In our biweekly series, editors share the item so versatile, so chic, so comfortable that they wear it over and over and over again—whether it be a basic white tee or a super-trendy jumpsuit. Prepare yourself (and your credit card) for some guilt-free shopping.
I am not the type of person to be influenced—Instagram influenced, that is—into buying things. My inability to commit, paired with extreme skepticism, has led to me saving a lot of products to my Instagram wishlist, only to leave them forever abandoned in my cart. So when I spotted super chic stylist and former fashion director Elle Strauss on social media sporting a new style of earrings and proceeded to purchase them without hesitation or buyer's remorse, I knew something was up.
I can't exactly explain what overcame me in that scroll session, but Strauss—who designed the pearl hoop earrings for Sarah Chloe—described the piece as "classic," "versatile" and perfect for "day to night." All fashion concepts I could not argue with! I was desperate to be a day-to-night person. I fantasized (in pre-pandemic times) about not needing the exhausting forethought to lug around secondary accessories or change awkwardly in the office bathroom for post-work activities (remember those?).
Regardless of the circumstances that brought me to the purchase, I will say these delicate yet durable earrings have forever changed my life. I am now officially a "day-to-night" person. And I. Love. It.
Thanks to the removable pearl charms, the earrings are both simple, timeless pieces and elegant, statement-making baubles. I have been known to throw on the unadorned gold-plated hoops with a patterned blazer, jeans, and loafers for the office, pocketing the earrings' iridescent accents for later. Come 6 p.m., I trade the blazer for a leather jacket and slip on the pearls for an ultra-feminine touch. Who is this new person? A person who, in a previous life, would've had to bring a second pair of earrings to the office, only to drop one while swapping them on the train and therefore attend happy hour wearing mismatched jewelry. True story. (Pro tip: Pretend it's a trend you saw on an influencer.)
Of course, if the pandemic has left you thinking, I barely get dressed once a day, let alone need earrings that go with two outfits in one day, I've discovered these beauties pair strangely well with a mask. (The hoops' medium length allow them to perch perfectly on the top of any facial covering.) Not to mention, they instantly add a pop of polish to those I-just-threw-these-on-with-my-loungewear-for-Zoom situations. I've worn the earrings with sweaters to casual coffee meetings and with expensive jumpsuits for nights out; with summer dresses on my Italian honeymoon and with jean jackets to brunches in the West Village. I even wore them when I met Hillary Clinton.
And thanks to their durability (they have never rusted or tarnished) and versatility, I've been able to rationalize the higher price point ($196)—you're basically getting two sets of earrings for the price of one.
Long story short? These are the Goldilocks of earrings. Not too big; not too small. Not too brassy; not too dull. Not too heavy; not too flimsy. They are just right—for every season, for every outfit, and for every occasion. They are even chic enough to make an online shopping nonbeliever reconsider her ways. Thus is the magic of jewelry.
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