Chrome Hearts began in 1988 in Los Angeles, founded by Richard Stark, Leonard Kamhout and John Bowman, and it started with leather pieces for biker friends. The first big job was making costumes for the 1989 B-movie Chopper Chicks in Zombietown, which is how the Sex Pistols' Steve Jones ended up wearing it. The CFDA named it Accessory Designer of the Year in 1992, so accessories are really where the story begins. The look is heavy sterling silver, gothic crosses, dagger motifs and Old English lettering. This first group is the easiest way to wear it. The Logo-detail trucker hat, the Horseshoe cross baseball hat and the two beanies, the Ribbed beanie hat and the Embroidered-logo beanie hat, handle the everyday end. The Cemetery cross silk scarf is a nod to one of the brand's best known motifs, the Cemetery ring. The Box Officer rectangle-frame sunglasses and the Spreader geometric-frame sunglasses are the eyewear, which the brand makes mainly in Japan. The Checkmate logo-print gloves finish the set. A simple test: wear one piece with an otherwise plain outfit, and let it be the only loud thing. For a related kind of hardware, see how concho silver traveled from Taos to your jeans.

The brand has no seasons and does not run runway shows, so its clothes come at you as a steady stream of logos, crosses and horseshoes rather than a collection. This group is mostly bottoms. The Logo-embroidered ribbed biker shorts, the Blue Horseshoe logo biking shorts and the Bad Seed biker shorts are the sporty ones, and the Mesh shorts, the BoyShorts cross-print drawstring shorts and the Monogram-cross silk shorts are looser. The Logo-detail leggings and the Print-detail horseshoe-motif leggings go under an oversized top, while the Cross Print sheer-mesh mini skirt and the Cross-print flared trousers are for a night out. Two pieces here are not clothes at all: the +22+ candle set (set of three) and the Maltese Cross salt & pepper shaker set, a reminder that the Hollywood campus makes furniture and household objects too. What I would skip is pairing the Cross Print sheer-mesh mini skirt with another busy print, because the cross pattern needs a plain top beside it. If shorts are your entry point, how 1970 hot pants became the fall tights look has more on the shape.

Silver is the heart of the house, and the jewelry is made in Hollywood, along with the gold and diamond pieces. The Filigree cross pendant and the Cross-pendant necklace are the classic silhouettes, the Ball chain dagger-pendant necklace brings in the dagger motif, and the Heart-pendant necklace is the softer one. The Ball-chain necklace and the Filigree ball-chain necklace are the plain-chain starting points, and the Cuban Link Chain bracelet adds weight on the wrist. The Cross plus earring stud is the smallest piece here, and the easiest first purchase for a quiet ear. Layer a ball chain under a pendant rather than doubling two pendants, so each cross keeps its own space. If you like building a chain stack, my tennis necklace guide covers a lighter way to layer.

Chrome Hearts clothes are built on graphic simplicity, and the tops are where it is most obvious. The Waterfall cross-print top, the Cross-pattern polo shirt and the Mesh logo-print shirt carry the crosses in different ways. The Deadly Doll cropped t-shirt and the Bad Seed embroidered ribbed tank top are the fitted pieces, while the Logo-embroidered hoodie and the Embroidered cropped polo shirt are for a relaxed day. The V-neck sweater is the plainest piece in the group, and the one I would wear under a leather jacket. Pair any of these with simple trousers, in the spirit of everyday tops and trousers, ranked, so the logo stays the point.

The last group is the most varied. The Silk "Red" dress, the Cross-print mini dress, the Ribbed-knit mini dress and the Bad Seed logo-embroidered mini dress are the evening-leaning clothes, and the X Dipped Dagger tiger-print bikini is the swim piece. Two rectangle-frame glasses, plain and with a logo detail, are the quiet eyewear choices. The 22 crystal-holder scented candle (220g) and the 22 scented candle (100g) fit the brand's fragrance side, which is made in France. The CH-pins cork coaster, the Silk scrunchie and the Heroes Project dog tag are the small things that complete the wardrobe. For other short dresses that are not this dark, my denim dress guide covers a different mood.

My advice for a first piece is a small one: the Cross plus earring stud or the Ribbed beanie hat. Karl Lagerfeld, a major collector, invited the Starks in 2011 to collaborate with Chanel on 10 quilted bags, which says a lot about how the world sees this label. Start small, wear it often, and let the pieces tell the biker story themselves.

If you want to keep going, MEGA Jewelry and Amir Slama Swimwear and Jewelry pair well with this edit.