Earrings are like clothing – you can use them to enhance or accentuate certain features and shapes.
Many people I have come across who have or want multiple piercings have told me that they keep the same earrings in their ears because they don’t know what else to do with them, other than perhaps changing up their first lobe. Ears are so unique, and with that uniqueness, I see 4 main shapes of the ear that are the foundation for styling your earstack.
- Oval
- Heart
- Diamond
- Quad
There is a fifth which is triangle that is an inverted triangle with the flat surface being at the top part of the helix, and the bottom being pointed. However, I don’t see that very often, so we’ll exclude for now.
I have one note that you will start seeing in most of these posts: These stylings are for illustrative purposes only and do not reflect the true piercing angle. For any new piercings, you’ll definitely want to consult with your piercer who can see your ear in person and adjust positioning for the best angle for you.
Brands shown in stylings: Adina Eden, Ana Luisa, Hirotaka, Maria Tash, Missoma, PD Paola
This post is all about styling for earstack for your ear shape.
OVAL
This ear shape is one of the most common shapes I’ve seen. It looks like an oval, usually with rounded lobe and/or a detached lobe. A classic shape that is able to take a variety of different kinds of earrings and locations, depending on your anatomy.
HEART
Next most common ear shape I have seen is heart, which looks like half a heart. Because there is more ear surface area at the top of the ear, I like to balance it out with dangles or hoops from the lobe at the bottom of the ear. Another styling I like is to take up the surface area in the flat, which is the area below the helix and above the conch. It distracts the eye from the width of the top part of the ear.
DIAMOND
Most people refer to this as “elf ears” or “pointed ears”. To me, they look like a diamond. Some people want to hide their top pointed part of ear, but more and more, I am happy that people are embracing their pointedness. If you want to disguise them, a helix cuff bar at the top of the ear can do just that. But if you want to show off your ear, you can wear a cuff in the conch in the middle vertical of the ear to break up the elongated look and draw the eye to the top of the ear. Or can also emphasize the pointed top by creating a pointed bottom with a cuff chain.
QUAD
This shape has many shapes in it, like a parallelogram, trapezoid and rectangle, which are all quadrilaterals. It is characterized by its angles like the photo below, particularly in the lobe that is not oval or rounded. These ears can look long, and therefore jewelry in the middle of the ear, whether it be a conch piercing if your anatomy allows or a cuff, will break up the length. A large statement cuff can also nicely add width to draw the eye from side to side. Earrings that hug against an edge of the ear beside an angle of the quad can create volume and round out the angularity, like the black diamond huggie in the second lobe below.
Ultimately, styling is all about your personal style. Whether you want to lean into or transform the look of your ear shape, it’s all up to you. It’s like clothing. But if you have multiple or want multiple piercings, and you don’t know where to start, this could be a good starting point. Have fun!
Brands shown:
