Holiday Party Earrings: Start With the Outfit, Then Pick the Pair

The outfit is ready to go and your shoes are by the door. The earrings are still a question. For a holiday party, one rule does most of the work: the plainer the outfit, the more earring it can take. If the outfit is already busy, go smaller.

Below are three pairs of party earrings, each matched to an outfit you probably already own. Stars, a moon, and a sunburst feel festive in December without looking like a costume in January.

With a simple black dress

A black dress with no pattern leaves plenty of room at the ear, so this is the place for something that moves. Celeste is a gold-tone drop earring with a star and a crescent moon set with cubic zirconia, on a post back. With hair down, part of it hides. Tuck your hair behind your ear and the whole motif shows. When you raise a glass, the moon swings a little.

A satin or velvet blouse with trousers

Satin and velvet already have their own sheen. Lots of small moving parts at the ear would compete with the fabric, while one clear shape will not. Aurora is that shape: a round sunburst of fine rays hanging from a hoop top set with cubic zirconia, in gold-tone copper alloy, with a latch back. The look stays calm even though both pieces shine. Later, when only the candles are lit, the rays still catch their light.

Office party earrings, straight from work

A lot of office holiday parties start right after work. The sweater stays on, so do the trousers, and there is no time to change. What you need is a pair that is not too much at your desk at 4 p.m. and not too little at dinner at 8.

Stella is a small gold-tone hoop with a single cubic zirconia and a flat, polished star hanging below, made of copper alloy, with a latch back. The star brings the festive note and the hoop keeps it office-appropriate. When you close the laptop and grab your coat, your office party earrings are already on.

Sequins or a high collar? Go small

A sequin top or a turtleneck already says a lot. Small earrings that sit close to the ear work better here than any drop, for example Fiona with pavé cubic zirconia: flat gold-tone ovals with a single row of stones and a lever back. They let the outfit lead and still flash a little when you laugh.

If you prefer longer drop earrings with cubic zirconia, take a look at Esme: two elongated silver-tone links with a fine row of pavé.

After the party

Take your earrings off before bed and wipe them with a soft cloth. Perfume and hairspray go on before the jewelry, and the pair should be stored dry.

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