Earring rules - YouLookFab Forum

Category

Dressing

Welcome! Read about what to wear and how to wear it on the YLF Blog. Join the YLF Forum to ask specific questions or just chat about fashion and personal style. Or check out the curated list of things we love in YLF Finds.

Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

Earring rules

Liesbeth

Veteran

Inspired by Angie’s post, I was wondering if everyone has their own set of earring ‘do’s and don’ts’. Like: no (or small, in my case) earrings with statement necklaces or specs, only real jewelry, must be matching set, must match clothing color, or face shape... I’m curious!

Dressing

20 replies

Latest reply was from Angie

Anonymous

I have a few, although it took your post to make me realize it!

No silver, only gold (best for my skin tones).
Only wear earrings if there is no necklace worn. (Feels too busy with a necklace.)
Small rather than large. Unless I feel like wearing large.

That's about it!

Anonymous

I’m fast & loose w/earrings. No real rules or parameters just whatever strikes my fancy that moment.
I like precious, costume, large, small & wear mismatched pieces , matched sets, glasses & earrings, necklaces and earrings etc ...

fifthandfinest

(website)

I’m the same with focus on the earrings or the necklace, never both. I do love a good statement earring though. And necklace layering. All the jewelry basically!

JuniperGreen

Veteran

Totally!

- When I wear necklaces, the earrings must be small.
- Similarly, when I wear necklaces the earrings should be the same metal tone and "go" together... but I draw the line at full-on matching sets which feel fussy to me.
- If I'm wearing glasses, which I usually am, and ALSO want to wear bigger or dangly earrings, the pairing must not clash (again, they don't need to match). This is easier to pull off if I'm wearing my hair down and the earrings aren't as on display.
- Enjoy trends within reason and restrict costume jewelry purchases - they irritate my ears and I end up donating them a year or two later anyway!
- For my face shape, I avoid round shapes and rounded drops and look for length or angles. So a medium/large hoop works because it has some length, and my studs and smaller earrings usually have some hard edges or angles to them.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

My guidelines are similar to JuniperGreen’s. But to that I add:

- Nothing heavy. I can’t stand to feel weight hanging from my ears. Plus I have one stretched hole from many years ago.

- No large button style earrings. Small studs or crawlers are good. And dangly styles are fine. But those big button styles always look too 80s to me.

- I have a size limit. Nothing too large or long (if it hangs below my chin, it’s a no go). Too large overwhelms my small face.

Cardiff girl

Veteran

It’s more about whether the earrings go with the overall look for me than rules specifically about the earrings but I don’t tend to wear large earrings as with glasses and shoulder length hair ruptured can all look a bit busy.

ophelia

Veteran

I can't wear heavy earrings, but aside from that rule, anything goes. I don't worry about earrings and glasses or necklaces or all three (like today, and a bracelet and ring). I do like the same metals for earrings and necklaces, generally.
I used to be a jewelry glutton, but now I do find certain shapes and colors don't do me any favors, so I do consider face shape and coloring these days.

Gail

Veteran

Nothing heavy . Smallish if wearing a statement necklace . Metals need to go with necklace . If wearing large earrings then no necklace.

Wise Shopper

(website)

I definitely wouldn't mix metals of different colors. So if it's not a set, as matching as possible.

rachylou

Veteran

My rule is only two things hanging off my head at once. So no hat, scarf, sunglasses, earrings, necklace at once business. Lol

Style Fan

Veteran

I rarely wear studs or posts because they hurt my ears. I don't often wear earrings with precious stones (diamonds, rubies, pearls, etc.) because my style is very relaxed and earthy. I rarely wear any jewellery with precious stones these days.
I often wear amber earrings and have for decades. I have silver and gold hoops as well that I will occasionally wear. I don't think about what metals I am wearing. I am not a matchy matchy person. Silver and gold gets worn together.
I prefer earrings that are longer. I find small earrings get lost in my hair. There isn't much point to them. When my hair was more golden I found gold earrings disappeared into my hair. I preferred earrings with a stone in them.

SarahD8

Veteran

One of my holes is "stretched" so studs/posts are not as comfortable and I prefer to wear dangles.

If I do wear studs they need to be small, like 1/4 inch diameter. Larger and I look like a kid in the 80s playing dress up. :-p

Because my face is fairly long, I prefer dangles that sit fairly close below the earlobe. Long fishhook styles where the actual earrings sits an inch below the bottom of the earlobe aren't so good. I like leverback/dormeuse styles for that reason.

The Cat

Veteran

For everyday and casual purposes, I usually don't wear earrings if I'm wearing a necklace. Wearing both feels like too much for my casual elegant style.

If dressing up, I might wear earrings as well as necklace. Usually not matching sets (except pearls) but I want them to look harmonious, so same material or colour will be fine. If the earrings are big, I will wear a simple necklace. If wearing a statement necklace, I will wear simple earrings.

I am tall-ish and have a big nose, big ears and thick wavy hair. Tiny earrings don't work for me. Mine need to be medium or big. It's a matter of proportions.

Silver or white pearls echo my silver white-grey hair and go with everything in my wardrobe. However, I also like to wear fun colours--and materials like enamel and polished wood. When wearing coloured earrings, I want to repeat the dominating colour somewhere else in my outfit.

I often wear reading glasses, and I don't mind wearing earrings and glasses in different colours or materials. However, I always make sure that non-neutral colours worn so close to my face are repeated somewhere else in my outfit. (Example: Let's say I'm wearing red glasses and cobalt blue & silver earrings. Then I might wear red shoes or a red cardigan plus a blue skirt or a blue top. Or a patterned scarf including red and blue.)

Irina

Veteran

Big earrings - no necklace, I only wear these when my hair is short.
Studs if I wear a necklace but no to a matching set, colors must work together. And nothing floral

Anonymous

Nothing too heavy that stretches the holes. Only gold or copper, not silver, and must go with other outfit elements in shape or color. No big button earrings either (small earlobes). Usually no big earrings with chunky necklace, but have made exceptions.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Only posts - I dislike the look of hooks on me. Nothing heavy - if my ear looks stretched or feels uncomfortable it is a no go. I wear gold and silver but it should match any other hardware I am wearing. I like the color to pick up something I am wearing but it has to look balanced - if I already am wearing red shoes and a red bag, I will probably wear neutral earrings. Ha, I didn't realize I had so many earrings rules!

Anonymous

Same as Irina . Matching sets are a huge NO for me .

Liesbeth

Veteran

Wow, I have learnt so many new terms for earring styles! Makes it easier to define my own preferences really.
Interesting to see a split between rather matchy people and intentionally mismatched ones. I’m a matcher myself, though actual sets aren’t appealing any more. So I tend to wear only earrings or necklace and have the color or shape (ideally) echo something from my outfit. E.g. Pearl earrings with white shell buttons or silver studs with silver hardware. Because I’ve chosen a new bronze specs frame, I’m mixing metals daily now. I’m starting to like the look :).

ChristelJ

Veteran

Mixed metals can look really nice! I’m not so good at it, though.
I do wear simple earrings with necklaces sometimes. I wear mostly silver as it shows up against my brown hair and echo my grey streaks and cool skin tone. And I’m another one who only wears only lightweight, as I have thin earlobes. For that reason, my earrings are mostly hoops or shapes that contain a lot of negative space!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

No earrings, so no rules!