Chanel's '80s-Style Earrings Are More Popular Than Ever

last updated 8 October 2020

Call me a fashion-editor cliché, but I'll always make an exception for Chanel. I tend to avoid the more obvious designer logos, but when it comes to the fashion house's unmistakable interlocking C earrings, I say the bigger, the better.

Turns out that I'm not the only one with a love of the brand's ostentatious jewellery. I spoke to two of the biggest online sellers of vintage and preowned clothing, and it revealed an increase in the sale of Chanel earrings by almost double proportions since this time last year. That's a lot of love for something that's been continuously pretty popular since Coco first introduced her strings of pearls in the mid-'30s and Karl Lagerfeld introduced loud gold pieces in the '80s.

Vestiare Collective found that in March, sales for the earrings were up by 40% on the year before. Open for Vintage, a site that Kim Kardashian West uses, has also seen a similar trend. In the last six months, Chanel jewellery sales have made up just over 50% of all of the site's jewellery sales. But it's the Chanel earrings that have made up 15% of all jewellery sales across all categories and brands, with people searching "Chanel CC logo" in particular.

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Honestly, I'm not totally surprised that gaudy '80s jewellery is back in. Look at the biggest S/S 19 trends and you'll see that Chanel is fully embracing the decade by sending its iconic chain jewellery back down the runway, along with shoulder pads and bold logos. But that's not the only reason there's been an increase in demand.

I also spoke to Susan Caplan, the UK's market leader for vintage jewellery, about the trend. "Thanks in part to the growing profile of vintage jewellery and conscious purchasing habits, I've noticed demand for these has been steadily increasing over the last 10 years, but we're also in the midst of a particular spike right now," she says.

The combination of wanting to invest in items that last, opting for vintage over new, as well as tapping into a current trend is a winner. If like me, you're thinking about purchasing some classic Chanel earrings, there's one piece of advice Susan told me: Check the weight.

"Of course, a manufacturer's stamp is another indicator," advises Susan. "But not all authentic Chanel pieces carry a stamp, so actually, the first thing I look at is the weight [ed. note—it should feel heavy in your hand], together with craftsmanship."

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Kaia Gerber, Chanel Spring/Summer 2019 Ready-to-Wear

Still debating about whether or not you want to invest? Well, get a good idea of how they looked on the catwalk back in the '80s by perusing the images of Chanel muse Inès de La Fressange walking down the runway in them. Keep scrolling to see and shop all the different vintage Chanel earrings you can buy right now.