Earrings are the most popular item of jewellery among my clients. In fact, many of my clients feel naked without their earrings. There are good practical reasons for earrings to be popular. They don’t usually get in the way like necklaces or bracelets do. Unless they’re dangly, large and heavy, you forget that you’re wearing them. You can sleep, shower and swim with a pair of small earrings, and wear the same pair daily. Furthermore, earrings are worn very close to the face, which can complement your facial features more than any other item of jewellery. A little bling close to an expressive smile and sparkly eyes goes a long way.
I’ve noticed that my clients’ earrings style generally falls into one of two camps: Some make a bold statement, while others prefer a subtle look.
Bold Statements
For my clients who wear large, bold statement earrings, it’s part of their signature look. Many of them have curly and/or long hair and believe that they need a bold earring in order for it to make an impact amidst all the hair. Dainty stud style earrings tend to get lost so they don’t bother with them.
Refined & Subtle
I find that my clients with short hair tend to wear earrings regularly because it makes them look and feel more conventionally feminine. A short ‘do can make you feel a little too Tomboy sometimes, especially when you leave off the make-up and wear fluid boyish clothing instead of tailored dresses and skirts with heels.
I also have clients who switch between the two approaches. They wear small subtle earrings most of the time, and statement earrings when they are going out at night, or attending a special event.
I do find that some earring styles look a little frumpy. It’s usually when earrings are neither subtle nor statement but somewhere in between, neither complementing your facial features nor adding pizzazz to your outfit. I’ve also found that successfully marrying a pair of earrings with eyewear is tricky. To my eye, subtle stud styles work well with specs, but large earrings are harder to pull off because they compete with the statement of your specs. That said, I have clients and friends who wear large statement earrings and specs with plenty of panache. They tend to have an arty, whimsical, playful or bohemian style, which helps to harmonize two bold facial accessories at once.
I had my ears pierced when I was five, and wore earrings all the way through school. As a teen I got another hole in each ear, and wore studs, pearls, hoops and horse shoes most of the time. I also wore lots of gigantic plastic clip-on earrings in the ‘80s when I did not yet wear specs.
Earrings are no longer a part of my personal style. Apart from one occasion in 2010 when I wore my late Mum’s emerald and gold earrings, I haven’t worn earrings since our wedding day 18 years ago. I don’t like the look of earrings with my bold specs. The combination feels too maximal for my style persona. If I didn’t wear specs, I’d probably wear small pearl studs. But for now, my specs are my jewellery, along with a watch and wedding ring.
Over to you. Do you wear earrings, and what’s your earring style? Is it subtle or statement, and has this changed over the years?
