By Kim Bui
Despite being small, earrings should never be overlooked. Their purpose isn’t just to make an impact on your outfit or dangle from your earlobe. They also highlight your best features (or your worst features) depending on how you wear them!
With so many benefits, this small, but mighty, accessory is essential in everybody’s wardrobe no matter what your style is. The best part is that there are so many different types of earrings on the market! Take FredFloris for example. We offer earrings that suit different facial features, hairstyles, and fashion styles. From your classic studs and hoops to your statements and dangles. There is definitely one, if not more than one, earring perfect for you.
BUT, with so many on the market today, how do you know what to choose, and which one looks best on you? In this blog post, we will be diving deep into the importance of earrings from the past to the present, the most popular ones available, and how you can find your perfect pair.
History
In the Beginning
Earrings are one of the oldest forms of body modification in human history. They are first mentioned in the story of exodus earrings back in 2000 B.C.E .
While Moses was on Mount Sinai, Aaron spoke with the Israelites and asked them to bring the earrings from their sons and daughters to create a golden idol for Moses. Although this is just a story, archaeologists did find earrings that belonged to the Sumerian Women of Mesopotamia in 2500 B.C.E which is around the same time the story of the exodus took place.
These earrings worn by the Sumerian Women were typically gold hoops and used for decorative purposes. Since then, they have found their way into different cultures across the world, and serve different purposes. For example, in ancient China 7000 years ago, earrings were used as a form of control over women. Women’s status was far inferior to men’s so people came up with the idea of piercing holes in women’s ears to remind them to act cautiously.
While the Chinese used earrings to control, the Egyptians wore them to symbolize wealth or higher class. As a result, it was primarily men who wore them including child kings. Other examples of earrings as a cultural difference include the Romans. Here, slaves and slave owners wore them while in Greece, prostitutes them.
As we can see, earrings have become a hallmark of women’s fashion and jewelry, but that does not mean they don’t go in and out of style like all other fashions.
Modern Day
In the 18th century, women wore large bonnets hiding their ears completely, but in the 19th century when women began wearing their hair unswept, earrings fell back into fashion. Today, the popularity of accessorizing has made the use of earrings universal. They are now worn by both men and women, and the piercing is no longer limited to just the lobe. In most cultures, it is acceptable to get a variety of piercings on your ears in addition to the lobe such as the cartilage, tragus, industrial, upper lobe, and rook to name a few.
Different Types of Earrings
The very first earrings ever created were simple due to peoples limited craftsmanship. They were usually just rings and notches, however, we have come far from those day, and the earring line at FredFloris is proof of that. FredFloris offers earrings in over 15 different styles, colour, and are perfect to accentuate different features of your face.
Studs Earrings
Studs are by far the most popular and easiest earrings to pair with any outfit of any style because they’re small and easy to wear. Every stud consists of a front face with a backing that is hidden behind the ear sandwiching the earlobe in between. Because the backing of this type of earring is hidden, it gives the illusion that the earring is floating.
Hoops Earrings
Hoops are also a classic that can be worn with any outfit, but not everyone can rock them as we will mention below. These type of earrings resemble a ring with the clasp usually attached to the hoop itself.
Drop Earrings
Drops are made of two parts. The first part is the oval clasp which connects to charm, that are commonly teardrops, circles, or squares, that dangle from the clasp down to the jawline. Doing so, makes the charm look like its dropping from the ear, hence the name, drop earrings.
These are a great option for people who want to wear jewelry but aren’t sure how. Swaying with movement, they can add an elegant touch.
Dangle Earrings
Dangles are as straight-forward as the name. These hang down from the earlobe and sway side to side with every step. The biggest difference between the dangle earring and the drop earring is the backing. While the drop earring has a clasp, the dangle earring will have a hidden backing, similar to the stud which allows it to sway easily.
How to Choose the Perfect Earrings For You
Unfortunately, choosing the right earrings is not as simple as “I like this, lets buy it.” Like hairstyles, selecting the right jewelry that compliments your face and highlights your features will drastically change your look and boost your confidence. Below, we will provide two tips you can use to choose the best earrings for you.
Different Face Shape
Inverted Triangles
Inverted triangles, also known as heart-shaped faces, are narrow at the chin, but widen closer to the hairline. Earrings that compliment this face shape best are dangly ones with a wide bottom but are narrow at the top. Think about a tear drop like our Light Sapphire Leverback Swarvoski Crystal.
Oval
If your face shape is longer vertically than it is wide, your face is most likely oval-shaped. Because these face shapes are already long, it is best to wear earrings that dangle short or mid-length in comparison to your jawline. For this face shape, we recommend our Tiger’s Eye Gemstone!
Round
Round face shapes generally give off a plumper, more youthful appearance due to their rounded cheeks, jaw, and hairline. To contrast the round face, earrings that are longer compliment the face. Bonus points if the earrings create a “v” shape like our Crystal Golden Leverback.
Square
A square face shape has an equal distance from the forehead, cheekbones and jawline. People with square face shape look the best in earrings that add length to the face such as dangly one that go beyond the jawline. An example of this would be our Silver Lady Long Chain. Additionally, larger statement earrings also compliment the square shaped faces.
Diamond
People with diamond-shaped faces will have a narrow forehead, wide cheekbones, and a narrow chin. If you have this face shape, the best earrings to wear are studs like our Baby Blue – Tiny Leaf Swarvoski Pearl. Additionally, hoops and huggies also soften your angles.
Different Hairstyles
Hair Down
Unless you tuck your hair behind your ears, your earrings are usually hidden when your hair is down. For hair down looks, a pair of sparkly studs allow a hint of flare to peak through without making your face and head look too busy.
Short Hair/ Pixie
Short hair around the jawline, or pixie cuts are all the drama! To contrast the short hairstyle, go for longer earrings such as drops or large hoops, like our Vår – Round Hoop, to contrast.
Bun
Bun hairstyles leave alot of empty space between your ears and shoulder which allows you to decorate with earrings! This hairstyle is prefect for dangles, hoops, and statement earrings! Pro tip: leaving a few strands of your bangs out will add a subtle frame to your face.
Curly Hair
If you have curly hair, it is already the main attraction, so why not wear earrings compliment the performance rather than stealing the spotlight? The best for this are small hoops, like our classic Host Round Hoops, or stud earring.
Final Thoughts
Earrings are a classic accessory, but don’t take our word for it. Take a look back in time and see how both the women and men of the past have used them. Some used them as forms of body adornment while others used them to define cultural or social status within their community.
As the years progressed into the modern world, earrings have become widely accepted by all genders for various purposes, but no culture is more accepting than the international world of fashion. They are versatile, stylish, beautiful, and most importantly they make you feel beautiful.
While we have listed the above tips based on our knowledge and experience, it is important to note that these are not rules that you MUST follow. These are simply suggestions for anyone who is unsure of what earrings are best for you.
Remember, it is not just about looking good, but about feeling your best as well. So if you’re adventurous, play around with different styles and see what you like best! And whether you are rocking long dangly earrings with your pixie cut hair style or softening the sharp features of your face with a classic hoop, we hope this blog post helped you find your one true match in earring heaven.