Kathy Swanson, who works at Hobbs Inc., 700 Mass. St., said she knows why charm bracelets sales are up at her store. It’s because of a new twist that’s being put on an old fashion trend.

The bracelets, produced by an Italian company called Nomination, are composed of stretchy, stainless steel links. The charms are rectangular links available in various designs.

Swanson said the bracelets are versatile and can serve several purposes.

“It can be an I.D. bracelet, a theme bracelet or personalized for a special meaning, from love to birthdays to special dates,” she said.

The price of the links vary  from $11 to $40.

“They can be very inexpensive or they can be filled with diamonds and stones,” Swanson said.

Swanson said she likes the bracelets because they do not tarnish, and they go with any style of dress.

“I think it is most practical because our 11-year-old got one two years ago,” Swanson said. “She has never not worn it, and it is in pristine condition.”

Kathy Swanson’s daughter, Alex Swanson, said she loves her bracelet. It has six specialized links: the letters of her name and two hearts.

“It’s comfortable and it fits perfectly,” Alex said.

She said her friends at St. John’s School compliment her bracelet often.

Tonya Everley of Olathe read about the Nomination bracelets more than six months ago in a magazine. She eventually saw them in a store in Las Vegas, but the store was out of them so she could not purchase one.

Everley finally purchased a Nomination bracelet at Hobbs a month ago after discovering on the Internet that the store carried them.

“I like charm bracelets in the bracelet form like I wore when I was in high school, but I don’t like to wear them because the charms get caught on your clothing or your favorite charms fall off,” Everley said.

Everley said she has purchased three more bracelets: one for her daughter, 17-year-old Ashlee Everley; one for her best friend; and one as a retirement gift for her boss. She said everyone loved the gift.

“(My boss) was thrilled, absolutely thrilled,” Everley said. “She thought it was great.”

Swanson said the bracelets sell to all ages because they can be so personalized.

“We’ve sold them to anyone from pre-teen all the way up,” she said.

In fact, Swanson said, sometimes she even sells them to men. She said so many different kinds of people purchase the bracelets because they can be personalized, and the links can be special-ordered.

“It is one of our most popular items,” Swanson said. “It has continued to build in popularity as we have turned it into a special-order business.”