, particularly if you like jewellery that moves rather than sitting completely flat against the skin.
The modern approach is generally more selective than piling on dozens of charms. A few small motifs can add personality while keeping the overall look relatively refined.
Choosing symbols that have some relevance to you also helps move the style away from novelty jewellery.
Pearls and Shells Still Work – With a Lighter Touch
Coastal jewellery returns virtually every summer, and anklets are an obvious place for pearls, shells and sea-inspired details to appear.
But there’s a difference between referencing the seaside and looking as though you’ve emptied the contents of a beach souvenir shop onto your ankle.
Small freshwater-style pearls, tiny shell motifs or a delicate chain incorporating occasional coastal details can provide the same summery feeling in a more wearable way.
Paired with linen, an oversized white shirt, a simple dress or swimwear, it can look intentionally relaxed rather than themed.
Your Shoes Matter More Than You Think
Unlike earrings or necklaces, anklets have a direct relationship with what you’re wearing on your feet.
A heavily embellished shoe and equally elaborate anklet can compete for attention, while simple footwear gives the jewellery room to work.
Flip flops and minimal sandals provide the most obvious pairing, but ballet flats are particularly good with a fine chain because the low-cut shoe leaves the ankle completely visible.
For evening, kitten heels and strappy sandals can work beautifully with a delicate anklet, particularly one featuring a tiny charm or personalised detail.
If your shoes have ankle straps, however, consider whether you actually need both. Sometimes the cleaner option is to let the shoe do the work.
Can You Wear an Anklet With Trainers?
Absolutely.
In fact, this is one of the easiest ways to stop an anklet looking overly beachy.
A delicate chain with trainers, cropped jeans or shorts makes the accessory feel more casual and contemporary. It also means anklets don’t have to disappear as soon as sandal weather does.
Loafers, low-profile trainers and ballet flats can all leave enough ankle exposed to make the jewellery visible.
That gives the modern anklet considerably more mileage than something reserved exclusively for a fortnight beside the Mediterranean.
Gold or Silver?
The simplest answer is to follow the jewellery you already wear.
If most of your everyday pieces are gold, choosing a gold anklet creates continuity. The same applies to silver.
Mixed metals can work too, particularly if you’re already comfortable combining them elsewhere.
There’s no reason your anklet needs to match your shoes or handbag. Treat it as jewellery rather than a footwear accessory and styling becomes much easier.
Which Ankle Should You Wear an Anklet On?
Whichever one you like.
Despite the occasional mythology surrounding anklets and supposed meanings attached to wearing them on a particular side, there’s no modern fashion rule dictating left or right.
Choose the ankle where the jewellery feels most comfortable or visible.
If you’re layering more than one anklet, keeping them together on one ankle usually creates a more intentional look than distributing them between both legs.
The Secret Is Not Trying Too Hard
The most successful version of the anklet trend is probably also the simplest.
“One delicate piece can be enough,” says Hassan. “The appeal is that it feels like a small, personal detail rather than something that takes over the outfit.”
That’s a useful rule regardless of whether you’re choosing a plain chain, tiny pearls, an initial or a charm.
Fashion’s renewed obsession with the anklet might have nostalgia somewhere in its DNA, but it doesn’t need to look nostalgic.
Worn with the pared-back shoes already dominating our wardrobes, the modern anklet feels less like a full Y2K revival and more like jewellery simply finding another place to live.
And perhaps that’s why this particular comeback has a better chance than most of sticking around.
Original source material and trend data supplied by PRYA.
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