For most of my life, I have been able to pinpoint the evolution of my personal style by looking at what accessory I own in excess. In middle school, I fell victim to the Christian Girl Autumn meme and had way too many infinity scarves. This transitioned into chunky, funky statement necklaces. But within the past two years, I have become obsessed with cool earrings—especially polymer clay ones.
After talking to a friend about how I couldn’t begin to choose which earrings to bring home for Thanksgiving break, we hatched an idea.
What if I wasn’t in control of what earrings I wore each day?
And so, I bring you two weeks of my friend’s earrings selections. I will talk about the peaks and pitfalls of each day and then write a review of the earrings and which vendors I got them from, so as to coincide with Small Business Saturday… which should be every dang day anyway because #supportlocal.
Get ready for an earful.
- Day 1: For the first day, Hailey picked an oval pair of leopard-print earrings. The clay itself has a very pretty opalescent shimmery appearance. Plus, the print is so fun. I decided to keep the outfit neutral with a burgundy tee and perfectly vintage brown cardigan, lovingly borrowed indefinitely from my mom. I’ve been on an animal-print kick recently and was happy with the first selection.
- Day 2: The second day, Hailey selected a pair of earrings that are a mix between a salmon and ballet-slipper pink color. They have a rounded square stud post with a very bold hoop dangle. Although I wear a lot of that dusty pink color, I had a harder time figuring out what to wear to let the accessory shine.
- Day 3: Perhaps my craziest set of hoops I own, this was a fun day! They are big hoops full of multi-colored clay disks which serve as the biggest statement piece I own. Again, a plain black tee was enough to create this ~ensemble~ for sure. No real issue beyond the achy earlobes from a full day of being so fashionable.
- Day 4: If I didn’t know any better, I’d think Hailey liked hoop earrings! These were a new purchase, and I was so excited to break them in. They’re a more understated hoop, but the pearls immediately make a classic look.
- Day 5: I fondly call this pair my “chick magnets” because they’re a lovely magenta arch that look like downward facing magnets. Solid-colored earrings during this experiment allowed me to have fun with patterned clothing, so thanks for that, Hailey!
- Day 6: Spicing up my Tuesday with my sriracha shirt was a pair of gold hoops with big, bold candy-apple-red tassels around them. Such a fun way to get this color into my wardrobe.
- Day 7: This pair is reminiscent of a kaleidoscope with muted blends of pastels and bold colors. The shape on the post is also a flat gold hexagonal shape! Very pretty. I kept the outfit neutral to let the accessory shine.
- Day 8: I was feeling like a casual day in… not that I go anywhere beyond a 3×4 Zoom window in my day-to-day life. Donning my favorite Patagonia-dupe sweatshirt, Hailey’s choice was an aquamarine clay earring with an ovular gold ring surrounding the whole piece. It provided a nice blend of dressed up and dressed down.
- Day 9: To bookend the first full week, Hailey picked another pair of chick magnet earrings. These ones are in black with a pretty gold sunburst in between the post and the magnet-shaped dangle.
- Day 10: I LOVE these rounded square pleather earrings. They’re such a nice white staple, and it allows me to wear ~virtually~ whatever I want to all my virtual meetings I get dressed for.
- Day 11: A new favorite for me is becoming these mid-sized opalescent hoops! They glimmer in the light and they’re a slight departure from a flat white earring.
- Day 12: I absolutely adore the tortoiseshell octagonal hoops Hailey picked today. I struggle to dress them sometimes, so I liked being able to persevere in the name of cute earrings.
- Day 13: Another flat white selection with a simple arch and a petite gold medallion makes these one of my favorite staple pairs. I also went casual with my outfit, showing the way earrings can change a whole ‘fit.
- Day 14: The terrazzo design with bold jade and burnt umber colors is absolutely to die for in this funky-shaped earring.
Reviewing the Shops
*all stores are hyperlinked and will bring you to their online store*
- Chasms Collection— My cousins from Indiana were the first people who posted about her earrings, and I became someone who obsessively looked at the beauties on her site for SO long before actually purchasing. I bought three pairs in my first order, and I will most definitely be ordering more. The packaging and actual product is so well-made.
- Sage Moon Shop— This pair was a birthday present, but the packaging was also so cute! Her store is a nice blend of neutral palettes with very pretty gold accents, so if you’re looking for statement pieces without craving crazy colors, this is the shop for you. I am for sure looking forward to showing more support to this creator from Etsy.
- Clay and Collection— In my quest to shop small, I stumbled across this Etsy page and fell in love with her craftsmanship. Bonus points that she’s Minnesota-based! They’re so lightweight and a true statement piece in my collection. If you’re looking to dip your toe into the polymer clay world, she has such a unique blend of basics and bold prints. Shipping is free as well and very efficient so you can start rocking the ear candy immediately.
- Copper & Quinn— This retailer is by far the creator I have the most pieces from. I could spend an hour poring over the different pairs and trying (and failing) to convince myself not to buy all of them. Shipping is efficient, and she really knows how to support those who love her earrings and what she does! It’s one of the biggest reasons I keep coming back. That… and she has such a great selection of kinds of earrings: clay, wood, leather, tassel, resin, etc. If you’re looking for a one-stop shop for all different kinds of beautiful and affordable earrings, Copper & Quinn is a perfect starting place!
I hope reading this inspired you to jazz up your earlobes soon. If not, I hope you at least check out some of the coolest creators I’ve listed in this article!