Statement Earrings

Happiest of days to you, my dear reader!

Unless you’ve been in a cave for the past four or five months, I’ll wager you’ve noticed the statement earring trend. I overheard a man at the big box store say that “Earrings sure look bigger than they used to!” You know a trend is big when the 60+ year old man waiting for the register notices! Everywhere you look this summer statement earrings are swinging, and I understand the appeal. Earrings are cooler than a necklace when the temperatures soar. They’re great for when you wear your hair up. They say “fun” and sometimes,”I don’t take myself too seriously.” Even better, they are a perfect way to add color near your face! (You know me and color…) What are some things you should think about when looking for statement earrings? Read on…

Personality

First and foremost, like all clothing and accessory purchases, personality should be the number one driver! I am not telling you to go run out and buy a pair of statement earrings. You may not be a statement kind of woman. Your style may be far more subtle, say Classic, or Elegant Chic. If so, your statement earring will look very different from that of your Dramatic sister. Ms. Dramatic would likely be amused at using the word statement for the earrings Ms. Classic feels are bold or noticeable. So let’s take a peek at what might suit whose personality…

As you can see, an earring might appeal to more than one personality style. And everyone is a combination of personalities! When working with a client, I break down the different aspects of personality and how to recognize those features in clothing, shoes, and accessories to make shopping easier. Your personality style may be primarily Dramatic, but you might not like the colors or shapes shown here. A predominantly Feminine personality might prefer the more unusual color combinations of a Creative. When shopping, you are likely to find more than one that suits your personality; how do you narrow down your options to find one that really suits?

After Personality, Then What?

Lifestyle: Statement earrings were big (Pun not intended.) back in the 80’s and early 90’s. Between work (Spending a lot of time on the phone, pre-speaker phone/earbuds days) and a small boy who loved to grab shiny dangly things, clip-on earrings were my besties! They solved both the phone and tot issues AND I got to wear my dose of bling.

Coloring: The first thing I look for is color. Does the color suit your complexion? Are you warm or cool complexioned? For harmony, match the undertone to your skin, cool with cool, and warm with warm. If you want a colored earring and don’t know your undertone, turquoise/teals look good on varied undertones. You also want to choose a metal that works with your complexion, silver or pewter for cool complexions, gold or brass for warm. Rose gold works well for many. What is your skin’s texture? Firm and tight, or softer and more textured? How shiny or matte is her skin? I look for jewelry that harmonizes with a client’s complexion rather than fighting it.

Scale: How large are you, and how large is your face? I have a very small face (Sometimes I look for eyeglass frames in the children’s department.) so earrings that look average sized on a larger face, can look enormous on mine! Earrings with holes in them (like the ones to the left) are still large, but the holes break them up and make them seem less heavy or oversized. The filigree design of the rose gold earrings pictured above (top left) gives the same airy effect.

Hair: How do you wear your hair, and how are you going to wear it with the earrings? My hair is above or off my ears, which makes earrings look even larger! A large earring peeking out from hair that covers it appears much smaller than the same earring worn with hair pulled back. If you wear a ponytail while shopping, you may find the pair you choose too small for an evening look with your hair down. If you wear your hair a variety of ways, buy a couple of pairs to suit the different ways you style it.

Shape: What is your face shape? With large earrings it is particularly important to pay attention to your jawline! If you have a very broad or square jaw, you may not want an earring that ends at the chin, creating a widening effect. If your jaw is very narrow or pointed, look for an earring that widens at the bottom, like a teardrop, or like the two pair in the bottom left corner above. To lengthen a round face? Look for a pair that has a strong vertical line, like the Elegant Chic, or blue Dramatic/Creative pairs above.

Wardrobe Colors: If you wear lots of colored tops, a metallic or neutral statement earring may be more versatile. If you wear lots of neutral tops and toppers, then colored statement earrings are a great choice!

So now how do you feel about getting out there and rocking yourself a pair of statement earrings this summer? Your statement may not be someone else’s, and that’s just how it should be! What do you think? Do you love a statement earring or is it just too much for you? Let’s start a conversation… There’s plenty of room in the comments below!

Stylishly yours,