Almost every woman I know has pierced ears. And there are some great new earring trends out there, and we could talk about jewelry for days, so I thought I’d start with some basics.

The number one thing to keep in mind when deciding what jewelry to wear is that you only want one major focal point. In other words, you want one piece of jewelry to be your dominant “show-stopper” and the rest of your jewels are supporting players. So if…

• You’re wearing a statement necklace or combination of necklaces, your earrings should be a little quieter. It doesn’t mean they have to be tiny or boring (God forbid,)—just less elaborate. (Take a look at the photo below, and you can see the model on the right is wearing big earrings and then more delicate necklaces and bracelets.)

Next, if…

• You’re wearing showier, i.e. bigger, bolder earrings, the necklace(s) you choose should garner a little less attention.

Although I really like earrings, when I’m dressed for work, (you know, as an image consultant,) I tend to showcase a necklace as my main focal point. That’s why hoops are on my list of wardrobe basics. But after several years of wearing medium sized gold and silver hoops, I got a little bored.

Branching out a bit, I bought these larger, gold hoops. While I love these earrings, they were just a little too big to “be quiet” with most of my necklaces. Luckily fashion trends were on my side, and there is a wide variety of hoops and “hoop-like” earrings on the market. (There’s never been a rule that says your basic earrings have to be simple hoops. They were just easy.)

Linear earrings have become my new basics. My first pair was similar these, but they didn’t have backs, so they fell out all of the time, lol! (Thankfully they were a bargain basement find!)

Then, my fabulous BFF gave me these gorgeous linear earrings for my birthday! I love them! While they aren’t quite as simple as the first, linear pair or even hoops, they’re simple enough to coordinate with my more dramatic necklaces. Also, because there is a current, fashion trend toward “maximalism,” I’m okay with a busy look…I know it’s not for everyone.

If you’re not quite ready to give up on hoops, but a bit bored with plain ones, there’s now an infinite selection of embellished hoops and those with a “twist” like you see above.

If you haven’t been wearing earrings or are tired of wearing the same old thing like I was, I encourage you to branch out and try interesting hoops or linear earring as your new go-to basic accessory!