Why I’m Swapping My Rings for Earrings While Working From Home

Photo: Courtesy of Ellery

I’ve always been a ring person. In fact, I wear one on every finger (some double stacked), except for my ring fingers. On average, I wear about 10 rings a day, every day—some stay on their respective fingers; others are swapped in and out depending on my mood. They’ve become a signature of my personal style, and I feel naked without them. Most have stories, whether they’re family heirlooms passed down from my relatives, gifts given to me at different chapters of my life, or souvenirs I’ve brought back from traveling. Others, I’ve chosen purely for their aesthetic.

During these days of casual work-from-home dressing, personal jewelry has been more important to me than ever. If I can’t wear my favorite full-leather looks or knee-high boots around the house, then at least I have my version of everyday jewelry in order to still feel like myself. Though, with all of the excessive handwashing, Lysol-ing, and Purell-ing, as well as the globs of hand lotion needed to combat the dryness that all of the sanitizing has caused, my rings had to come off, and stay off. At least for now.

In the meantime, I have replaced the void of my ringless fingers with something from the neck up, what I am calling “at-home earrings.” It’s not that I didn’t wear earrings before the coronavirus outbreak, but now I’m depending on them in a whole new way and finding joy in the ones that are just right: modern yet understated pairs that don’t make too much of a statement (in size or formality), but still add some fun and feel appropriate for everyday wear, when everyday wear means spending all day in the house. They’ve made great companions for my Zoom meetings, and have transformed my most basic sweaters and T-shirts into elevated onscreen looks—all the more reason to put on a pair.

Here, shop 13 pairs that strike the perfect balance of being small enough to wear comfortably all day, but big enough to get noticed.