Can Someone Explain Frumpy Earrings? - YouLookFab Forum

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Can Someone Explain Frumpy Earrings?

Alassë

Veteran

After reading Angie's post on earrings, I find myself confused about which earrings fall under "refined & subtle" vs. "don't do anything for your face/ outfit." Can someone give me examples or descriptions?

For instance, is the 1"-2" range considered frumpy? Examples are attached.
http://www.kohls.com/product/p.....rrings.jsp
http://www.kohls.com/product/p.....rrings.jsp
http://www.kohls.com/product/p.....rrings.jsp

General

46 replies

Latest reply was from Jules

Staysfit

Veteran

I found myself worrying about the same thing, but then I realized that I have small facial features and most of my current earrings that I consider bold fall into Angie's frumpy category. If I wore what she considers bold, they would look over the top! I think you should judge by your own features and facial proportions. I am very happy with my earrings and have frequently received complements on them.

Having said that, looking at the three examples you picked, I think they are so different from each other. They don't look like the same person would even wear them! The first pair could definitely end up looking frumpy on the wrong person. The third pair, corkscrews, look somewhat subtle to me. The middle pair, I'm not sure?

deb

Veteran

I consider these frumpy.

http://www1.bloomingdales.com/.....7&

http://www1.bloomingdales.com/.....446&C

http://www1.bloomingdales.com/.....egoryID=36

http://www1.bloomingdales.com/.....628&L

http://www1.bloomingdales.com/.....6&

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Hoo boy, again, I feel like frump is in the eye of the beholder and is highly dependent on who is wearing the item and what they're wearing it with. I tend to agree with most of Deb's examples, but I disagree with the last ones -- I think the druzy ones could look really cool with the right person and outfit. Honestly, I don't see frump in the dangly earrings you posted. I think button styles are more likely to fall in the frump danger zone.

froggiebecky

Veteran

I, too, feel like frump is in the eye of the beholder. To me, it's "earrings my mom would have liked/worn." Also brands like Brighton read as universally frumpy to my eye. To me their stuff is...overworked. There's a certain "ladies of a certain age--who might lunch" to that brand. And pearls. To me that's definitely in the styling--on me they're frumpy, and on a cousin of mine (who's more olive-complected) it reads as pure Southern Sorority Girl (which she is, so it works).

eta:

I think the kohl's ones are a mixed bag. The first is an older style, but not frumpy really, the second is kinda boring, and the third is...half-baked boho? None of them elicit much in the way of a reaction for me.

Jen's do--to me, the top 2 are "Queen Mum" territory, the second two are "OMG my mom would probably own those", and the bottom one is "Artist in her 60's+" to me. I think I could see myself eventually liking the last ones, when I get to that point in life.

gradfashionista

(website)

Veteran

When I read "frumpy earrings," those big 80s clip-ons come to mind. Glitz, fake stones, earrings that pull the lobes down and don't seem to do anything for anyone, no matter how un/attractive the face.

Alassë

Veteran

Staysfit: I was trying to pick different examples, not just what I'd wear.
Deb: I agree; those picks look frumpy. I was meaning 1"-2" drop/dangle styles, since I don't wear large studs.
Janet: Thanks for seconding the button earrings opinion.
Froggiebecky: Thank you for chiming in as well! Except I would actually like my mother's because she's very feminine/classic in earrings.

Gradfashionista: Thanks, I agree!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I like Janet's first sentence - and ultimately that's the long and short of it - "frump is in the eye of the beholder".

I don't find Deb's example #2, #4 and #5 frumpy.

Alasse, it's hard to judge your examples because the styles aren't shown on ears, or relative to a person's features. Dangly earrings that don't make enough of a statement can look frumpy to me though. Somehow, they don't look frumpy when the earrings are studs or stud-like no matter how delicate and refined.

Staysfit, I think you'd look GREAT in bolder and bigger earrings despite your small facial features. Clearly you enjoy wearing the accessory so perhaps it's something to think about.

UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

One person's frump is the next person's retro is the next one's funky is the last one's ironic chic. Really depends on the whole outfit and the person.

That doesn't mean I like the linked earrings, though!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Hah. UmmLila. Well said - and quite true. Style is a package deal and about the details. Something that is frumpy on one person is hip on another.

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

Button earrings, and most studs, do tend to look frumpy to me because I associate them with the kind of clip-on earrings that my grandmother used to wear (and that my mom still wears on occasion, bless her heart). Obviously, if you styled them with an awesome skirt suit, bow blouse and patent heels, you're making a fashion statement with a nod to retro and so the context would be different than 80-yo grandma in elastic-waist pants (no offense intended, we'll all get there eventually, god willing).

I think that's why I don't wear earrings much anymore. I don't like them enough to invest in higher-end versions made with real stones or really good costume jewelry. So I could wear the hoops I still have from Claire's a decade ago or I could just not bother, and have one less thing to worry about losing or breaking.

Does anyone remember that 50s/60s era advice that you should only wear 2-3 pieces of jewelry at a time, and anything more is vulgar? Funny thing was that if you wore a watch, wedding ring, or glasses each of those would count as one. If you follow those rules I wouldn't be 'allowed' to wear anything else.

MsMaven

Veteran

I remember those rules, Laura. Those fifties fashion advisors would faint if they saw what many of us wear today.

Round or button earrings do remind me of what my mother would have worn. Partly it was the era, but partly because she always strove to be so very lady-like. I guess they wouldn't be frumpy on an older woman with great presence and elegance, but I absolutely will not wear a round earring.

Peri

Veteran

I've never even considered that! I've thought in tems of jewelry I like and jewelry I don't like, but I never dreamed that earrings could be called frumpy. Oh yay, one more thing to worry about!

Kidding, I'm not going to. Jewelry is very personal. Wear what you think is pretty. Or interesting. Or fun.

Anonymous

I find it an intuitive thing - which I suppose is the same thing that Janet voiced, using different words. But right away, I knew exactly what Angie meant as I have several pair I keep hanging onto because they were valuable at some point, but that I take off within 10 minutes putting on.

One common factor among ones I see as frumpy, are earrings hanging from a shepherd's hook. This post of Angie's today has cleared the deck for a final blow-through of my jewellery collection. I'm dumping about half of what is left

And btw - those Robert Lee Morris druzy earrings from Bloomindales are anything but frumpy to me! I love his work - "real" and costume.

Echo

Veteran

Hmm, I am in the same boat as Janet, and I think frump is in the eye of the beholder. "Round", to me, is not necessarily danger territory, as I view round diamond studs as timeless and always chic. There are a lot of stud earrings that I would consider understated but not frumpy.

Button earrings are touch and go, and it would really depend on the overall style of the woman wearing them. There are some people who can make the craziest things look good, so I would never rule anything out. However, I had a librarian when I was in grade school who looked and dressed like she was 65 when she was probably 30 years younger. She looked stereotypically like a librarian, with the eyeglasses on a chain, the big pearl button earrings and dowdy boucle skirt suits. Because of that association, I have difficulty seeing pearl button earrings as stylish (pearl studs are an entirely different animal, IMO).

Anyway, I had honestly never even considered that earrings could be considered frumpy prior to this thread. I just don't think that jewelry stands by itself in that manner, generally speaking. To me, it always either enhances or detracts from an outfit, but it never defines it. And I think that if someone looked well dressed and stylish in other aspects, I would be unlikely to see their jewelry as frumpy because I wouldn't separate it from the outfit or the person.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

This thread in itself is fascinating - and illustrates how frump is in the eye of the beholder.

Lisa, we are on the same wavelength. You are onto something with the shepard's hook.

Hah, Laura. Following those guidelines - neither would I. Which style of stud do you find frumpy?

Echo, earrings can detract from an outfit because they look frumpy.

Kristin L

Veteran

I hope those 3 you chose aren't frumpy! I like all of them. I'm with what everyone is saying - "Frump is in the eye of the beholder." I wear simpler earrings, but 90% of them have some dangle (about the 1-2 inch you described) to them because my bottom hole is not. even. at. all. And like Ummlila said, it's also in how you wear it. I have a pair of simple pearl earrings almost exactly like the ones below. I'm sure it could be seen as frumpy by some, but I that they have a great simple classic look that works with my style.

And just because it makes me giggle and may help with the relatively idea, here's a great explanation of relatively using hipsters. I hope none of y'all think I'm trying to make fun of or hurt anyone's feelings with my cartoon. But, the unicorn at the end is kind of... well, you know.

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Majorica 10mm Pearl Drop Earrings

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Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Definitely relative to the person and their style, but like Lisa I did know what Angie meant right away.

rachylou

Veteran

Um... I see I have a blog post to read...

Anonymous

I have gotten rid of almost all the earrings i had worn in the 80s and 90s, not because I found them frumpy, but because it is not who I am now. I have a pair of small sapphire diamond studs that my parents gave me when I was 16 and still wear at age 58. I also still wear my 1st ever pair of gold ball studs at times, but love wearing my diamond studs most of the time.

rachylou

Veteran

Ok. I officially don't know what frumpy earrings are. I can see earrings making an outfit frumpy but not being frumpy like alone in a box.

DonnaF

Veteran

Guess I need to review my earrings. I will NOT give up the black ceramic(?) buttons my mom passed on to me because I like their matchy-matchiness with my black polka dot scarf. But I think I have dozens of pairs I haven't worn for years. . . .

Deborah

Veteran

As has been said, I agree it is different for each person. That first pair that Deb linked to are exactly what I have in mind as frumpy... for me:) I had a pair very similar to that in the 90's and couldn't wear them now if you paid me to. I think it depends on the individual's, hair, outfit etc.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Rachy, can I sit with you on the bench?

Also, I think I know what a shepherd's hook is, but I'm not 100% sure. Can someone please enlighten me?

I know, without a doubt, that the two pairs of earrings I wear most frequently are not frumpy. Don't ask me how I know it. I just do. They are very modern.

But I don't have a clue about the others in my collection.

unfrumped

Veteran

Ha. I pretty much have ALL the earrings Deb showed, I clip- on style, and now have not worn them for some years. And to think I collected them so carefully to complement various outfits. Carollee, even. I have let some go.
I'm pretty sure I'll never be able to wear clip ons and not think someone else thinks I'm granny, even if secretly I like some of them. And I probably won't pierce my ears. So, ear bobs are out even though they'd be good to frame face, with short haircut.
Maybe time to toss the lot and close that chapter.

qfbrenda

Veteran

If shepherds hooks automatically makes earrings frumpy, then I'm in trouble. This is all so subjective. A couple of deb's suggestions look frumpy to me but I've never thought of shepherds hooks as looking frumpy, but kinda artsy.

That said, looking at this site with a ton of shepherd hook earrings, I'm not a huge fan of the first page of them. When I think of shepherd hook earrings I personally like, they are from art shows with polished rocks, or a simple semiprecious stone, polished wood, a simple sterling silver shape, or something else simple.

http://www.thefind.com/jewelry.....k-earrings

Anonymous

Yeah, now I'm really confused because I've seen many a dramatic, bold trendy earring that has a shepherds hook at the back as the style sometimes needs that to give it balance in the ear doesn't it? Why would a fastening be regarded as part of the consideration? Surely it's the design of the main part of the earring that causes frump or no frump?

Archer

Veteran

#3 - not frumpy
Think the other two are just not interesting enough in themselves to warrant drawing attention to.
Deb's list - yes agree - costume- slam dunk
Last pair - I agree with Janet that the concept is nice. It's the execution of it that makes it frumpy - clunky.
I have worn all of the above at some point in my life and even aspired to have the pearls with the black and gold rims at some distant time.

Getting older has given me a very fussy approach to dangly earrings. Big factor in the earring discussion don't you think?

Style Fan

Veteran

I find the earrings conversation to be confusing. I might not wear some of the earrings that are posted but I don't know if I would consider them frumpy. To me it is more of a style statement. Understated classic. My earrings probably have shepherd's hooks and are from an artisan. Most of my jewellery is from art shows. Etsy is probably a good place for this kind of jewellery.

Anonymous

I'm wondering about this too. Most of my dangling earrings are probably about the size/scale of the ones Alasse posted, because really big statement earrings look overwhelming on me.

I'm not sure if the ones I have are frumpy. I have a feeling some are, but not all of them. I hope? In particular, I have some that look similar to the second one Alasse posted, with some kind of small colored bead or stone hanging from a plain hook, and I'm not wearing those much lately because they seem sort of blah. I do notice that, with "in-between" earrings like this, the way the metal part looks seems to make a difference, with me wanting to wear them more if it looks like it was crafted as part of the design rather than just being a generic thing to stick the more decorative part onto.

I also have a pair of pearl drops kind of similar to the ones KL posted, and hope those aren't frumpy either! I like how they add a little lightness to an outfit without being too dramatic.

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