Why Mega Earrings Are Back In A Big Way
The fall/winter 2026 runways were awash with supersized earrings, and the street-style set can’t get enough. Discover the most covetable new designs and modern ways to wear them. By CHARLIE BOYD
Peruse the fall/winter 2026 runway collections and you will spot barely a naked ear lobe in sight. Ultra-ornamental chandeliers, bombé balls, floral-tastic drops and plush tassels signaled a serious revival of the statement earring for fall, with Bottega Veneta, Saint Laurent, Chloé, Givenchy and Valentino Garavani leading the charge. The icing on the cake to a season that is championing playful proportions, whimsical detailing and eccentric touches – from ultra-furry fabrics to creative takes on bows, ruffles and folkloric references – this return came as no surprise. Any fashion historian will tell you that, to understand the zeitgeist, you have to look back at the pattern of the past – and the statement earring can most definitely be interpreted as an emblem and escape from times of uncertainty.
Take the 1920s’ post-war extravagance. Hemlines shimmied upwards, feathers flapped, beads burned brightly, and sequins and fringing became synonymous with the ‘Roaring Twenties’. In the late 1940s, the New Look’s full-skirted gowns in opulent fabrics became the antidote to the era’s antecedent austerity. In the 1960s and ’70s, the wild prints and embellishments of Flower Power and Disco weren’t simply frivolous, fashion-blinkered trends – flamboyance offered a vivid means of challenging social conventions. In 2026, should we be surprised that fashion is leaning once again into maximalism?
BOTTEGA VENETAGold-plated earrings
SAINT LAURENTBo Coeur embellished earrings
JENNIFER BEHRPearlanna crystal silver-tone earrings
ZIMMERMANNPlume gold-plated earrings
When it comes to updating your jewelry collection for the new season, the choices are myriad, with designers leaning into louder, brighter and intensely irreverent styles more than ever before. Stately silhouettes are a thing of the past – think sunburst explosions of shiny metals instead, such as Dries Van Noten’s silver and gold-tone abstract clusters, Sydney Evan’s dandelion-inspired ‘Burst Flower’ design, and Oscar De La Renta’s miniature bushels of golden glass beads. Meanwhile Julietta, Paula Sigh and Le Sundial are leaning into 1980s-style chains, circular motifs and bold tassels… just supersized.
DRIES VAN NOTENSilver and gold-tone earrings
SYDNEY EVANBurst Flower 14-karat gold diamond earrings
OSCAR DE LA RENTABeaded gold-tone earrings
JULIETTABombé rhodium-plated moonstone earrings
Gems are no longer orderly arranged, with Maison Margiela placing asymmetric arrangements of jewels on its zesty lemon and lime-hued cubic zirconia earrings, leading us to the most important aspect in your arsenal when it comes to a statement earring: color. Worn so close to the face and décolletage, colorful earrings can effortlessly add contrast and complement the complexion. Sophie Buhai’s cobalt-blue drops will make blue eyes sparkle, while Alaïa’s leopard-print hoops – in an especially zingy shade of orange – will add warmth to pale skin and add a striking accent to dark skin tones in equal measure.
If your lobes are working overtime, then necklace stacks should take a backseat. The key for everyday dressing is to ensure that these pieces aren’t just occasionwear-only investments, so wear them with luxe basics, this season’s suede jacket and soft hairstyles that let your ears do the talking.
MAISON MARGIELACluster embellished silver-tone earrings
SOPHIE BUHAIAngelika silver lapis lazuli earrings
ALAÏAEdge gold-tone earrings
COMPLETEDWORKSFlower silver-plated earrings
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