How to Stack Necklaces Like Sombr: A Guide to His Stage Jewellery

Sombr doesn't wear one chain on stage. He wears several, straight against the skin. At his Los Angeles show on the You Are the Reason Tour, they hung under an open custom Valentino jacket with no shirt, and did as much work as the tailoring.

It's a look with a long history on rock stages, and it translates off stage better than you might think. Here's who Sombr is, what he wore, the lucky charm he once stopped a show to find, why the bare-chest layer works, and how to stack chains yourself without overthinking it.

One chain, then two. Featured: our Make A Chain Set in silver.

Jump to:

• Who Sombr is
• What he wore in Los Angeles
• His lucky charm necklace
• Why the bare-chest layer works
• How to stack chains, step by step
• Wearing it off stage
• Where to start
• FAQs

Who Is Sombr?

Sombr is the stage name of Shane Michael Boose, a singer-songwriter born in New York City in 2005 and raised on the Lower East Side. He studied voice at LaGuardia High School before leaving to focus on music, and he's now based in Los Angeles.

His breakthrough came in March 2025, when "Back to Friends" and "Undressed" took off online. Both made the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100, and "Undressed" reached the top five in the UK. His debut album, I Barely Know Her, landed in the top ten on both sides of the Atlantic that August. He picked up a VMA for Best Alternative Video and a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist.

Fashion has followed. Valentino named him as one of its faces in early 2026, and he wore custom Valentino by Alessandro Michele to the Met Gala that May. His stage look leans the same way: tailoring with a bit of glam, and a lot of skin.

What Did Sombr Wear in Los Angeles?

For his show at the Kia Forum in October, he wore custom Valentino by Alessandro Michele: shoulders trimmed with gold fringe, wide flares and dark glasses. Under the jacket, no shirt. Just a stack of necklaces sitting on the skin.

The coverage doesn't say what the necklaces are, and we won't guess. That's fine, because the lesson here isn't a specific piece. It's the way they're worn: more than one, at different lengths, with nothing between them and the skin.

What Is Sombr's Lucky Charm Necklace?

There's one necklace Sombr has talked about more than any other, and it came from Taylor Swift. Around his first Grammy nomination in late 2025, he showed off a necklace she'd given him, and he calls it his lucky charm.

How much it means became clear in June 2026. Partway through a surprise show in New York, he realised it was missing and stopped the show to look for it. Once it turned up, he handed it straight to his team to keep safe.

We don't know exactly what it looks like, or whether it's part of his stage stack. But it makes the point better than any styling rule could. The necklace a man cares about most is rarely the loudest one. It's the one with a story attached.

Lucky charms are as old as jewellery itself, and plenty of people still swear by them. Our Culture piece asks whether lucky rituals actually work. If you'd like a charm of your own, the four-leaf clover is the classic, and our guide to clover bracelets and necklaces for men covers what it means and how to wear it.

A charm of your own. Featured: the Onyx Clover Stone Pendant in silver.

Why Does the Bare-Chest Layer Work?

On a stage, an open chest frames the necklaces the way a plain wall frames a picture. There's no collar or print fighting them, so every strand reads clearly from the back of an arena.

Layering adds movement too. Several chains at different lengths catch light at different moments, which suits a performer who never stands still. It also balances a big outfit. Next to tailoring as dramatic as a gold-fringed jacket, one fine chain would disappear. Two or three hold their own.

None of this is new. Open shirts and stacked necklaces have been part of the rock frontman's uniform for decades. Sombr is just the latest to make it look easy.

How Do You Stack Chains?

The bare-chest layer looks effortless, but it follows a few simple rules.

Start with two

Two chains are enough to read as a layer, and easy to manage. A fine 2mm Connell close to the neck with something a little heavier below it is the simplest version there is. Add a third only once two feels natural.

Vary the length

Each chain needs its own space. Leave a gap of around 5cm between strands, with the shortest near the collarbone and the longest dropping onto the chest. Our chain length guide shows exactly where each length sits.

Vary the weight and texture

Two identical chains blur into one. Pair a fine chain with a heavier one, or a smooth chain with a textured one, like a Connell with a 3mm rope. The contrast is what makes it look deliberate.

Keep to one metal

On stage, under lights, mixed metals can work. Day to day, one metal throughout looks more considered. Silver suits the cooler, rock-leaning version of this look best.

One pendant, on the longest chain

If you want a pendant, put it on the bottom strand where it has room to hang. A Lion pendant, a simple Cross or a clover charm gives the stack a focal point without crowding it. Better still if it means something to you.

The first layer: a fine chain at the collarbone. Featured: the 2mm Connell chain in silver.

A pendant on the lower strand gives the stack a focal point. Featured: the Lion pendant in silver.

Do You Need a Bare Chest to Pull It Off?

No. Unless you're playing arenas, the off-stage version works better anyway. The aim is the same: give the chains a clear space to sit in.

• An open-collar shirt. Undo two buttons and let the layers sit in the opening. It's the closest everyday version of the stage look.
• A plain crew-neck tee. Wear the chains on the outside. A plain colour, especially white or black, keeps every strand visible.
• Knitwear. A fine chain layered over a knit adds shine to a soft texture, and works well into winter.

One practical tip: put on the longest chain first and the shortest last, and fasten each one before adding the next. It cuts down on tangles more than anything else.

Where Should You Start?

The easiest way in is a pair that's already matched. Our Make A Chain Set lets you pick any two of our most popular chains together, at a better price than buying them separately. If you'd rather start with one chain and a bracelet, the Cuban 4mm Gift Set pairs a 4mm Cuban with a matching bracelet, and the chain makes a good bottom layer once you add a second.

A chain and bracelet that already match. Featured: the Cuban 4mm Gift Set in silver.

Sombr Necklaces and Layering: FAQs

What necklaces does Sombr wear?

At his Los Angeles show on the You Are the Reason Tour, he wore several necklaces stacked straight on the skin, under a custom Valentino look. The pieces haven't been identified in coverage, so the takeaway is the styling rather than a specific chain.

What is Sombr's lucky charm necklace?

A necklace Taylor Swift gave him, which he calls his lucky charm. He showed it off around his first Grammy nomination in late 2025, and in June 2026 he stopped a surprise show in New York to find it after it went missing.

Who is Sombr?

Sombr is the stage name of Shane Michael Boose, a singer-songwriter born in New York City in 2005. His songs "Back to Friends" and "Undressed" broke through in 2025, and his debut album, I Barely Know Her, followed that August.

When is Sombr playing London?

He has five dates at The O2 in June 2027: the 21st, 22nd, 24th, 25th and 29th. The North American leg of the tour runs until 24 November at Madison Square Garden.

How many chains should a man layer?

Two is the easiest place to start and three is plenty. Beyond that, the chains start to compete with each other and tangle, and the look loses its shape.

How far apart should layered chains sit?

Leave a clear gap of around 5cm between each strand, so each chain sits in its own space. Pick different lengths rather than relying on the chains to settle apart on their own.

Can you mix gold and silver when layering chains?

You can, but it's harder to get right. One metal throughout is the safer choice, especially when the chains are the main event.

Make the Layer Yours

Sombr's stage layer works because it looks lived in, not planned to the millimetre. Start with two chains, give them room, and let the look settle into something that's yours. Our full chains collection is the place to build it.