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RAPPED up in pearls! How Hollywood's most fashion-forward men, from Harry Styles to rapper A$AP Rocky, have made the pearl necklace a must-have accessory for GUYS

• Dozens of stars including actors, singers, and rappers have been wearing pearl necklaces to events
• Pharrell Williams may have kicked off the trend in December 2016 when he walked the Chanel runway in Paris
• Harry Styles, Shawn Mendes, and A$AP Rocky frequently wear the look
• Other stars to try it include Billy Porter, Ezra Miller, and Gucci Mane
• Pearl necklaces have traditionally been thought of as ladylike, worn by the likes of Jackie Kennedy and Audrey Hepburn 

 By CARLY STERN FOR DAILYMAIL.COM 

There's nothing more ladylike than a string of pearls — but it turns out, they can be pretty manly too.

For centuries, pearl necklaces have been considered the classiest accessory a woman could add to her outfit, and they've completed countless iconic looks worn by the likes of Jackie O, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, and Coco Chanel.

But at some point in the last couple of years, famous men have decided that they'd like in on the fashionable fun, with everyone from Harry Styles to A$AP Rocky stringing pearls around their necks.

Move over, ladies! Fashion-forward male celebrities are wearing pearls for red carpets and performances (pictured: A$AP Rocky at a Dior show on November 30, 2018)

A twist on bling: Rapper A$AP Rocky in particular has worn pearls on several occasions (pictured at a pre-Grammy party in February 2019)

Statement maker: Harry Styles is also known for rocking pearl necklaces (pictured December 18, 2019)

 Mckenzie Liautaud signature Pearl Necklace from the SS2020  Pearls Gone Tribal collection.

Pharrell Williams may have kicked off the trend back in December 2016, when he surprised fans and fashionistas by walking the runway for Chanel in Paris.

The musician stunned in a gender-bending Chanel ensemble, donning a blue tweed jacket over a T-shirt and black slacks.

He accessorized with a pearl brooch and a glamorous layered pearl necklace that hung in several strands down his torso.

At the time, the choice was a truly novel one, and Twitter users and fashion sites alike buzzed about his boundary-pushing, outside-the-box dressing. 

Whether Pharrell and Chanel gave other male stars the idea to follow suit, or the singer just happened to have impeccable timing, is unclear — but within the next few years, dozens of other male stars have rocked pearl necklaces.

By the end of last year, Vogue was reporting the trend, highlighting the way the jewelry has popped up on runways for Gucci, Palomo Spain, Alexander McQueen, Dior, and Ryan Roche. 

Actors, singers, and rappers have all taken the look for a spin, proving that pearl necklaces actually go with quite a lot of different menswear looks, from sleek suits to cool athleisure to casual tees.

Young Paris wearing a Mckenzie Liautaud Necklace from the Pearls Gone Tribal SS 2020 collection.

Mckenzie Liautaud Pearl Necklace from the SS2020 Pearls Gone Tribal collection.

Some have only done it once or twice, like Joe and Nick Jonas wearing simple necklaces with their outfits for a Grammy's performance in January.

Their take on the trend went the flashier route, with the boybanders pairing their jewelry with shiny brocade ensembles.

Usher also wore pearls to a Grammy after-party, while Empire star Jeremy L. Carver and designer Ugo Mozie have tested them out, too.

Empire Actor Jeremy L. Carver wears a Mckenzie Liautaud Baroque Boy Necklace.

Some men rocking pearl necklaces are who you might expect — stars who are known for their gender-bending, boundary-pushing fashion sense, like Pose star Billy Porter or actor Ezra Miller. 

 Billy Porter attends The Like A Boss premiere in NYC wearing a Mckenzie Liautaud Necklace from the Pearls Gone Tribal SS2020 collection. 

Harry Styles is certainly one of the most frequent pearl-wearers, adding them to T-shirts, cardigans, and sweaters.

Harry told The Guardian last year that he just wears what he likes, regardless of it was designed with a certain gender in mind.

'What women wear. What men wear. For me it’s not a question of that. If I see a nice shirt and get told, "But it’s for ladies." I think: 'Okaaaay? Doesn’t make me want to wear it less though." I think the moment you feel more comfortable with yourself, it all becomes a lot easier,' he said.

But there are also pearl necklace wearers who aren't what one might expect — namely, hip hop stars.

A$AP Rocky has worn quite a few different pearl necklaces, picking them out for public appearances and Instagram posts.

Rapper Gucci Mane has worn them too, layering them with chains and diamonds. 

Certainly, each of these men is looking to make a statement.

'If you were to put a gold chain around your neck, no one would be talking about you, because it’s been done a thousand times,' Mark-Evan Blackman, assistant professor of fashion design and menswear specialist at the Fashion Institute of Technology, told the Wall Street Journal.

Men are also just wearing more jewelry in general, which one expert attributes to social media.

These days, men 'don’t look at fashion magazines, but they look at Instagram,' Cynthia Sakai, a Japanese jeweler, told the New York Times in 2018.

'Guys do style posts on Instagram, they do selfies and tell their friends what they’re wearing. Instagram and Snapchat changed the game.'