Studio Blog

Editor’s note: Every Friday from now until April 1, we will be announcing the winners of our contest Fierce Friday on the blog. Fierce Friday was launched as a way to highlight our best writers and copy editors working on the Tyra Banks’ Beauty & Fashion website, typeF.com, which is launching March 15. Each winning writer will receive $300 in Concert Cash for LiveNation.com, and each winning copy editor will receive $100 of the same.

Please read on to learn more about this week’s winning article.

Why This Works:

While this article doesn’t have a smattering of jokes and plays on words like the last Fierce Friday winner, Jessica has taken this title and slowly churned it into a fun, insightful work of art. She starts the article with a bit of a twist by addressing when not to wear long earrings instead of when to wear them.
This introduction provides her with a solid jumping-off point, as she uses humor to emphasize the importance of knowing when to avoid wearing long earrings. By doing this, she smoothly segues into knowing when to wear long earrings and how to make them really pop.

Read that third sentence in the intro: “That means don’t wear long earrings during a wrestling match, in a windy convertible or when babysitting toddlers who like to grab shiny things.” Don’t you just hear a sarcastic, lighthearted tone? The article says to its reader: “Follow your instincts, and you can’t go wrong.” And that’s what most fashion choices, like wearing long earrings, are all about anyway!

Jessica uses a very easy, smooth, conversational tone to give the reader as much information as possible. It’s not all laugh-out-loud funny, but it will put a smile on your face. She uses easy phrases like “go all out” and “crazy bejeweled hairball.” These phrases come across naturally and speak to the typeF.com demographic.

Copy editor Amy Francisco pointed out Jessica’s great line, “Think of long earrings as style caffeine, and throw them on when your look needs a little extra kick.” We love this sentence because it’s a great analogy, but it feels really empowering, too. The idea that fun earrings can add the same sparkle to your style that caffeine adds to your morning is just contagious.

Anyone want to guess what kind of accessory I’m wearing tonight?

When to Wear Long Earrings

By Jessica Lynn, for typeF.com




Before you can learn when to wear long earrings, you must know when not to wear them. You probably know of at least one girl who had an earring ripped out -- don't be that girl. That means don't wear long earrings during a wrestling match, in a windy convertible or when babysitting toddlers who like to grab shiny things. As long as you look out for your delicate lobes, a snazzy pair of long earrings can make a pretty striking fashion addition.

Bring Attention Upward

Long earrings and strapless dresses go together like hamburgers and French fries. In fact, any dress that's lacking flair up top can benefit from an eye-catching pair of dangling earrings. They'll add visual interest to your top half, helping to keep people's eyes trained on your face, not your cleavage. If you're sporting a dress with lots of visual interest up top, like a big collar or ruffle details, opt for smaller ear jewelry that won't overwhelm your look. But if your top half is plain, go ahead and go all out with big, long earrings.

Complement an Updo

If you're wearing your hair back, throw on some long earrings to frame your face and accentuate and elongate your neck. Updos and long earrings are totally harmonious partners, because they literally don't get in each other's way. With your hair back, those earrings can sparkle and swing unencumbered. You don't want to worry about your hair and your jewelry getting all snarled together in some kind of crazy bejeweled hairball, so put your danglies up on the days you want to let your hair down.

Cure Your Boredom

When you're suffering from wardrobe boredom, think jewelry. A striking pair of long earrings can instantly jazz up a boring outfit and add a little sparkle to a dull ensemble. Dangle a striking pair of long earrings over your favorite little black dress to give it an instant shot of personality, or throw on some big ol' chandelier earrings to cure a case of the Monday blahs. Think of long earrings as style caffeine, and throw them on when your look needs a little extra kick.

Picking Long Earrings

Think about your head shape when deciding what kind of long earrings you should use to bookend that gorgeous face of yours. Go long and narrow for a round face, but if your face is already long and narrow, balance it out with wider earrings. If your head is more square-shaped, avoid boxy, angular earrings and go for curvy circles instead. For a heart-shaped face, balance out your smaller chin with a pair of bell-shaped chandelier earrings.

Resources
·    "Elle"; February Shops -- Extreme Earrings; January 2009
http://www.elle.com/Accessories/Trends/February-Shops-Extreme-Earrings/%28imageIndex%29/1/%28play%29/false
Key Concepts
·    wear long earrings
·    wear dangly earrings
·    wear dangling earrings

References
·    Lucy & Lolita: Custom-Fitting Earrings For Your Face Shape
http://www.lucyandlolita.com/content/custom-fitting-earrings-your-face-shape
·    Focus On Style; Chandelier Earrings, the Big Drop in Jewelry is Back; May 2009
http://www.focusonstyle.com/Trends/Fashion/chandelier-earrings
·    "Glamour"; Dangly Earrings -- The Antidote to Monday Morning Wardrobe Angst; Susan Cernek; March 2010
http://www.glamour.com/fashion/blogs/slaves-to-fashion/2010/03/long-dangly-earrings-the-aspir.html