Studs or hoops, and how to wear them together

When do studs work, and when hoops?

A stud is a single point on the ear. It sits still, draws the eye without fuss and gets along with almost any collar or hat. Give it a stone or a shape and it gains character without getting louder.

A hoop wraps around the lobe and draws a line. It moves with you and catches the light, so even a plain outfit looks finished. The smaller it is and the closer it sits, the better it stays out of the way during the day. Large hoops are lovely in the evening, but they get in the way when you pull off a jumper or put on a bike helmet.

Earrings under a helmet and beanie covers which shapes work under a hat. For the night, Sleeping with earrings in is worth a read.

How do I stack several earrings?

Give the ear a clear line. There is even a name for a styled ear now, the curated ear, and behind it sit a few rules of thumb from guides and forums. None of them has been tested, though most hold up well.

1. The largest piece goes in the first hole, such as a hoop or a stud with a stone.
2. Pieces get smaller as you go up, and in the third hole a plain stud is often enough.
3. Pick one metal colour or mix both on purpose, as Gold or silver: which earrings suit you explains.
4. Repeat a shape, such as two hoops in different sizes. The ear then reads as a whole.
5. You can leave a hole empty from time to time. A little space between two pieces makes both look better.

It is Friday evening, drinks in half an hour, and you are at the bathroom mirror swapping the stud in your second hole for something with a stone. A slim hoop on the left, the new stone above it, a single small point on the right. It looks like you. The rules are only a handrail, and you let go of it once you no longer need it.

Do both ears have to match?

No. An ear with three pieces and an ear with a single stud can look great together, as long as something repeats, a metal colour or a shape. We find that a deliberately uneven pair often looks more alive than two mirrored ears. If you prefer calm, wear the same on both sides and you have done nothing wrong.

If you want a hoop on the left and a stud on the right, you need two pairs. The second piece of each pair waits for the day you swap sides.

Which earrings suit a second piercing?

A fresh piercing needs rest. The person who pierced it will tell you what to wear at first and when you can change. In forum answers, many advise against putting heavy or dangling pieces in a fresh hole.

Once it has healed, small studs and slim hoops are a good choice. They sit close to the lobe and leave the spotlight to the first hole. If your second piercing is also in the earlobe, you can wear Baqless there too, since that is what it is made for.

What happens behind the ear when you stack

With studs that have a back, each piercing adds another part behind the ear. Three studs mean three backs that you push on with your fingertips when you change them, often without looking. A butterfly back is quick to slide on and fits most posts, and a flat back lies flat against the lobe. Earring backs explained goes through all the types.

Baqless saves you those parts. Each earring holds by an anchor in its own post, so three piercings mean three earrings and nothing else behind them. That goes for studs and hoops alike, and you set the grip at each piercing separately. The anchor itself is introduced in Backless earrings.

Studs and hoops to combine

Four pairs that get along well, two hoops and two studs:

• Embrace Float Gold Fine open hoop, gold-plated, CHF 105
• Embrace Turquoise Silver Hoop with nano turquoise stones, rhodium-plated, CHF 108
• Honesty Azzura Gold Stud with a teardrop-shaped stone, gold-plated, CHF 84
• Amity Thunderbolt Gold Lightning bolt stud with smooth edges, gold-plated, CHF 47

You will find every shape among the hoops and the studs.

Keep reading

• Five pairs are enough: earrings for every day
• Earrings for the office party and New Year's Eve
• Earrings and headphones

Questions

Last checked on 13 November 2026.