How to Wear an Ear Cuff

Wearing an ear cuff adds a touch of stylish edginess to your look.

Many customers ask us ‘how do I wear an ear cuff?’ Wearing an ear cuff is a fabulous way to elevate your earring look. Here we will show you some of the different types available and give you some ideas about how to wear them.

What is an ear cuff?

An ear cuff is small curved piece of jewellery designed to sit around the outside of the ear. It stays in place without the need for a piercing. Ear cuffs are worn snugly around the ear without the need for any metal to go through the ear. Different sizes are usually worn in different positions on the ear depending on what is comfortable and what suits the wearer and what creates as the look they are going for.

How to put an ear cuff on

It’s really simple to put an ear cuff on! Just slide the cuff opening round over the thinnest part of your ear – we find the cartilage at the top works best – and slide down into the spot where you want it to sit. Once you’ve hooked it round the cartilage you can twist it outwards first so it sits flat. If you want it to sit lower down, you might find that rolling it slightly inwards helps it to sit snugly in place.

Where should an ear cuff sit? How do ear cuffs work?

There are no rules! It is up to you; see where you think the ear cuff looks best. We are all different so everyone’s ears will vary slightly. An ear cuff that sits best on the top of the ear for someone with larger ears may look perfect when worn lower down on someone with slightly smaller ears. Don’t worry, have a go and see what works for you!

Think about look you’re after and the size and style of the cuff. We’ve got some photos here to show you some examples of different ways you can style ear cuffs.

A simple small design can look great at the top of the ear in the helix position. See here how the gold criss cross cuff here works well. This cuff could also be worn lower down but we’ve shown it here to show the position to slide the cuff round and over the cartilage.

Do I wear ear cuffs in pairs? Can I wear ear cuffs on both ears? Can I wear different ear cuff designs at the same time?

Ear cuffs are usually sold in singles and look best worn on one ear rather than both. It’s a more stylish and contemporary look than matching pairs of earrings. Embrace the asymmetry and stick with adorning one ear! You can wear more than one of different designs in the same ear and you can wear ear cuffs in both ears at the same time but they are not designed to be worn as a set.

Customers ask is which side to wear an ear cuff but the answer is whatever you want! Wearing an ear cuff is a relaxed way to add some spice and creativity to your ear party! We love the asymmetrical look when each ear looks different!

Do I need a piercing to wear and ear cuff? How do ear cuffs work?

You can wear an ear cuff if you have lots of piercings in that ear and you can also wear an ear cuff if you don’t have any piercings. The ear cuff itself doesn’t go through the ear, it just sits on the outside.

Do ear cuffs stay on? Do ear cuffs pinch? How do I stop my ear cuff from falling off?

We find that when an ear cuff is worn in a position on the ear that fits, so it is sitting snuggly (but not tight) they do not move. They also are super comfortable. If you choose one of the lighter weight ones you will be able to give it a small squeeze (when you have decided to keep it!) to help it to fit in the way that you wish.

If you have a larger ear cuff which is harder to adjust and it is falling off, try wearing it in a different position on the ear. We like wearing larger ones in the conch position, tucked round the inner fold of the ear in the middle..

Are ear cuffs uncomfortable?

They shouldn’t be! Sometimes you’re able to adjust the size of the opening by gently squeezing the ear cuff, but we find the best way to make sure nothing pinches is to wear it in whichever place on the ear is most comfortable. You’re in control – you wear it where you like!

Can I wear more than one ear cuff? How do I wear more than one ear cuff?

Absolutely! stacking ear cuffs looks super stylish. Just balance them with what other earrings you’re wearing lower down and then go for layering.

We’ve stacked different combinations of ear cuffs here to give you some inspiration. We’ve kept the thinner cuffs at the top of the ear and used thicker ones lower down.

The double row bobble ear cuff (here in the top in the helix position) is echoed by the single bobble cuff lower and the cubic zirconia cuff takes the central position as you would wear an earring in a conch piercing. The delicate double gold star stud work well as the balance to this ear cuff stack.

How to I wear ear cuffs with chains?

Some ear cuffs have one or more chains hanging from them. Sometimes you’ll find the chain is attached to a stud so you place that stud in whichever piercing you have that works with the chain. Try to get a nice draped shape from the chain(s) into that piercing. Some of the chains will loop back onto the ear cuff itself so you won’t need to have a piercing to wear them.

Nothing is fixed so enjoy creating your own look. Look at our selection of ear cuffs!