Bar Necklaces for Men: How to Wear a Bar Pendant

A bar necklace is a chain with a slim, rectangular pendant, and for men it's usually a vertical bar that hangs neatly at the collarbone. It carries no symbol and makes no claim. It simply adds a clean line of metal to whatever you're wearing, and that's the reason it becomes a daily habit for so many men. Ours is the Totem Pendant.

This guide explains what makes the bar shape work, the difference between vertical and horizontal styles, the chain and length that suit it, and the easiest ways to style one.

A slim vertical bar with a brushed finish: the Totem in gold. Featured: Totem Pendant (Gold).

Jump to:

• What a bar necklace is
• Why the bar works for men
• Vertical or horizontal
• Our Totem range
• Which chain to pair it with
• How to wear it
• Gold or silver
• As a gift
• Care
• FAQs

What Is a Bar Necklace?

Strip a pendant back to its simplest geometry and you get a bar: a narrow rectangle of metal, hung from a bail at one end. There's no front or back to work out and no imagery to explain. On a man, it usually hangs straight down, giving one clean vertical line against the chest.

The name gets used loosely. Some people say "bar necklace" when they mean a toggle necklace, where a T-shaped bar is part of the clasp at the front; our toggle chain guide covers that style. Here, we mean a bar as the pendant itself.

The brushed finish softens the shine, so the look stays calm. Featured: Totem Pendant (Silver).

Why the Bar Works for Men

• It's quiet. A bar has no symbol to decode, so it never says too much. It goes with a work shirt as readily as a weekend tee.
• It's proportional. A long, narrow shape follows the drop of both chain and neckline, so it looks balanced on a broad chest as well as a slim one.
• It plays well with others. Because it's so simple, a bar sits comfortably next to your watch, rings or a second chain without competing.
• It's a starting point. For men who've never worn a pendant, it's the gentlest way in. The wider pared-back look it belongs to is covered in our minimalist jewelry piece.

At 18mm long, it hangs neatly just under the throat. Featured: Totem Pendant (Gold).

Vertical or Horizontal Bar?

Bar pendants come in two orientations, and they wear very differently.

Our Totem pieces are all vertical bars. They don't carry engraving: the appeal is the clean shape and the finish, not a message stamped on the front.

Silver against black: about as simple as a necklace gets. Featured: Totem Pendant (Silver).

Plain, Stone-Set or Iced: Our Totem Range

Totem is our name for the vertical bar, and it now comes in several versions. You'll find every one among our men's pendants.

The Totem Pendant

The original: an 18mm by 5mm bar with a precisely weighted feel and a premium brushed finish, hung from a matching bail. It arrives on a Cuban chain, about 20 inches long. Pick gold or silver; underneath, each is 316L stainless steel, given three coats of 18K gold or rhodium.

An open collar gives the bar room to hang. Featured: Totem Pendant (Gold).

The Onyx and Emerald Stone Totems

A slightly larger bar, 22mm by 8mm, with a line of colored stones set by hand, every stone in a frame of its own. There's no solid back, so light gets in behind the stones and deepens their color. The Onyx Stone Totem keeps things dark and low-key, while the Emerald Stone Totem adds a flash of green. Both hang from a 2mm Miami Cuban chain. The meanings people give each color are explained in our onyx article and our emerald article.

Dark stones in gold settings, with an open back behind them. Featured: Onyx Stone Totem (Gold).

Onyx-colored stones keep it dark and understated. Featured: Onyx Stone Totem (Gold).

Green stones, each set separately along the bar. Featured: Emerald Stone Totem (Silver).

Green against black brings the color forward. Featured: Emerald Stone Totem (Silver).

The Mini Totems

At 17mm by 5mm, the minis are the smallest in the range, with the same line of colored stones. Each is sold on its own, with no chain, and suits chains from 2mm to 3mm wide, so one can go straight onto a chain you have at home. Try the Mini Onyx Totem or the Mini Emerald Totem.

The mini version, sold as a pendant to put on your own chain. Featured: Mini Onyx Totem (Gold).

Smaller still, in silver with green stones. Featured: Mini Emerald Totem (Silver).

The Iced Totem

The same clean bar shape, covered in white cubic zirconia that sparkles whenever you move. The Iced Totem measures 18mm by 6mm and arrives on a Cuban chain 3mm wide. It's the version to pick when you want the bar to be seen; our guide to cubic zirconia explains the stones.

The iced version swaps the brushed face for sparkle. Featured: Iced Totem (Gold).

Which Chain Suits a Bar Pendant?

A bar is slim, so the chain should be too. Something around 2mm to 3mm carries it without crowding it.

• Cuban. The classic partner and what most of our Totems come on. Its flat, interlocking links lie smoothly and frame the bar neatly.
• Rope. Brings a twisted texture and a touch more shine, and it's the chain in our Totem gift sets.
• Too heavy? If the chain is wider than the bar, the bar disappears. Keep the chain the supporting act.

Our pendant chain guide goes deeper on matching widths, and our chain types guide explains each link style.

How to Wear a Bar Necklace

• Get the length right. Around 20 to 22 inches drops the bar high on the chest, where a crew neck shows it off. Ours come on a 20-inch chain, which lands right there for most men.
• Let it show. A crew-neck tee, an open-collar shirt or a henley all frame a vertical bar well. Worn beneath a buttoned shirt, it becomes something just for you.
• Add one plain chain. Wear a fine chain higher up, so the bar stays the lowest point. Our layering guide has the spacing rules.
• Keep the rest simple. A bar looks best with one or two other pieces, perhaps your watch plus one ring, rather than a full stack.
• Dress it up or down. The same pendant works with denim and a leather jacket at the weekend and with an open shirt and tailoring in the evening.

Denim and a plain tee, with the bar doing the quiet work. Featured: Totem Pendant (Silver).

Under a leather jacket, it adds one slim line of metal. Featured: Totem Pendant (Silver).

Gold Bar or Silver Bar?

Gold has a warmer, slightly vintage character that sits well with tanned skin and browns or olives. Silver looks crisp and modern next to black, charcoal and denim. If there's a watch or ring you wear daily, match the bar to it; if you don't, choose the metal you'd be happy to build around. Our minimal jewelry collection has plenty of pieces in both to go with it.

Bar Necklaces as Gifts

A bar ranks among the simplest pendants to give, because it doesn't depend on knowing his taste in symbols. Our Totem gift sets combine the pendant with a 3mm rope chain and a matching 5mm rope bracelet in one box. Choose gold or silver. For more ideas at a gentler price point, see our budget gift guide.

Pendant, rope chain and rope bracelet, packed in one box. Featured: Totem Gift Set (Gold).

Looking After Your Bar Pendant

• The plain Totem. Its 316L stainless steel core means rain and the shower won't hurt it, but leave it off for swimming and hot tubs.
• Stone-set, mini and iced versions. Keep these away from water altogether and take them off for the gym, so the stones and settings stay at their best.
• Cleaning. A brushed bar needs very little: give it a gentle rub with something soft whenever it looks dull.
• Storage. Store each piece flat in its own pouch, so the chain can't knot and the stones can't scratch other jewelry.

Bar Necklace FAQs

What is a bar necklace?

A necklace with a slim, rectangular pendant, usually hung vertically. It's one of the simplest pendant shapes, so it suits daily wear.

Are bar necklaces for men?

Yes. A slim vertical bar suits men well because it's clean and geometric, with no fuss. It works with T-shirts, open shirts and knitwear alike.

What is a Totem pendant?

Totem is our name for our vertical bar pendant. The original is a plain brushed bar; there are also stone-set, mini and iced versions.

Is a bar necklace the same as a toggle necklace?

No. A toggle necklace has a T-shaped clasp at the front that slots through a ring. A bar necklace has a bar-shaped pendant hanging from the chain.

What length should a bar necklace be?

Around 20 to 22 inches suits most men, putting the bar high on the chest. Ours come on a 20-inch chain, right in that range.

Which chain is best for a bar pendant?

A fine Cuban or rope chain around 2mm to 3mm. That carries the bar securely while keeping the chain in proportion.

Can you layer a bar necklace?

Yes. Add a plain chain that sits higher, so the bar stays the lowest point and the two don't tangle.

Is a bar necklace a good gift?

Very much so, because the shape goes with most wardrobes. Our gift sets add a matching rope chain and rope bracelet in one box.

A Clean Line Goes a Long Way

Not every piece needs a story printed on the front. Sometimes the right pendant is the one that simply looks good every day and never gets in the way. That's what a bar does best.

Start with the Totem Pendant in silver or in gold, or go back to the stone and iced versions above.