The Bold And The Comfortable…

Details: style blogger Susan B. of une femme d'un certain age wearing sunglasses and hoop earrings

I’ve always loved wearing bold earrings, and they’re a nice option for accessorizing during warmer weather. But the weight of some of my once-favorite pairs has made them increasingly uncomfortable in the last few years. Not to mention stretching out my earlobes! So I’ve had to scale back a bit and have learned to look for earrings that add visual impact without a lot of weight.

(Above, a favorite pair of vintage hoops with pearls. Fortunately these are very light. Similar look here.)

Hoops

I’m a fan of hoops. Round is classic, and an oval, oblong or marquise shape is a nice change-up.

sterling silver marquise hoop earrings

These sterling silver marquise hoops from Nashelle Jewelry have a modern look, the length makes the statement.

Style blogger Susan B. loves these large hoop earrings with sapphires

These small sapphires pack a big visual punch on gold hoops. (I have these earrings with white topaz stones, and wear them often.)

Danglers And Drops

Big metal pieces can be heavy…look for larger designs with openwork.

Bold earrings with open lace design will be lighter and more comfortable. Details at une femme d'un certain age.

I love these with a teardrop shape (also available in silver).

Materials can make a big difference too. Wood, horn, and lucite will usually be much lighter than stones or metal.
Style blogger Susan B. loves these lucite and Swarovski crystal earrings for glamour without weight. Details at une femme d'un certain age.

These lucite earrings with Swarovski crystals are stunners, and a new favorite in my jewelry wardrobe. They’re not particularly large but do make a statement. They look great dressed up or just to add a bit of Casual Glamour to your everyday outfits.

Posts And Clip-Ons

I find hoops and wires more comfortable than posts, but some prefer the latter.

mixed metal post earrings, details at une femme d'un certain ageThese are very striking and modern with the mixed metals.

Clip-on tassel earrings for a splash of color. Details and more statement earrings at une femme d'un certain age.

I’ve been told that the new generation of clip-on earrings is much more comfortable to wear than what I remember from prior decades. Tassel styles are still on trend, and so fun in a splash of coral

A few brands I’ve found that have a good selection of bold-but-light earrings at reasonable prices are Argento Vivo, Alexis Bittar, and Nashelle. 

Do you wear earrings often? What styles do you prefer?

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29 Comments

  1. Yes I wear earrings everywhere except the swimming pool . In fact along with perfume they are things I would feel undressed without . From experience I find that long designs suit my face better – and I love the movement in dangly styles !

  2. oh you must check out Chloe and Isabel! They have amazing statement earrings, and most of them are surprisingly light, and so well made!!

  3. Hi Susan,
    I also have started wearing light earrings but if I want to wear old heavier favorites for the evening I use Ear Wonders. The small clear sticky disc is pressed onto the back of your earlobes and distributes the weight to the entire lobe. My ear doesn’t get sore or stretch. I enjoy your blog!

  4. I’ve gone to simpler and simpler over the last few years, and until I lost one of them a few months ago, I’d got to wearing a pair of small Tiffany gold-ball studs almost every day. I’ve been keeping an eye out for something that could give me the same goes-with-everything classic ease but with a bit more drama, and then when we were on the Dalmatian Coast, I found the perfect drop-ball, gold, in a filigree pattern that’s traditional to the area, that was handmade by the jeweller (whose father plied the same craft/trade before him, but who hopes his son will do something different). Really happy with them and I’m pleased that they have a story/memory to go with them as well.
    Another small point is that I haven’t wanted much busy-ness or drama in earrings lately because with the new glasses I got last year, I’m seldom bothering with my contacts, and I feel as if the frames and the earrings might be too much together. But I don’t see that at all in your photo even though both glasses and earrings are fairly bold. So thanks for the example! 😉

  5. I wear hoops. The larger the better. When I’m feeling very “lady” I’ll wear pearl studs or drops! Other than that, I keep it simple because hoops go with everything!!

  6. Hi Susan,
    Loved this look on you of the bold sun glass frames balanced with the delicate earrings.
    I had my ears pierced when I was 10 (I’m 62 in a few months) and a friend of my grandmother gave me some sound advice which I have followed my whole life re: pierced ears and earrings. I never wear any style of earrings (pierced or otherwise) to bed – I take them out every night, I avoid wearing ‘heavy’ earrings’ for too long. I love the styles you have shown and, like you I have had to scale back my earrings as I age.

  7. Ohh I wish I could wear ear-rings, they are really the only jewelry that appeals to me. Sadly I stretched the ‘holes’ in my younger years when I would wear too heavy an ear-ring so it was something I had to give up on. I did try clip-ons a long time ago but they were just too heavy.

  8. While I have many earrings of various styles, I find most days I’m in my gold hoops. I have yellow and white gold (depending on my watch, etc.), they weigh virtually nothing, and they’re the easiest to pop in. I never go anywhere without earrings unless it’s out to the garden or to the mailboxes. :-).

    Although I’ve had heavier earrings, I find as I’ve aged I don’t like the feeling, so have stopped wearing anything with any weight. I rarely wear posts, and I love artsy earrings (Jessica Lee sea glass is a favorite), and they’re one of my favorite souvenirs when we travel.

  9. I’ve been wearing relatively small diamond studs for years and my earlobes haven’t stretched out at all. Because of their sparkle, the studs look like much more than their size alone would suggest, they go with everything, and they don’t clash with my glasses. Even so, I’ve recently been looking at other options. For some reason dangling earrings annoy me, and larger earrings remind me of the 1980’s, not a good fashion look in my opinion.

  10. Lapis earrings worn when venturing out into the world….gold hoops at home…..even if in the garden. Lipstick and earrings….

    Ali

  11. I’ve been converting my favorite drop earring on French wires to lever-back ear hooks. They keep my earrings more secure (and I used to use the plastic earring wire keepers) and seem to distribute the weight better.

  12. Hi Susan, I love this photograph of you! Your earrings, sunglasses, hair and makeup look stunning. Would you mind divulging your lipstick brand and color? It is so pretty!

  13. Have you tried Nickel & Suede earrings? They are my absolute favorite! Big but incredibly lightweight, with a signature teardrop shape. I must have at least six pair by now… in metallic gold, teal blue, cream… Highly recommend!

  14. Hi Susan,
    Thank you for the suggestions for light earrings.
    I have been wearing pierced earrings since I was 14. Heavy earring bother me now so I wear a pair of small pair of silver endless hoop earrings that I bought in Clarie’ Accessories store around 10 years ago. I can easily sleep in them and my hair doesn’t catch on them. If I don’t have earrings on for a few days, the holes start to close up. When I do wear earrings, I wear the Joan Rivers earrings from QVC. I have a set of “Look of Drusy leverback earrings” in the round shape and a set of faceted earrings in an oval shape. They are light and have lever backs so you don’t lose the back of an earring or the earring itself!
    I do have some nice earrings in silver and gold but when I want to add some sparkle, I wear my Joan Rivers earrings and don’t have to worry about losing them or having to take them off halfway through the day.
    Regards,
    Maggie

  15. I wear earrings every day. I feel partially undressed without them. I wear my silver hoops a lot in the summer. Silver goes so well with white and blue (which is the color of many of my summer tops, plus gray). It feels cooler than gold, though no problems with gold either. I wear dangle ones mostly – with the exception of my favorite pair of gold studs. As an aside, I owned a pair of Alexis Bittar earrings and last summer saw an ad that I found offensive (misogynistic, violent). I questioned him on Instagram about it, voicing my alarm, and he blocked me. I returned the earrings. I had hoped for a discussion. I don’t regret my gesture, just disappointed with the response.

  16. I’ve had pierced ears since I was 14 (did it myself) and when I turned 60 I had another hole added ( by someone who knew what they were doing). Since then I’ve worn a pair of diamond studs in one spot and will add another pair as the mood hits. Second pair is usually a hoop or a dangle of some kind but for business it was often a large pearl stud. My favorite traveling purchases are earrings made by local artists. They are wonderful memory pieces that don’t take up much space in my luggage or my home and they are something I use and don’t have to dust. Perfect!

  17. I prefer simple earrings because I have curly hair and an active face, and I tend to lose them unless I take extra steps to secure them. My current favorites are handmade domed buffalo nickel studs. They go with everything from suits to jeans.

  18. I would have appreciated an answer to my question regarding how to put on gold hoops but I suppose that you must think that I am quite stupid and not deserving of an answer.

    1. Hi Yvonne, I was out yesterday and mostly away from the computer. I’d actually considered doing a video in response to your question, but as you desire an immediate reply, here you go. I just approach my piercing with the bent end going directly at my ear, then once it’s through, shift the angle and push through a bit further until the earring is sitting where I want it, then fasten the loop over the end.

  19. I love all of the earrings, but what really caught my eye are your sunglasses! May I ask the brand?