This season, however, the fashion people were onto something. They embraced long necklaces, a trend most in jewelry have been sleeping on. Several fashion shows in New York this September, including Coach, Michael Kors, Tory Burch and Ralph Lauren, showed long leather cord necklaces. Some had small boho beads. They ranged in length from around 28 to 32 inches.

My interest was piqued. Then, in Milan, Versace’s new designer, Dario Vitale, who was handed the reigns by Donatella Versace, showed lots of really long necklaces as part of his sexy overall vision. The powerful way the costume styles lit up the looks made me realize long necklaces in fine jewelry needed to be headline news.

There are two main long necklace silhouettes being made by COUTURE designers now. One has a pendant that sits just above, at or below the breastbone. A few with pendants swing down to graze the navel. The other mode is a chain with motifs that covers the chest.

Within these two seductive styles COUTURE designers, including HARWELL GODFREY, JACQUIE AICHE, JADE RUZZO, MARIE LICHTENBERG, NIKOS KOULIS, ROBINSON PELHAM and SELIM MOUZANNAR make the looks their own with playful pendants and artistic chains and beads.

Harwell Godfrey

One way to get the long length is with a combination of a necklace in the 24-to-26-inch range and a large pendant. Lauren Harwell Godfrey has done just that with a couple of pieces in her new 1975 collection, which pays tribute to cultural and style icons of the era from the disco balls to the crochet blankets.

To conjure up a striking ‘70s color palette, the imaginative designer cleverly employs bi-color pink and green tourmalines in a necklace and pendant. Jet-set hotel living is brought into the collection with a malachite bead necklace ending in a gold hotel key with swinging tassel. It’s reminiscent of a bygone era, long before the advent of key cards. The tassel’s gold cap is engraved “Privacy Please.”

Jacquie Aiche

Jacquie Aiche has been overtly sex positive in campaigns and with her jewelry from the beginning. The Los Angeles–based designer pretty much single-handedly revived belly and body chains eons ago. Her long necklaces hit just about the same sultry note as those body jewels.

Jacquie creates a variety of long necklaces with giant symbolic pendants like scarabs and double horns. She also includes long lengths in her men’s line which is hot.

Jade Ruzzo

Of course, necklaces can go to even longer lengths than the popular 32-inches. Jade Ruzzo demonstrates one such style with her 54-inch long Gloria gold scarf with diamond accents and a slide motif. It bears a resemblance to a cowboy’s bolo tie, but it’s longer and can be wrapped around the neck multiple times.

Jade also has a seriously stylish 32-inch long Gilda Stick Chain necklace punctuated with various sizes of emerald beads.

Marie Lichtenberg

Marie Lichtenberg’s models never wear clothes, but even if they were dressed her long necklaces would still be steamy.

The Parisian designer’s long styles include incredibly luxurious mesh chains set with either diamonds or rubies. The flexibility of these fully gem encrusted jewels is like liquid that drapes over the bod. She also makes long slender chains that end with her playful pendants like one big gold or wood dice.

Nikos Koulis

Nikos Koulis’s long necklaces feel like a meditation on motifs. He rhythmically carries out ideas almost all the way around the jewels. One features conical, blackened aluminum accented with bright, white lines of baguette-cut diamonds that alternate with rows of round diamonds.

The great Greek designer’s yellow gold renditions are equally surprising. In one design, diamonds are set high above sculptural gold cones. Another has flat gold discs with diamonds peeking out from the side.

Robinson Pelham

If you want a quick check of what is happening on the trend landscape, the Robinson Pelham collection is always a good guide. The buoyant British brand beloved by Princess Kate and Gwyneth Paltrow has trends in abundance like ear décor for multiple piercings and chunky gold choker chains.

Now they have long bead necklaces that pair with big pendants. It’s a sign of the times.

Selim Mouzannar

Selim Mouzannar draws endless inspiration from antique styles for his modern creations. His 19th-century-inspired starburst pendants on long necklaces are no different. They evoke the chains worn by women during that time.

Like the necklaces of the past, not to mention the pieces worn on the Versace runway, these super-long styles draw the eye down the body in a flirtatious way.