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Style profiles: The hoopla on hoops

Earrings have a special place in my jewelry-loving heart. One of the reasons I am especially fond of earrings is that, unlike other jewelry, they are worn close to the face, and therefore can make a big difference when trying to achieve a particular look. The right earrings can be quite flattering, they can bring light and warmth to your skin, they can balance the shape of your face, enhance your bone structure, and can be very eye-catching if wearing earrings that have movement. Unfortunately, the wearer is unable to enjoy the earrings unless one is looking into a mirror, but earrings can certainly be appreciated when looking at others. They frame the face, can set off the color of the eyes, and can really make an outfit by adding a perfect finishing touch.

There are so many styles of earrings, and so many ways they are made, that I plan to devote a post to each type. Today, I’m going to share a bit about one of this year’s jewelry trends, that of the hoop earring.

Hoops have come into and out of style over the decades, enjoying popularity in the 1960’s, and finding a resurgence in the 70’s, 80’s, and at some point in each decade since. However, hoop earrings date back thousands of years, and may have originated in a part of the Middle East that is now Iraq. Hoops have also been found to have been worn by people in the ancient cultures of Greece, Egypt, Rome, and many others. Sadly, hoops have not always had a great reputation. Associated with slavery, pirates, and thieves, hoop earrings have even been at the center of a controversy calling out certain wearers of hoops as engaging in cultural appropriation. Hoops are also not usually permitted as part of business attire in more conservative workplaces, as they are seen as casual, unprofessional, and distracting. Bad hoop earrings. Bad, bad!

Negative vibes aside, hoop earrings are trending now, so I thought I would give you a rundown of hoop styles and sizes.

For those of you who do not own hoop earrings, or who have never seen them on anyone else, a hoop earring is exactly what it sounds like. It is a round ring, usually formed using metal tubing, unbroken except for a short segment open just enough to allow for a straight post or wire to be attached to one side of the opening, and a catch or notch at the other side. The post may be either flush with, or “in line” with the metal tubing, or soldered atop the tube. Once slipped through the pierced ear, the post snaps down into the tiny catch on the other side, at the back of the ear, which creates the appearance of a continuous circle. Hoop earrings can be made out of just about anything – precious metals, various types of wire, shell or other organic material, even pearls or seed beads threaded onto a strand of wire and curved into a loop. Generally, the standard size hoop is approximately 1 inch in diameter, no matter if the gauge, girth, or thickness of the material used to fashion the hoop itself is wider.

Whether or not a hoop earring looks good on you can depend upon your face shape. Some people can look fabulous in huge hoops three inches in diameter, while others would look ridiculous trying to pull off that look. If you want to rock a hoop but want to keep it real for your sense of style or lifestyle, type of work or workplace, then you might prefer a more demure diameter.

A hoop earring that is three quarters of an inch is roughly the size of a nickel, a half-inch in diameter earring is approximately the size of a dime, and there are even tinier hoops that are just about one quarter of an inch across, referred to as “huggie” hoops, as they appear to hug, or tightly wrap around the earlobe. Side note: For my screen reader users, you may have heard a mispronunciation. The word huggie is spelled H U G G I E, and pronounced hug-ee.

When referring to the size of a hoop earring, a hoop is typically measure from one side of the circle to the other at the widest point, if laying the hoop down flat. Another measurement that may interest you is the “front view” measurement, which is from side to side as you are looking at a person wearing the earring. An earring may be a diminutive gauge of 1/8th of an inch as you measure the girth of the metal, but it may be 1-1/2 inches in diameter. Or, a hoop might be a mere quarter-inch in diameter, but the side-to-side width from the front view is one-half inch, meaning the hoop is wider across the front than it is in diameter. Some hoops can be shaped more like a donut, a life preserver, or a bike tire. It could be flat like a ribbon or as bulbous as a bagel. I’ve seen some pretty crazy big earrings, some that have looked more like a bangle bracelet in the ear, rather than a hoop earring.

Hoops can be set with gemstones, have charms or beads hanging from them, or be highly polished or diamond cut. The post that slips through the piercing can be straight like any post earring, or it can be slightly curved so as to provide better symmetry hanging from the earlobe. If the post is too long, the size inappropriate for the face or placement of the piercing, or the earring is not well balanced, the hoop can tip forward or backwards, exposing a length of the post, getting caught in your hair, or sitting oddly sideways as one views the earring from the front. If you are blind or low vision, I recommend that you try on several hoop styles with someone who can objectively assess what size, shape, and style of hoop earring best suits your features. Too small, and the hoop can get lost in your lovely locks. Too large, and it might become impossible to talk on the phone, the earrings may rub against the side of your neckk or jaw line and irritate your skin, or the earring may catch on everything, including your collar, necklace, or hairbrush. Ouch.

If you have a round face, you may not like the way hoop earrings look on you. Round hoops can emphasize a round face shape, and exaggerate it. Round eyeglasses can also create a repetitive shape that may not be as flattering, so go with a smaller hoop. On the other hand, if you have a longer face shape, or sharp features, a round hoop can provide a bit of balance and soften your look. Hoop earrings aren’t always round, though. I’ve seen triangle hoops, teardrop shapes, rectangles, and hoops within hoops within hoops. I’ve even seen some that aren’t really hoops at all…just sort of a large continuous spiral that starts in the earlobe and curls around and around, terminating in the very center of the spiral, like a snail shell. There are multi-tiered hoops, where one hoop is hanging from another, hoops embedded with diamonds all the way around, and a style that was popular about ten years ago called the “inside outside” hoop, where gemstones, usually diamonds or CZs, were set around the hoop both on the inside of the hoop as well as the outside, or front view, and even around the side of the hoop as you would view the wearer in profile. Hoops can also be made using tubing in a variety of shapes. Metal tubing can be round, again, think of a bike tire, or it can be square, which is usually what gemstones are set into, or the tubing can be triangular or D-shaped, creating interesting angles with which to catch the light.

Thinking myself more conservative, or classic in my taste, wearing hoops for me was way outside my comfort zone. My first pair cost a whopping $29.00, made of very small 14kt gold wire, and purchased from QVC. they were so cheap, I thought if I hated them on me, I’d just give them away. I was on the fence about wearing them for the longest time, I didn’t really see what they did for me, I kind of felt tragically unhip, and not really able to pull it off. Since then, I’ve found my ideal size and shape, and I now have a dozen pairs of hoop earrings, mostly in sterling silver. They are great fun to wear.

Whatever style of earring you love, you can look forward to lots more posts on earrings, which are my second favorite type of jewelry to wear. I’ll tell you my very favorite in a future post. That’s the hoopla on hoops, so sparkle on!

Laura