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With Mean Girls returning to the big screen—this time as an adaption of the musical based on the original film—anyone worth their weight in Kälteen Bars knew a torrent of Y2K fashion would come with it. Among the velour tracksuits, micro mini skirts, colorful bras, and Mean Girls pink (a shade darker in both hue and energy than Barbie pink, of course), there is an accessory that no leading character is without: a statement necklace.
Nameplate necklaces, candy necklaces, tennis necklaces, and initial pendants are seen on every important character in the film. But this time around, they come with some unexpected twists: Regina George’s famous initial necklace dangles from a half-pearl-half-chain necklace, and Karen and Damian’s nameplate necklaces make a case for wearing a style that doesn’t boast your name. (Sorry, Carrie Bradshaw: Damian’s, which reads “Normal,” is way cooler).
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In short, the new Mean Girls film is sparking major necklace envy that will have you snapping up these styles faster than you can add pages to your burn book. Ahead, we talked to the film’s costume designer, Tom Broecker, about the inspiration behind the statement necklaces in Mean Girls 3.0 and included some similar styles to get the look.
“We had long conversations with the directors about how to honor the original movie while updating it for post-pandemic teenagers at the same time, and that necklace was super important,” says the film’s costume designer, Tom Broecker.
“The script ‘R’ initial in Regina’s necklace is a pretty close representation of the original, though much harder.” But the necklaces’s update comes with the mixed media chain. “There’s a duality to Regina (and specifically more so because it’s being played by Reneé Rapp) that we really wanted to play with, the idea of masculine being the steel chain and the feminine being the pearl.” The style speaks to a fluidity that’s not just represented by Regina, but exists in us all.
A mix of yellow gold and sterling silver gives this metal chain necklace a fresh update, but the real genius of this initial necklace is that the pendant (also available in sterling silver) can be affixed to any chain, thanks to the letter charm’s own hinge.
Add an initial charm in diamond script or old english lettering to the toggle of this pearl and 14K gold chain for an edgy take on Regina’s signature piece.
Like Regina George’s initial necklace, Broecker used the nameplate necklace as an identifier or branding item in the film. “When you want people to notice you, using an initial only is more of a power play than using a full nameplate, but for a character like Karen (who wears a nameplate necklace of her name in the film—and even intentionally backward a few times as a nod to the original movie), I think she needs to wear her name because, in relationship to the other girls, she is the forgotten one.”
But perhaps the strongest power play is wearing a nameplate necklace that doesn’t advertise who you are, but what you stand for. This is something Broecker chose for Damian, who wears the nameplate “normal” in the film. “I had just worked with Sam Smith, who had worn a necklace that said ‘normal’ on it. And I just was like, ‘Oh that says so much without saying anything about so many things.’”
The concept fit into the Mean Girls story perfectly: “There are bullies in school, and when you get more than three people together, there will be a Regina in your group,” Broecker says. “Damian doesn’t want his name to be known, but he does want you to know who he is and that there’s a normality to it. It's about: you don't need to know my name; all you need to know is, I’m like you.”
Those with AAPI heritage can get a name or any word rendered in Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, or Thai from this Los Angeles-based jeweler who specializes in using heirloom and upcycled 14K gold.
Think of it as this year’s boat tote: forget your first name and try customizing a nameplate necklace that speaks to your vibe instead. Embrace your mental health challenges with an “anxiety” or “Lexapro” necklace, or choose to wear a keyword from an intention set, like “patience” or “powerful.” Whatever you choose, it will look cute in pink enamel.
In the latest Mean Girls movie, it’s Regina George’s family (not Gretchen Weiners’) who is wealthy. Accordingly, among the McQueen and Cartier pieces is a diamond tennis necklace that both Regina and her mom wear as a bit of a rich-girl flex.
“We decided that there would be a lot of borrowing from each other between Regina and her mom, so you see Regina wearing some of her mom’s jewelry and her mom wearing Regina’s jewelry at different times,” Broecker says.
All the shine of a diamond tennis necklace but without the steep price point, this bestselling necklace uses lab-grown and individually set white sapphires for maximum sparkle that looks like the real thing. Bonus: there’s even a stone added at the clasp so as not to disrupt the continuous circle of bling.
In her quest to make a diamond tennis necklace that doesn’t flip on the wearer, Maya Brenner developed this design that’s perfectly positioned on the chest in an uninterrupted flat lay of diamonds, no matter how you move.
If we can count on Regina George’s mom for anything, it’s clinging to the totems of youth, which means wearing the same Mean Girls pink that the teens do and wearing youthful, if not infantile jewelry, like her candy necklace.
“With Busy’s character, it was important to have the feeling of wealth, but remain playful,” Broecker says. That meant layering necklaces and bracelets for a more-is-more feeling and including ultra-youthful pieces, like a candy strand. Just like the custom Cartier candy necklace that Timothée Chalamet recently wore on his Wonka press tour (or even an Irene Neuwirth number that actress Busy Philipps has been known to wear IRL), Mrs. George’s candy necklace is luxe and loaded with pink opal.
This enamel style brings an air of ’70s surf culture to the candy necklace look.
A very grown-up take on a classic candy necklace eschews string and sucrose for precious metals and lapis, rainbow moonstone, turquoise, and more.
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