Bella Hadid Is Bringing the 2010s Arm Party Back
Since returning to the Cannes Film Festival, Bella Hadid has been in full fashion force, stepping out across the French Riviera in a string of mood board-worthy looks. While her red carpet wardrobe has delivered no shortage of glamour — custom embroidered Schiaparelli haute couture, satin Prada and archival Elie Saab among them — her off-duty ensembles are proving just as compelling. From seaside strolls and dips in the Mediterranean to appearances at the historic Hotel Martinez, the model has been accessorizing many of her outfits with more wearable arm candy: stacks of gleaming gold bangles and bracelets.
First making a splash while departing Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, Hadid boarded a boat in a vintage pink gingham Chantal Thomass look, with stacks of gold bangles climbing both arms. Then there was the vintage floral Elie Saab ensemble she wore while leaving Hotel Martinez — and later posing in front of her Chopard billboard — which she similarly punctuated with chunky gold bangles layered up both wrists.
Some of the gold bangles worn by Hadid in Cannes include a three-piece set from jewelry brand Luv AJ, which retails for under $200.
Luv AJ Mini Flex Snake Chain bracelets, set of three. Retail price as of writing: $150
Luv AJ
Cannes isn’t the first time Hadid has soft-launched the return of stacked bangles and bracelets. Last month, while vacationing and showcasing her fragrance brand Orebella’s latest launch, the model and founder accessorized her bikini with an armful of gold bracelets as she lounged oceanside — a styling move that felt both ‘80s glam and distinctly early 2000s.
The timing makes sense. Fashion has steadily been inching back toward maximalist jewelry, from chunky beaded necklaces to oversize tasseled pendants and layers of mixed metals. But statement bracelet stacks, in particular, haven’t truly dominated the conversation since the early 2010s, when Man Repeller founder Leandra Medine popularized the term “arm party.” That era was defined by wrists piled high with jangling bangles, sculptural — and sometimes spiky — cuffs and stacks of mismatched bracelets worn with an intentionally carefree energy.
In recent seasons, necklace layering and ring stacking have largely defined the modern approach to layered accessorizing. Bracelets, by comparison, have taken a quieter role — until now. Hadid’s Cannes wardrobe suggests the tide may finally be turning, with the model embracing bold wrist stacks as the finishing touch that pulls even her most casual looks together.
And unlike some of fashion’s more over-the-top revivals, the return of the stacked bracelet is refreshingly wearable. Whether paired with vintage couture on the Croisette à la Hadid or for everyday wear sans a private yacht, the model makes a convincing case for piling on the bangles once again.
