‘Supersize’ earrings fashionable
CHICAGO — Earrings are the accessory of the moment, with amped-up drama that works on the red carpet or the beach.
Let’s be frank: It’s not about being subtle. The most extreme styles are “shoulder dusters” reaching from the lobe to, yes, the shoulder and beyond, along with nearly head-sized hoops and surprisingly striking ornamental pieces.
“It’s time to supersize yourself,” says Simone Smith, whose eponymous jewelry collection offers dozens of hoop styles in large and extra-large sizes.
Smith sees the movement toward big as burgeoning. “Women are definitely getting more daring, and big earrings were all over the runway shows.”
Karen Giberson, president of the Accessories Council, a US-based nonprofit trade association, agrees that the trend may well have been born on the runway.
“It first hit our radar in the fall collections. We saw it in New York, Paris and Milan, where designers were paying a lot more attention to the earring.”
The drama of the look is accessible to all ages, says Giberson. “You see photos of everyone from Michelle Obama to Selena Gomez wearing it.”
The weight is an important factor, says celebrity stylist Jacqui Stafford. “With heavier earrings you need to take them off after wearing them for an hour ... they’re so uncomfortable.”
In terms of style, she advises wearing statement earrings on their own, noting they “should be the main focus”.
This season, Stafford says, they’re best worn “with those fabulous, shoulder-baring tops. It’s very senorita style”.