As I was choosing what earrings to wear the other morning, my boyfriend happened to peek over my shoulder into my jewelry box. Granted, he’s about the most un-materialistic person I’ve ever met, but his expression totally cracked me up as his eyes opened verrry wide. “Why do you have so many hoop earrings? Aren’t they all the same?!”
Clearly, not all hoops are created equal, and in my mind, they are the LBD of a jewelry wardrobe. (LBD=little black dress) Hoops in their various sizes and metals are one of the most useful items you can have. In fact, when I finally got my ears pierced in college (it was torture waiting that long!!), I promised my parents that all I really needed were hoops, as you could wear them anywhere. (That lasted for about two weeks, when I just had to branch out, of course!) 🙂 But truly, hoops can work from the boardroom to the ballroom.
So what type of hoops should you have in your collection? First, consider what metal you wear. If your skin and hair are in the cooler tones then silver or platinum are most flattering, and warmer skin tones look fabulous in gold. Rose gold, which is currently very popular, looks good on many skin tones, so be sure to try it out in the stores. (If it works for you, buy it while it’s in fashion, as it will one day disappear again.)
Small hoops (up to about .75″ in diameter) are best for more conservative environments, and medium (.75″-1.5″ diameter) to large hoops (over 1.5″ diameter) range from casual to dressy. In each of these categories, you also have to consider the thickness of the hoops themselves. Thin hoops are more basic (but certainly not boring) and wider hoops make a bolder statement. When considering what size and width to buy, be sure to consider your own proportions. Teeny, tiny hoops on a 5’11” voluptuous gal just won’t do the trick.
Hoops go beyond basic when you get into diamond or beaded varieties. And I just love the sparkle of diamonds! Once you’ve got your basic metals down, then save up for some diamond hoops, be it jeweled all around, or just with one or two diamonds as accents. And yes, you can wear them during the day!