Ranging from subtle gold or silver hoops placed around your helix, to elaborate snakes or peacocks curled to the shape of your ear, and those that stick out like an elf’s ears – the options are diverse when it comes to ear cuffs. Spotted on fashion-forward Bengalureans of all ages, particularly Gen Z and millennials, these trendy jewellery pieces make a statement, according to image consultant, Bia Sandhu. “It’s been in vogue for about a year now with women who want to make a style statement. People are on the lookout for them because it looks funky, giving you that unique sense of style. Depending on the kind you wear, it’s not uncomfortable either,” she says.
In the last few years, many costume jewellery makers on online platforms, to local hand-made jewellery businesses, high-end designers and brands like Tarun Tahiliani, Tanishq and Mellora have introduced ear cuffs into their collection. Divya Batra, the founder of Quirksmith, a popular jewellery brand that sells handcrafted silver jewellery, notes the difference in the Indian market, saying, “A few years ago, there were no earcuffs that could be worn, say, to the airport, or on a daily basis. Now, you see that everywhere and all sorts of ear cuffs – big, small, gold-plated, traditional-inspired, and modern ones.”
With a long history of different cultures creating ear accessories resembling ear cuffs, this trend didn’t just crop up out of nowhere. The ‘Kaffa’ has been found in British burial sites dating back to 4,300 BC, ancient Greek aristocrats have been depicted wearing cuffs, along with carvings in Indian temples. “It is said that Cleopatra used to love jewellery and wear a lot of it – ear cuffs were part of her collection as well,” Sandhu shares. With celebrities like Ananya Panday, Margot Robbie, Hailey Bieber, and Cynthia Erivo sporting ear cuffs on red carpets, they may be drawing from not just this legacy, but a filmy one too. “Everything comes back in fashion every 20-30 years. In movies from the ’50s, actors like Marilyn Monroe were sporting them,” says Sandhu.
The trend hasn’t been limited to women either, with individuals including non-binary entrepreneur, Aryan Gulati, using it to experiment with feminine styles, saying, “I started wearing them a lot, very minimal ones, while going out in college and to work. But over time, as I got comfortable with my own identity, I started to experiment with more flamboyant pieces like an elf ear-shaped ear cuff which I was drawn to because of reading a lot of fantasy literature.”
People also seem to be drawn to the convenience of ear cuffs, which often do not need piercings to wear. “I came across ear cuffs while watching K-Pop. Some stars don’t pierce their ears but wear accessories that look so real. Even though pierced ears are popular and I wanted multiple piercings, I’m afraid because I have infection issues. Ear cuffs are a way to still get that look,” says Alina Ajmal, a 22-year-old content strategist.
Key tip for beginners
Avoid symmetry. “I always recommend not to wear ear cuffs as a pair. First, because it’s more comfortable – if you need to take a call, you need an ear to be free. Second, we expect earrings to be worn on both ears, so when you wear an ear cuff on just one side, it creates asymmetry and makes a very unexpected style statement which is unknowingly more attractive to our minds,” says Divya Batra, founder of Quirksmith, a popular jewellery brand