When Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons sent one of their models down the spring 2027 runway wearing a ring featuring an emerald-cut ruby-red gem in a four-pronged setting, it wasn’t gleaming from his hand but swinging from his earlobe. Louis Vuitton’s Pharrell Williams, meanwhile, sent out models sporting dangling silver bands daintily engraved with the brand’s LV monogram. And at Michael Rider’s Celine, stacks of gold or silver circlets decorated the ears of his kooky catwalk inhabitants, ranging from petite and demure to ones so bold and theatrical they verged on doorknocker territory. Heck, even Ralph Lauren got in on the fun, which certainly tells you something about the state of men’s ears today.
Look closely at the catwalks of the spring 2027 shows—specifically at the lobes of the models who populate them—and you’ll see it everywhere: Enterprising designers are embracing the whimsical, slightly wacky charms of the dangling hoop earring.
“I am drawn to ornamentation for sure, and hoops feel quite classic,” says Julian Louie of Aubero. “But they have a lot of romantic connotations.” Louie styled his spring lookbook, shot partially on a coastal bluff with the moody sea in the background, with thick hoops in his models’ ears. “I think they just immediately signify something about character and attitude,” Louie added, noting he’s used them since his third lookbook and is, himself, a wearer. “Maybe because Aubero is a bit … autobiographical? That it feels natural to style with them. Also because they don’t have an obvious place in a traditional understanding of a masculine wardrobe, so they act as a sort of counterpoint.”
It’s also in line with the recent explosion of fanciful decoration more broadly: Men are taking to accessorising like moths to a flame, from prurient barely-there sandals to heaps of four-figure purses. In a sea of algorithmic sameness, quirky little details like a swinging donut-shaped earring, or, better yet, a stack of them, add idiosyncrasy and character to men’s appearances. And, as Louie noted, there’s a freewheeling, bohemian allure to the energetic ear bauble that offers an appropriate amount of glamour for a perfect finishing touch.
Indeed, a pair of hoop earrings can come to serve as something of a calling card, an everyday indulgence that is a constant, regardless of the daily churn of office outfits. They’re versatile enough to complement most (all, really) personal aesthetics—adding a dash of the subversive to prep tailoring, as Ralph Lauren proved in his most recent gangbuster show. (Rare exception: it does not pair well with the finance guy tech pants-and-fleece vest combo—sorry boys!)
You might find that once a hoop makes itself at home on your lobe, it will feel like the missing piece to your sartorial puzzle. Perhaps you’ll find them not an excessive indulgence, but a why-haven’t-I-always-worn-these essential.
As Louie put it: “I feel naked without them!”
This article was originally published on Vogue.com.
