First published: 26-11-2015

How to style up your earrings

Article date: Tue 27th January 2015 03:32 PM
How to style up your earrings

Earrings can be the perfect accessory for any outfit. From small and subtle to bold and beautiful, you can really show off your signature style with the right pair.

Different occasions and outfits will call for different kinds of earrings, so consider how formal or casual the event and venue are, as well as the patterns and colours in what you're wearing when you pick out your jewellery.

To help you out, we'll take a look at a few occasions and events and see what kind of earrings would work better. We'll also give you a few hints and tips about how you can accessorise around your earrings, including what other jewellery would complement them and how you can colour-coordinate to really show them off.



Garden party

Let's set the scene; imagine you're off for a daytime garden party with your family and you're wearing a floral day dress. On a scale of one (the gym) to 10 (meeting the Queen), we'd put this at around a six - you want to look slightly dressed up but still quite casual. Which earrings should you go for?

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A pair of simple hoops will work perfectly here, like these rose gold DKNY hoops. The feminine colouring will look great with a floral dress, but because they are quite understated in their design, they will complement your pattern rather than clashing with it.

Rose gold is very versatile in terms of its colouring, and whilst it is always best to stick to one type of gold in any outfit, you can get away with either white or yellow gold bracelets or rings if you have rose gold in your ears.

If you've got more than one piercing in each ear and you're looking to stack your earrings, pair these up with other rose items, or even pearl studs.

Because they have a relatively simple design, you can afford to go for something a bit more adventurous in your other earrings, but mixing two different styles of gold might make the overall look a bit too busy.

Diamond studs will be particularly flattering, as they will pick up the rose of the hoops and give off a very pretty pink sparkle.



Days at home

Sometimes, we all get to enjoy those blissful days where you're lucky enough to spend a few hours just relaxing. Maybe a friend has popped over for a cup of tea, or you've got a chance to spend quality time with the family. Chances are you're in your everyday casualwear - jeans, a t-shirt and a cardigan, for example - so which earrings will work best?

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Pearls are arguably the most versatile thing ever, so you really can't go wrong with a pair of pearly studs. They will match any colour or outfit, so for chilled-out days at home, these are an ideal option.

These Jersey Pearl studs are great too. They are petite and classic, so will be extremely easy to wear - these aren't the kind of earrings that you will worry about catching on any of your clothes. Relaxing at home, you can be just as stylish as ever, while the classic colouring will ensure that they match whatever you are wearing.

The pearls will go with anything, so accessorising around these should be really easy. If you want to accentuate them though, you could wear a pearly ring or bracelet to create a link between the different parts of your outfit.



Night with the girls

If you're getting dressed up for a night out with your friends, we would guess you're probably aiming for between a six and seven on that scale we discussed earlier. This time however, it's less about being delicate and feminine and more about being glamourous.

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Another fabulous rose design, these waterfall earrings by Lipsy are ideal for a night out at a bar, as they have a really interesting structure without being so outrageous that they will overwhelm your outfit.

The rose colouring is, again, very versatile, while there is a section at the top with a deeper shade, so if you want to accentuate that section you could pick a lipstick in a similar shade. Also, the inclusion of this darker shade means these earrings will complement both light and dark outfits, making them a great option whether you're wearing black, white or anything in between.

Such a bold design will work especially well if your outfit is quite plain in terms of pattern. A black playsuit or a maroon dress (or anything else with a big block of colour) will help these earrings really stand out, whereas something with a very detailed pattern might leave them a bit lost. When you've got earrings that make a statement, you can make them the feature of your look by styling them with more subtly-patterned clothing.



Work

Many of us work in offices or other environments that require a certain style of dress - i.e. professional and sophisticated. Whether your workplace calls for boardroom levels of smartness or you can get away with jeans and a jumper, you want some earrings that won't distract you while you're working hard.

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Studs might be your best bet for the workplace, since they can look really chic without getting in your way. These multi-tonal Oasis studs are ideal - the different shades will pick out pretty much anything you're wearing, so you will be able to wear them with all your staple work items.

As these earrings have so many colours and shades, they will reflect whatever tones you have in your outfit, from emerald blouses or brown trousers to blue jeans or pink lipstick. This means they are extremely easy to style and are still petite enough to be perfect in any workplace, proving that earrings for work don't necessarily have to be plain.



Black tie

For the most formal and elegant of events, when you're wearing a cocktail dress or a ball gown, you need earrings that ooze a classic kind of elegance. Chances are your outfit has a lot of pretty details and if your dress is particularly patterned or busy, you will want earrings that can complement without tipping the outfit into looking too crowded.

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With a really elegant teardrop shape, these Calvin Klein earrings would be ideal for such an occasion. The silver and grey colouring is, again, so versatile that the majority of outfits will be complemented by them. Though they have a distinctive shape, they are understated enough in overall design to still be elegant.

For a formal do, it is vital to colour match as many of your accessories as you can, which means keeping all your jewellery to one shade of gold (i.e., white, rose, or yellow). These will look lovely with a white gold ring, perhaps with a stone in a similar grey shade, or a silver pearl bracelet to bring out the style of these earrings.

When it comes to your hair, dangling earrings will really help accentuate a sophisticated up-do, so if you've teased your locks into a sleek chignon - or something equally glamourous for the occasion - these earrings will draw attention to it.

For every occasion, there are earrings that will match perfectly. It is easy to style your outfit to complement your earrings, all while looking totally appropriate for the event - looking great has never been simpler.

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