‘It Reads as Confidence’: Why Flaunting Your Keys Is a Hot Menswear Trend

THIS SUMMER, the hottest men’s accessory might be a front-door key. Or a car fob, an AirPods case or anything else you can hang from a key chain. 

Stylish urbanites are announcing themselves with a jangle—clipping key rings plus all the trimmings to belt loops, caretaker-style. “Euphoria” star Jacob Elordi has been snapped flaunting his keys with jeans. And finger-on-the-pulse brands like Our Legacy, Prada and JW Anderson sell key rings and silver chains designed to dangle. Here, a primer on the swashbuckling, slightly befuddling, trend.

What’s the appeal?

To some, practicality. Thibaud Guyonnet, 31, a Berlin menswear buyer who cycles to work, finds securing his keys to his workwear pants with a carabiner “more comfortable than sitting on them.” But this freeing of the keys registers as a style play too. A silver-and-green clip jazzes up the muted, all-black outfits of Alex Miller, 31, a coffee-machine technician in Milwaukee, Wis. The move is “peacocky,” said Brooklyn jeweler Martine Ali, whose gleaming key-chain designs are destined for belt loops. “It reads as confidence.” Most appealing: Wearing keys this way eliminates pocket bulge.

Haven’t we been here before?

Yup. Hot in the aughts, chain-flashing was popularized by bands like Green Day. It can be traced back to 1950s motorbikers, who strapped wallets to chains. Since at least the 1970s, meanwhile, members of the lesbian community have clipped key rings and carabiners to belt loops to subtly telegraph their preferences.

Is there some phallic thing going on?

One might say that. Some regard key rings as discreet sexual symbols. And indiscreetly flashing one below-the-belt “drags attention to this area,” said Guyonnet. “Keys are shiny, bouncy…it’s kind of kinky, as people are going to look down,” he said. Risqué connotations aside, London architect Will Barker, 24, would never wear his keys on a date: The noisy jangle, he noted, doesn’t exactly set a romantic mood.

I’m prepared to jangle. What key chain should I get?

For an outdoorsy vibe, nab a carabiner. To signal sophistication, lay out more for leather. A silver chain, meanwhile, skews sexier.

Any styling advice? What could go wrong?

Your pants might not be up to the task, for starters. Steer clear of flimsy cotton belt loops—they can sag under the pressure, said Barker. For a sturdy carabiner, choose sturdy pants: Guyonnet clips his onto cargos, while Barker favors jeans. If you typically wear more-polished tailoring, Mark Boutilier, an Atlanta menswear influencer, recommends a sleek, silver chain. That said, you could always play the high-low game like Los Angeles influencer Albert Muzquiz (pictured above) and team an unfussy keychain with sharp trousers. Think about what keys you’re flashing, too. A belt loop is no place for a Porsche fob: Tim Doyle, 34, a member of the British military, considers brandishing a luxury car key “tacky” and “ostentatious.” Whatever you do, ensure you have at least a handful of keys to attach. The ultimate, below-the-belt-loop faux pas? Hanging one, lonely key. That’s “embarrassing,” said Barker. 

SWINGERS // KEY CHAINS TO SLING FROM BELT LOOPS

From left: Key Ring, $38, Craighill.co; Master-Piece Key Holder, $42, Mildblend.com; Key Chain, $285, MartineAli.com; Prada Key Chain, $460, BergdorfGoodman.com; Carabiner, $5, Montbell.us