How to Style Statement Earrings

Statement earrings have a reputation for being bold, which sometimes makes people hesitant. But styling them well isn't about being loud — it's about balance, intention, and knowing what you're working with.

Here's a practical guide.

What counts as a statement earring?

Any earring that draws attention — through size, shape, colour, texture, or movement — qualifies. That includes oversized hoops, sculptural drops, asymmetric pairs, heavily textured studs, and anything that makes someone ask "where did you get those?"

Start with the anchor piece principle

The most reliable way to style statement earrings is to treat them as the anchor of your outfit — the piece everything else is built around. Once you've chosen your earrings, keep everything else quieter. A simple neckline, minimal other jewellery, and a relatively neutral outfit lets the earrings do their job without competing for attention.

This doesn't mean your outfit has to be boring. Texture, cut, and colour in your clothing can all work beautifully alongside statement earrings — just avoid too many focal points at once.

Hair and neckline matter more than you think

• Hair up tends to show off earrings best — especially drops and sculptural pieces. A loose bun or a simple updo is often all you need.
• Hair down works well with studs or smaller statement pieces, or with earrings that have enough presence to be visible through hair.
• Necklines: high necklines pair well with statement earrings because there's no competing jewellery zone. V-necks and off-shoulder styles also work well. Avoid heavy necklaces alongside large earrings — one or the other, not both.

Mixing metals and materials

Mixed media earrings — pieces that combine clay, resin, fibre, or metal — don't need to match your other jewellery exactly. In fact, trying to match too precisely often looks more forced than just letting pieces coexist. A general rule: pick one metal tone (gold or silver) as your base and let other materials do what they want.

Occasion and context

Statement earrings work across more contexts than people assume:

• Everyday wear: smaller statement pieces — a sculptural stud, a short textured drop — add interest without feeling overdressed
• Work: depends on your environment, but a considered statement earring often reads as more polished than a generic hoop
• Events: this is where larger, more dramatic pieces come into their own — let them lead

A note on weight

Heavier earrings can be uncomfortable over a long day. If you love a larger piece but find it pulls, look for makers who work in lightweight materials — polymer clay and resin are both significantly lighter than metal at the same visual scale. This is one of the practical advantages of mixed media jewellery that doesn't get talked about enough.

Created By Lau statement earrings

The earring range at Created By Lau is designed with exactly this in mind — pieces that have visual presence without being heavy, made from polymer clay and mixed media in small batches. Each pair is designed to be an anchor piece: something you build an outfit around rather than add to one. Designed and handmade in Shipley, West Yorkshire, every pair is made in small batches — so no two collections are identical.