Friendship bracelets were once icons of girlhood – traded at sleepovers and worn as the sign of an unbreakable bond. Nevertheless, a number of celebrities have been snapped sporting the wrist wear, including Reese Witherspoon, Channing Tatum, Gayle King and Gigi Hadid. 99 percent of new plastic, including the multicoloured beads threaded onto these bracelets, are made from fossil fuels and are filled with toxic chemicals. The phenomenon has resulted in an unprecedented boom in sales – with data from eBay showing a 15,200 per cent increase in sales for friendship bracelets and Hobbycraft’s increasing by 500 per cent. There was even a ‘great bead shortage’ in Brisbane according to the Courier Mail, with businesses unable to keep up with the huge demand. The bracelets themselves, which Swifties loop by the dozen onto carabiners ready for trading, break easily, are quickly forgotten about after the concerts and often seem to be for one use only. Even Tom Cruise has reportedly jumped onto the trend. And Gary Lewis, CEO of Resourcify, added: ‘While Swift encourages millions of adoring fans to “Make the friendship bracelets” on her Eras Tour, it’s easy to forget the environmental cost of this jewellery. Swifties have been trading – often hundreds of – the bright and colourful beaded bracelets at her concerts. There have also been reports of businesses and craft stores running out of beads due to the sudden surge in demand, especially in Eras Tour locations. Flash forward to 2024 and they’ve become the hottest accessory of the summer after pop superstar Taylor Swift inspired the trend at her Eras Tour concerts, with Olympians and even royals hopping on the trend. Speaking to FEMAIL, Sian Sutherland, co-founder of A Plastic Planet and Plastic Health Council, said: ‘Friendship bracelets, though small and seemingly harmless, are part of a much bigger problem. Taylor Swift has made friendship bracelets cool again. But while the bracelets have brought resounding joy to Swifties around the globe, environmental experts have warned Femail that the trend comes with a ‘huge cost’. Swifties have been trading – often hundreds of – the bright and colourful beaded bracelets – Read Much more – at her concerts, and now they seem to have become the one item that any fashionista can’t be seen without.
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Fans have been trading beaded friendship bracelets, often bearing phrases from her lyrics. Meanwhile eagle-eyed royal fans noticed a playful addition to Prince George’s otherwise formal ensemble in his 11th birthday portrait. Taylor’s boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce, even admitted he once put his number on his bracelet to catch her eye before they began dating. He wore it again to the Euros final with Prince William. The crafty teammates made them into the shape of Olympic rings, with lyrics reading: ‘Today Was A Fairytale, ‘Maroon’ and the Taylor Swift and Midnights albums. American swimmer Erin Gemmell said her teammate Torri Huske was using her downtime in the Olympic village to make friendship bracelets for Taylor’s concerts. Torri won three golds and two silvers at the 2024 olympics, making her the most dcorated female Olympian at Paris, while Gemmell won silver in the 4x200m relay. It’s something that even the royal family have started wearing – ever since Prince George and Princess Charlotte attended Taylor’s concert at Wembley with Prince William in June. The Prince and Princess of Wales shared a stunning black and white portrait, taken by Kate, to mark his special day and in the image, a bracelet can clearly be seen above the cuff of his shirt on his left wrist. Team Canada have also embraced the accessory after being given them by their social team whenever they won a medal. Weeks later, at Wimbledon, Charlotte was spotted wearing two threaded bracelets, one featuring various shades of pink and another boasting green, blue and pink fabric. Friendship bracelets were placed at the centre of summer after they were spotted on the wrists of several Olympians throughout the Paris Games. TaylorSwift please tell us you watch swimming! Britain’s Sky Brown was spotted wearing a beaded bracelet reading ‘Paris’ as the 16-year-old claimed her bronze medal in skateboarding. Despite their clearly rigorous training schedules, Gemmell joked on TikTok: ‘There’s always time for Taylor!
King Charles, 75, was spotted wearing what appeared to be a ‘friendship bracelet’ made up of yellow and red thread during a visit to the Channel Islands with Queen Camilla last month – which fans speculated could be a gift from Charlotte. Gary added: ‘Most of all, it’s important to remember that Swifties themselves aren’t solely responsible for this surge. The site recommends using plastic-free beads, such as glass or metal, or even making beads yourself at home. Already, 20 million metric tons of plastic litter end up in the environment every year. Environmental website Green Matters posted advice to fans on how to make more eco-friendly bracelets for Taylor’s concerts. With 5.3 million tickets sold over 84 international shows, across 19 countries, the quantity of these plastic friendship bracelets being exchanged is staggering. Gary added that each friendship bracelet requires ‘huge amounts of water’ to produce the fibres to make the cotton thread. Sian said: ‘I’m all for small tokens of friendship but plastic beads should not be the go-to choice for Swifties. The royals seem to be going about the trend in an eco-friendly way, wearing bracelets made from coloured thread instead of the beaded varieties beloved by Swifties. And the Duchess of Edinburgh appeared to be the latest royal to wear a friendship bracelet as she cheered on Team GB in Paris last week. Sian has urged Taylor to speak out about the recent trend, saying: ‘With Taylor Swift’s massive platform, she has an incredible opportunity to educate her fans on the importance of sustainability. I’m not blaming the fans, they shouldn’t be available to buy full stop. The bracelets might be worn with pride for a few weeks following the concert, but their environmental impact lasts for centuries, enduring long after the concert memories have faded. In addition, the plastic beads used take years to break down and any packaging added even more non-recyclable plastic. They also suggest up-cycling old pieces of jewellery and using cotton as a base instead of plastic string. Sian said: ‘When trends like this explode, they often lead to a flood of single-use items that are quickly discarded. There are plenty of natural fibre options or wooden beads. We know the impact of plastic all too well – it never truly goes away.
If you’re as magpie-like about jewellery as I am, you’ll always be on the lookout for new brands and original pieces to add to your collection. Her signature T-bar necklaces have been worn by the likes of Taylor Swift. There are so many amazing affordable and mid-range jewellery brands out there today, with a plethora of choice no matter what your style. Tilly Sveaas founded her eponymous brand in 2016. Born in Hong Kong to British-Norwegian parents, London-based Tilly has been a jewellery designer for over 25 years, creating her first pieces during an extended trip to Bali, where she still produces to this day. But along with the prominent brands we all know and love, there are a load of under-the-radar gems (no pun intended) out there just waiting to be discovered. All Grove & Vae jewellery is designed in London, and created using 14k gold vermeil and rhodium-plated sterling silver – More Material – . Otiumberg positions itself as a demi-fine jewellery brand. If you love keeping things unique and prefer to shop independent, these jewellery brands are worth checking out and keeping in mind for your next purchase. The brand’s founders, sisters Christie and Rosanna Wollenberg, believe you shouldn’t just save beautiful jewellery for best, so the sculptural rings and earrings are as practical as they are elegant. This British brand was launched in the autumn of 2024 by Tofi Caroline Adedoyin, a former investment banking director. Their goal is to make pieces that ‘will be your go-to for years to come’.
The beaming couple looked in high spirits as they posed next to each other for the cameras at the event. Sophie put on an animated display as she cheered from the stands after the British team claimed gold on day ten of the Paris Olympic Games at the Bercy Arena. This comes after the Duchess of Edinburgh appeared to be the latest royal to wear a friendship bracelet as she cheered on Team GB in Paris on Monday. The mother-of-two stunned as she stepped out in a £280 silk gold ‘Gelato Dress’ from Matelier which featured a brown swirled pattern. The royal looked summery in a purple floral gown – and was tellingly wearing a burgundy and gold beaded bracelet on her wrist. Emma Finucane, Sophie Capewell and Katy Marchant set a new world record of 45.186 as they claimed victory over New Zealand. The royal duo were joined by Sir Richard Stilgoe, CEO of The Orpheus Centre and a songwriter and lyricist who has collaborated with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Peter Skellern.