How to Determine if Your Earrings are Too Loud

Earrings can be the accessory that pulls a look together--or tears it apart. Consider size, shape, color and a little factor called "loudness" when determining what pair of earrings will work for you. Make sure yours convey the right message without stealing the show by trying a few different pairs, asking a friend's opinion, and thinking about how well they mesh with your hair, makeup and outfit.

Instructions

1. Pick out the outfit you're planning to wear, then pick out your accessories.

2. Evaluate your outfit and how daring or conservative it is in a mirror. This will help you determine what kinds of accessories you should pair it with. If you're erring on the conservative side, you can go a bit bolder with your jewelry, including earrings. If your outfit already commands a lot of attention, however, it's usually wise to tone down the accessories.

3. Ask any friends, neighbors or family members who you trust to give you their honest opinion of your ensemble. If they fail to mention the earrings, ask them what they think about your earrings and whether or not they go with your outfit.

4. Do a test run of your ensemble, putting on your outfit and accessories, including any jewelry, bag, shoes or belt that you plan to wear. Make sure that you're not wearing too many accessories.

5. Examine your earrings closely, determining whether they complement or contrast to your dress.

6. Evaluate how large your earrings are compared to your head. Do they seem bigger than your ear lobes? Are they so loud that others may forget the way you wore your hair, but not how many danglers were hanging off your earrings? If you were in direct sunlight, would you be giving off pumpkin-sized reflections?

7. Test out your ear's ability to hold up to your earrings. Do your piercing holes hurt if you turn your head quickly and the earrings sway violently? Do they generally tug at your ears? Do you hear a loud chiming noise when different parts of the earring clang together? Do they brush often against your face, neck, chin or jaw?

8. Compare the color and style of your earrings to your shoes, bag and other accessories. Do the earrings stand out too much, or do they create a perfect balance? Look at your ensemble and ask yourself the same question.

9. Think ultimately about why you wanted to wear these earrings. If you purposely wanted to express some element of individual style through them, then by all means wear them if you're comfortable. If you were hoping they would really pull your ensemble together, re-evaluate that thinking once everything is in place to determine if that's what actually happened. If you wanted to rock the latest accessory or show off the most up-to-this-moment trend, decide whether or not this is the appropriate manner for doing so and, in fact, whether this trend is still red hot or simmering down.

Tips & Warnings

• If you get self-conscious when you wear larger earrings, consider achieving the same affect with posts. Diamond earrings or those that contain another type of gem or icon can work just as well as louder hoops or dangly earrings. Plus, they can't typically steal the scene from your ensemble.

• Regardless of how great your earrings look, they should be removed if they consistently cause irritation, bleeding, soreness or weeping from the ear.