In the schoolyard of your jewelry box, hoop earrings rule the playground. They’re the confident girls intimidating the goody two-shoes drop pearls. Basic studs offer to do their homework, alternative helix bars feel boring in comparison, and loud clip-ons look silly for showing off. Season after season, hoop earrings make a fashion month comeback. Last September, the spring/summer 2016 collections of Versace, Céline, rag + bone, and Givenchy all featured metal loops in the form of embellished, enormous, teeny tiny, and abstract. On the other side of the story, Zara, Topshop, H&M, and any other fast fashion destination you swear by, are all fail-safe places to stock up on this year’s selection of danglers.
Whether you’re strictly studs-only or a low-lobed aficionado, we have all the hoop inspiration you need right now. Let’s pay homage to this timeless earring, because, who's kidding: It's not going anywhere any time soon.
The Teeny Tiny Hoops
It takes guts (and the ability to forget split-lobe horror stories) to wear big hoops. To ease into things, beginners should start with baby-sized versions or sleepers. As the name suggests, the latter are perfect for those who think removing jewelry every night is a waste of time (we get it), or for those who have loads of piercings to fill, à la Jemima Kirke or Kate Moss.
Go silver, go gold, go black — like these from & Other Stories ($13) — or go with a #twinning double hoop, like this Urban Outfitters drop style ($11.31). If you're still not convinced, try some half-hoops from Melissa Joy Manning ($125) — they’re barely even there.
The Diamanté Hoops
As far as fashion pairings go, hoops and bling are a force to be reckoned with. The combination is capable of so many looks: glamorous, when diamond-encrusted on the Cannes red carpet; kooky, when small, chic, and dotted with rainbow gems; retro J. Lo, when oversized and lined with diamantés. Go small with Marc Jacobs ($80), gold disco with River Island ($16), or encrusted in black with Zara’s glitzy offering ($19.90). Now is not the time to fear flashy, people.
The Thin Hoops
Thin hoops are the ones that unite all hoop heroes: boho, '70s, '80s, '90s, moms, teens — every tribe that considers the earring a jewelry box staple has a pair on standby. (If you're having trouble visualizing, think Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman and Penelope Cruz in Volver).
Warning: Buying these in real gold means you’ll definitely lose one within a week. Don’t bother. Topshop has the classics ($9) and Target's pack of three features different sizes ($4.99). If you're looking for a twist on the classic, look no further than Whistles' rag + bone-inspired half wire hoop shape ($30).
The Thick Hoops
On to the heavy duty stuff: Think '80s Madonna or spring/summer 2016 Céline. These hoops properly embody the style’s sass — they’re chunky and fighting your face for attention. H&M’s quilted gold discs are perfect ($5.99), as are Zara's gold-encased wooden loops ($12.95), and Mango’s thick and twisted version ($19.99) — wearing them is the sartorial equivalent of a caffeine shot for your outfit. If all else fails, try ASOS Marketplace for some old-school bamboo hoops; they're the ultimate in #TBT perfection ($8.35).
The Boho Hoops
Picture this: You’re at Woodstock ‘69, wearing flared pants, long, knotted hair, and painted-on flowers in lieu of a bra. Your hoops are embellished, engraved with flowers, and studded with rose-quartz. Now that's what we're talking about.
Twisted hoops and mixed metals are also within this realm, or you could stick to the Grecian style classics ($23) or embossed gold ($16). For something a little quirkier, Theodora Warre’s Krishna eye hoops are subtle and brilliant ($56.95), as are i+i's dangly, colorful numbers ($71.18).
The Non-Hoop Hoops
There’s a party in your jewelry box and these earrings have dressed up for the occasion. The non-hoop hoops maintain the most important responsibility of the traditional style, constantly swinging, so that every movement your body makes is amplified. These aren’t circular, though, they’re abstract. Ganni uses the classic as a carrier for dangling pendants ($193.78) and Stephanie Bates’ look like geometric diamonds ($342). Dior ($75) has them heart-shaped, Urban Outfitters in triangles ($14.24) and tear drops ($92.53), and H&M has interrupted gold hoops with shiny metal tassels ($9.96).
The Insanely Large Hoops
Finally, we’ve come to the huge hoops. You need both balls and lobes of steel for these. But we've seen them everywhere: From Lana Del Rey in a white swimsuit and thick gold rings, to giant flat discs at Givenchy, Rihanna, and every. single. one. of the Kardashians.
Get them classic and thin ($12; $15.50) or give up the charade and strap in some proper showstoppers: the purple tassel discs from Ricardo Rodriguez are sensational ($89), and the pink hula earrings at ASOS are a (cheaper) force to be reckoned with ($14). Caution: long hair may get tangled. Consider the topknot your new best friend.
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