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Ah, office jewelry… too much and you run the risk of looking like Tess, pre-makeover (from Working Girl). Let's discuss: what jewelry DO you wear at the office? Is anything off limits?
Today's reader mail:
I adore jewelry, and I can pull of a bit chunkier necklace, but I hate wearing earrings or bracelets at the office. Bracelets always end up hurting my arm when I'm writing, as my watch goes on my left wrist and I'm right handed, and earrings always poke into my head when I'm on the phone. I've gotten around it by wearing only necklaces, or taking my earrings off when on the phone much like the ladies on Designing Women, but I'd love a more modern suggestion, and to know what jewelry others are wearing!
We totally agree — it can be tricky. For our $.02, we've mentioned our dislike of bracelets before: bangles are too noisy and distracting, and even tennis bracelets dig into our wrists while typing.
{related: how much jewelry should you wear to work?}
As for earrings, we haaate, hate, hate wearing post earrings for precisely that reason. Our solution has been to wear earrings with what we believe is called a “European” back — far more comfortable! — but it can be hard to find ones that are small enough to be acceptable for the office that are nice yet reasonably priced.
We end up wearing a lot of “huggie” earrings (like the ones pictured at right), which hug the earlobe.
{related: how to build a tasteful jewelry collection}
Hunting for great jewelry for the office? As of 2024, we're long been fans of affordable brands like Mejuri and Jenny Bird, as well as mid-tier brands like Monica Vinader, David Yurman (especially this line), Dana Rebecca, and Stephen Dweck. For our $.02: spend money on things like a good watch (or watch strap), gold or diamond earrings, a pearl necklace, and more. Some of the earrings we've featured recently:
And some of the necklaces:
(At right: Perfect Huggie Hoops in Yellow Gold by Jude Frances, available at Amazon.com for $480.) We would argue that earrings that dangle farther than half an inch from your earlobe are a bit too distracting for work, but maybe that's us.
In terms of what jewelry you wear to the office, keep in mind that it should be about restraint — you want to garnish your outfit, not embellish it.
In terms of other jewelry, keep in mind that office jewelry should be about restraint — you want to garnish your outfit, not embellish. You might want to pick a few small pieces, like a ring, small earrings, and a watch or necklace.
You might want to pick one big piece, like a very chunky necklace (or several necklaces for a layered effect) or a cocktail ring, to be worn with bare ears and wrist or very plain accessories.
Another piece that we often mention is the brooch — they're not as “in” as they were a few years ago, when the trend was to layer several brooches on a sweater. Still, we do like the way one nice brooch looks on the lapel of a blazer or cardigan, or even as used to “close” a cardigan, a la Michelle Obama. Here are all of our tips on how to wear a brooch…
Readers, what do you think? What do you wear in terms of jewelry at the office?
Psst: here are Kat's latest favorite ways to store jewelry…
2020 image updates via Stencil. This post was originally written in 2009 but substantially updated in 2020, except where otherwise noted.
angeleno
I wear necklace and earring sets. I almost always wear plain tees under my jackets so it’s a good way for me to dress up a bit and still be tasteful. A lot of my earrings from these sets are long dangly earrings. One of my supervisors on a project was on the partnership track and she had both a nose and a tongue ring, so I’m not too worried about distracting earrings.
Delta Sierra
Not so sure about the cocktail ring.
MJ
My office standby is pearls or a very demure pendant-type necklace that hits at the collarbone.
And….3…2…1… for all of the Corporettes to write in and share, “I only wear my giant engagement ring!”
haha
GingerSnap
I think some jewelry at the office is a must! It gives you a chance to show your personality a bit :) You can say you’re “fun” with a statement necklace, which is incidently WAAAY more appropriate than your leopard print mini that says the same…
Personally, I would opt to focus on one area, whether it be a statement earring, necklace, etc. and keep the rest VERY minimal. That way you are not like the cooky lady at the office with ALL her jewelry piled on that strangly smells like moth balls…
Jos
I only wear studs. I actually feel ugly without anything on my ears. I’m not a big jewelry person though. I have friends who can pull off earrings, necklace, and bracelets with a suit and look great- but I just can’t.
And yes, other than my studs I wear my huge engagement ring
divaliscious11
Not a big ring wear other than the marital ones, but am starting to love a nice brooch or clunky necklace. Fortunately, I direct report to 2 women who like the same and our office is not as formal as those of some of the other posters.
Kathryn
David Yurman
or like-alikes
I have a two-tone chain–fairly solid. I don’t wear it with matchy-matchy earrings—just simple small huggy hoops. It’s the real thing–it was expensive but worth it–a present from my husband, but you can buy decent copies in real metals or fake. Other classic choices are Tiffany or Cartier classics in silver or gold. Look at their websites to get a feel for what they offer–then you’ll know what a costume copy would be…..
I would not wear girly thin-chain pendants or dangly earrings beyond a half inch from the lobe–wear classic womanly jewelry–something you could imagine Jackie Kennedy or Grace Kelly wearing. You want to exude confidence.
bessa
Uh, yeah, I am not a big jewelry wearer, so I usually just wear my engagement ring & wedding band. Before I was engaged, I wore random rings that I would switch out once every few days. Sometimes I will wear a “statement” chunky necklace, but only on Fridays with a less suit-ish ensemble.
y
I just have my engagement ring & wedding band. Sometimes I wear necklaces & my diamond studs, but nothing elaborate. I’m either on the phone in meetings or type all day long, soI need something simple. My office is super conservative, nobody really walks around with big dangling earrings or necklaces.
eplawyer
Yeah, I only wear a watch. I tend to not to wear earrings because I don’t like getting stabbed in the head by the post. How long have professional women been wearing earrings and no one has come up with a decent, easy to find and afford, solution to this problem?
S
There IS a solution. European earrings, sometimes also available from India or Asia. It has a solid, flat back that lays against your ear and does not poke, either when you’re on the phone or when you sleep on your side, like I do.
I’m not American and I’m surprised Americans haven’t discovered it yet.
Yasmin
Besides my (very modest!) wedding ring, I usually wear small earrings – diamond studs, pearls, or ones that hang a bit (easier to find loop kinds that are more comfortable on the phone) and a very thin gold chain with a small charm that hits just at the collarbone.
Every once in a while I will wear a chunky necklace instead, and I have worn cocktail rings to work when I feel like the rest of my outfit is especially conservative. Then I just take the ring off for court. :)
Hope
I’ve got a great framed 1950’s print in my office, which I was given for a special birthday by my (all male) big law partners, called How to be a Woman. It says, among other things, “Wear jewellry that rattles and jangles. Wear mad but lovable hats”.
And yes, I have flowers on my desk , an arm chair in the corner, pictures of my husband and our children and a mirror on the back of the door.Today one of my male partners brought scones to the office. They call my office “sanctuary” and meet in here at every opportunity.
Do we need to be quite so serious? Perhaps by worrying so much about what is the way to look right at work , we deny ourselves the opportunity to express our real selves. As the most senior woman in the practice and 3rd most senior partner in the firm, I am often the confidante of the young lawyers, male and female, who are pleased that I have set the example of being happily myself at the office.
Clients have no issues with how I present myself (I probably look like most of you right now but have been known to jangle a bit) because I am a good and trusted lawyer.
I’d be interested in your views.
CtHouseDwellr
-I agree with Hope. Be a femine woman but do it without being distractingly sexual.
-Jewlery is the best way to be femine and not revealing. A hanging fun earring I think is ok and is a great way to give POP to your boring gray suit. Or a chunky neckace or layered necklace can be fun. Get into your Gramma’s old costume jewlery and mix it in with more modern beads. It is a good way to express some style and personality (and God forbid creative energy).
-I learned a rule from a classy older woman once who taught me to have one noticeable peice of jewlery on (besides your marital rings) and if you wear other peices keep them simple “so you dont look like a Christmas Tree”.
-So, if a chunky bracelet does not bother you…go ahead and layer them….just dont wear the chunky ring , necklace, watch and earrings too. Experiment and add some femininity to your clothes.
– And by all means have an office space that is a sanctuary with flowers on your desk!!
Lynne J. DeVenny
This is a great thread, especially for those of us who work in fairly consersative office environments. I’m lucky to work for a small law firm which allows a bit more latitude with business casual attire.
A long time ago, I read an article about why French women have such a great reputation for style. I wish I had kept it, but it was way before everyone had a personal computer. However, the great fashion tip I took away from the article was this: When you finish getting dressed, stand in front of a mirror. Then take off all accessories except for one key “statement” piece. This will keep you from looking over-accessorized (apparently an American fashion faux pas).
I generally follow that rule and try to keep my jewelry to either a great necklace or moderate-sized earrings but not both, and nothing too big for the office. And of course, don’t wear anything that’s going to get caught in the stapler or the copy machine. A handsfree phone headset is a must to avoid earring-related workers’ comp injuries!
For super-conservative occasions, like court or depositions — it’s hard to go wrong with a nice pair of diamond studs.
Liz
Must be that I live in Europe, or maybe that my ears kind of point outward, since I indeed never have a problem with earrings on the phone (heck, I don’t even take my earrings out when sleeping, and I sleep on my side).
I usually wear earrings with this kind of back: http://www.justjewels.nl/images/oorbellen.jpg and then bend the hooks in a slightly different form (bend the tip to point down, not inside, and flatten the whole hook to sit tighter and don’t get lost) using pliers from the toolbox. It takes a little bit more fiddling to get them in correctly, but as I’ve said, I subsequently don’t take them out every night. Only when I wash my hair.
J
I have the best earrings. They are half-inch long gold hoops that I bought in Florence, Italy over 20 years ago, and have rarely removed since then. I have to assume they are very high-quality gold, as they always look great even though I sleep and shower in them. They are so comfortable that I never notice they are there, even on the phone or sleeping. I find post earrings uncomfortable, so these are a great solution.
J
I think jewelry is an absolute must, but in moderation. It should definitely add to an outfit, but not overtake an outfit nor clash with the statement the outfit makes.
I’m not in law, but my office calls for somewhat conservative business dress. “Conservative” in my office is nothing outlandish and nothing revealing – par for the course at other offices, and there’s an expectation that you’ll be modest, but you’re never required to be boring.
For instance…right now I’m wearing a black shift dress with an emerald green cardigan. I’m wearing my wedding ring, but aside from that the only jewelry I have on is a slightly chunky, slightly funky beads and gemstones necklace with the occasional pearl accent. I have on simple pearl earrings. Any other pair of earrings, aside from small, plain hoops would be an overstatement. I think my necklace properly spiffs up my otherwise basic black dress.
I think the two most important sets of earrings any woman absolutely requires is a set of pearl earrings (not too small, not too big) and a set of diamond or crystal studs.
carissa
C you are right on target as I was considering wearing some longer than normal earrings to a meeting recently and thought “I haven’t seen Corporette do a post on jewelry”. And I didn’t wear those risky earrings.
For years I’ve only purchased french clasp/lever back earrings – they are fine for the phone. I usually go for small, sometimes colored pearls with a 1″ dangle length. Finely demure. And for costume sparkle Judith Jack is OK.
I also think a David Yurman or John Hardy bracelet may be acceptable.
Lobbyist
At 40, I got my ears pierced and so now I have small studs (cubic zircona). I also always wear my wedding and engagement rings and a swatch. Other than that, I have 4 necklaces that I occasionally wear: long pearls, long small pearls (multi strand), silver hoops interlocked, and one red beaded kind of big necklace (many small beads, kind of modern chunky looking.) the other day I wore a little black dress with the red necklace and red shoes (both kind of out there for me) and I got a ton of compliments. Made me think I should try jewelery a bit more. Easy way to zip up my pretty basic, solid colored, wardrobe. Hate bracelets for reasons mentioned before. Never even considered wearing other rings.
Ashley
Hope,
I loved your post! You give young lawyers inspiration!! I am very feminine and I also have made my office into my sanctuary. I have all of my diplomas framed, and I have pictures of my family. I have a professional lamp on my desk next to my nameplate, but I also have a very fun lamp with a red shade in the corner. It’s okay to have some personal style! Now everyone, including my bosses, come in and talk to me. It’s okay to make your office a welcoming place!
With regards to jewelry, I also love large pieces, but I make it a rule to only wear two pieces at a time. If I have on a necklace and earring set, I will only wear that set and my watch. If I wear my hair back in a ponytail one day (yes, I am a fan of the ponytail), I usually wear larger earring, but no necklace. My fallback is always a set of pearls. I have a beautiful, classic set, and I also have a long set of freshwater pearls. I love color, but I tend to wear more conservative cuts. I love dresses both with prints and solids. I think it is okay to look like a woman at work, so long as it is done tastefully and would not be considered “sexy”.
divaliscious11
Hope-
Where were you when I was in private practice!!!!? Very inspriring!
KLo
I THINK I was the person who asked this question (during 1L exams …) and this information is so eye-opening! I think I’m a bit more like Hope – I love my femininity. And I have a short, fat neck and a large bust – so a nice necklace lengthens my neck and gives me some punch without being over the top. But I’m definitely going to check out some huggie earrings for when my hair is up or back!
ela
for the earrings while on the phone problem, get your employer to invest in a headset. Avoids potential workers’ comp issues (neck injury) and avoids the earring back in the soft spot behind the ear (or losing the earring or its back after a call that dislodged the earring). Just be careful removing the headset after a call.
I agree with most of the above comments, although for those in a less conservative environment, I think it is fine to wear bigger or more colorful pieces, as long as they are classy and done in moderation (no walking Christmas trees).
As for the sanctuary office, here are my two cents. I think that it is generally fine too as long as you are already well-respected and have a place in the office hierarchy. As a new employee, I’d focus on doing the work and impressing people with your skills. There’s nothing wrong with framing your degrees and displaying them and having a small, tasteful assortment of personal pictures (to remind you why you are working so hard!). After a few years, it’d probably be ok to add some additional homey touches. Just don’t get carried away–especially if the decor requires upkeep. Don’t want to be seen dusting knick-knacks when you should be drafting a motion or crunching numbers. The more “homey” the office gets, the more eccentric people will start to think you are–don’t want to be the “crazy cat lady” or something similar. It’s also more stuff to move if your office is relocated over the course of your tenure.
angeleno
I would be very, very uncomfortable with my male bosses giving me a poster to put in my office with instructions on “How to be a Woman”.
CMH
I’m with Hope on this. If you are not yourself, how are you a truly confident woman? I like to wear chunky jewelry and I work at a conservative office – business formal everyday.
Of course, there is a difference between cool and funky jewelry and looking like a Christmas tree. There is a difference between sanity and insanity as well.
As I appreciate the advice on this blog (love the shopping tips!), sometimes i feel like we go too far. Stop being nervous and assert yourself! Being boring does not equate professional. Being professional is about the job you do for the client, not you.
Anonymous
I knew someone would probably take a swipe at the poster! It’s a sweet 1950’s newspaper article about feminity of that time , not an instructional chart criticising me or any other professional woman. I’ve recently acquired an English wartime poster “Keep calm, carry on” which I’m considering displaying for the duration of the GFC. Everyone who has seen it laughs and takes a breath!
I also agree that the knick knack dusting on firm time is a bad look, but there’s no need to turn your office into a china shop for it to look feminine and represent how you really perceive yourself as a professional woman.
After all, how many of the male partners have sporting stuff, College memorabilia etc in their offices? They are not criticised for that show of their personality. And my view is clearly not for everyone, but it’s up to us to support women, particularly younger women, in their choices. I relish meetings with an opposing counsel whose office is as monochromatic and stylish as she is.
Remember that a large percentage of women executives and in house counsel relish having a woman partner act for them , your own personality enhances your competence.
We all know there’s a line between silly girly nonsense and being sensible,comfortably and professionally feminine. Give it a try, my own experiences have been affirming. You are judged on your competence and success not the size of your earrings.
That said, yesterday I spent a little time counsellling a very young paralegal against wearing a strapless top on casual Friday!
Hope
I may have forgotten to put my name on the last post about my poster sorry!
It was actually a gift from my male partners, not my bosses!!
RD
It doesn’t hurt to have your own sense of style. Everyone’s met a thousand boring lawyers with button up shirts and plain stud earrings and nothing else. I have never experienced anyone discrediting me for the length of the earrings I wear. Why can’t lawyers dress like every other professional woman on the street instead of a drone?
I frequently wear dangly earrings, necklaces, cocktail rings, etc. and I’ve never experienced any sort of discrimination or comments based on my jewelry. To the contrary, I feel that people (women especially) that I work with appreciate that I have my own personality, not that of every other lawyer or investment banker on the block. Don’t forget being a good lawyer is about finding creative solutions to client’s problems, not just doing what everyone else does.
Laurie
Not much has been said here about pearls, even though they were mentioned in the post. I am smitten with pearls, and have been since I received my first strand as a college graduation present 30 years ago. I now have several strands in different lengths, colors, and pearl sizes. I know that cultured pearls have become crazy-expensive, but one can find freshwater pearls at very reasonable prices. I think they are absolutely wonderful for either dressing up an outfit such as a sweater set or for setting off a plain top under a suit jacket. They are sophisticated and always proper, in my book. I think they are so much more professional than similarly priced “costume jewelry.” They look great on their own, or can be worn with small diamond, gold, or pearl earrings if you’re one of those people who feels naked without earrings.
K
My office is business casual but the litigation department is still a bit of a boys club so I tend to wear a suit every day. However, as my tenure at the firm has lengthened, I have a lot more “fun suits.” I tend to balance my jewelry against the suit. Fun suits=pearls or understated matching silver or gold necklace/earring sets. Conservative/boring suits=fun jewelry (meaning chunky or bright) and occasionally a bracelet. Of course meetings/court hearings mean conservative suit and conservative jewelry (usually pearls). Almost all of my earrings are “dangly” although most are not large (even my pearl earrings are dangly-a single pearl hangs off a french hook) b/c I agree that otherwise they can poke you in the head. I do think your personality can be appropriately expressed with jewelry and I think jewelry is a great way to do so.
tmd
I rarely wear jewelry to begin with, but I always wear an alessi kai watch: it’s very simple, but still a little funky and shows my personality without going overboard.
SM
My jewelry uniform:
Pearl studs OR pearl choker, never together
Cartier tank watch
Platinum wedding band and diamond solitaire engagement ring
Understated, conveys class, and pure business.
Janet
Hope,
Bravo. You sound like my kind of woman. I always felt that women are much too concerned with what other people think and they feel they have to over-do the conservative look in order to be taken seriously. I love jewelry and might tend to wear just a little more than some. But, so what? As long as I am not clanking. Who makes these rules? Anyway, I broke another rule: I have long hair almost tailbone length and am over 50. But, that’s another thread entirely.
Keep wearing the jewelry and be happy.
Nora Haugan
I am an accountant and management consultant for small businesses in a rural area. I travel to peoples places of business and meet with professional women in many different industries. I love to express myself with statement jewelry. I started my own online jewelry business because I was not happy with the typical retail jewelry available. Most of the affordable stuff looked cheap and made of plastic.
My clients love (and buy) my jewelry because it lets them be unique and professional. I like natural stones because they have a wide range of color, texture, patterns, and can be worn with almost anything. I predominately use lever-backs for earrings because they don’t poke like studs and they don’t pull out like hooks. I also like toggles instead of clasps because they are easier to manipulate.
Nora
Kelsey Libert
I’m a born and raised Jersey Girl (no, not the tacky Jersey Shore kind) so I love jewelry!
However, I was advised that work-jewelry should be different than night-out jewelry. I think this decisions depends on your corporate culture. I tend to stay on the safe side at work, and wear minimal jewelry- maybe small earrings, sometimes a necklace. Let your true beauty show!
Save those sparkly bangles for a fashion job or night on the town :) You’ll enjoy showing them off uptown more anyway!
Toni Decco
I am a superviser at my company so I like to keep my jewelry simple . I have worn signet ring for years on my pinky .I like gold stud earrings and my watch.
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