Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Clip on closet - Come out if you're in there!

I have a deep, dark confession I need to make get of my chest so let's all take a collective deep breath and then read on...
Ok, here goes- I wear clip on earrings. (Gasp, sigh, moan, wail, go ahead and look disgusted.) Here's the thing, my Puerto Rican mother thought it would cute, when I was a wee babe, to pierce my little ears. Well, being a small, little thing and not yet able to take directives, I wiggled and squirmed and the ear piercing lady tore one of my holes. Not all the way, but enough to make things lopsided. I tried to wear earring growing up but each time I'd get an infection or they were just too uncomfortable. I tried getting them repierced by myself and by a "professional" only to be disappointed when even the lightest earrings hurt my lobes and made them all crusty (ha! I just said "crusty). Anyway, I gave up, long ago, on wearing earrings and this made me very sad. I like my accessories damn it.
Last year I decided to try some vintage clip ons and I read a tutuorial on how to adjust them so they fit comfortably. It was like the heaven's opened up and alas I could wear earrings! Not only could I wear earrings, I could make regular earrings into clip ons or screw backs! I'm here to show you that clip ons can be cool so if you can't wear earrings there's hope or if you just need to take a break and don't want to stretch your ear lobes, I've got your back (and so does Etsy).
Here's a cameo with a "french clip"...
Vintage Glass Flower Cameo Earrings $3
...and a cameo with a more discreet hook that makes it look like your ears are pierced.
Captivating Lady in Blue $9
You can even wear "pearls" and screw backs are the type of earring I prefer most and they're the easiest to adjust.
Vintage Pearl Drop Earrings $9.99
There are plenty of dangle options.
Tulip upside down earrings clip on $5.50
I love sweet, floral, "studs." No one has to know they're "non pierced."
Vintage Red Rose Earrings $10
Many Etsy jewlers are willing to make their normal earrings into clip-ons. All you have to do is ask, but if that fails, why not just make your own? You'll need a good pair of earring pliers and some strong glue.
Vintage Beautiful Flower Cobochons 15 $10
Just search "clip on" in the Supply section.
Clip on lever back earrings blanks $3
The important thing to remember is that you are not alone. I'll start a 'non pierced earring wearers' club if I have too.
There, now you know my dirty little secret. I'm proudly wearing a pair of dangle earring today and I heart them. Is anyone else out there?!

{If you have questions about how to adjust these to make them comfy, just shoot me an e-mail.}

44 comments:

Swetha said...

incredible !! nice post dear.. every piece is amazing!

Unknown said...

you crack me up. I too wear them. It's ok you're with great company!

bananas. said...

ok this has to be your cutest post ever. these clip on earrings are actually way cuter than my regular earrings. i'm tempted to try them...anything that avoids crust can't possibly be that bad. haha you did say crusty.

Simply Mel {Reverie} said...

I think clip-ons are pretty...and so practical!

Katherine said...

I maybe the problem that most clip on wear-ers have. I deplete your sources. I find beautiful, cheap clip-ons & then remove the backs, hot glue on pin backs and turn them into buttons. They are amazing gifts for people and I have been able to make one beautiful sweater (that my sister then promptly stole) with a mass of random, colorful buttons on the top side.

BonBon Rose Girls Kristin said...

Are they comfortable? I see so many beautiful vintage clip ons but as I've been a pierced girl for ages, I'm unsure of the comfort level.

High Heels and Huntin' Boots said...

Very cool. I love all the pairs of earrings you showed. I would never be able to create my own, though. I am not that crafty.

TERI REES WANG said...

Classic!...
You know they make those over there whole ear...
earrings, right?

Iva Messy said...

you know what I heart! I HEART this post in so many ways! Clip ons bring me very, very fond memories! {oh long story} I love this great tutorial.Seriously, 'crusty' in not ok, the pain, the icky factor, all good reasons for clip-ons!

Sunshine said...

I wear regular pierced earrings, but clip ons have a special place in my heart. I can remember being 8, when my great-grandmother was my best friend. She took me to the thrift store and Salvation Army to buy fun vintage things. We would always come back with clip ons for dressing up. She's gone now, but clip ons still make me tear up a bit and smile at the memories of her.

flynn said...

these are really pretty. yeah, ear crusts are gross, and i need to start getting use out of some of my grandma's jewelery so i'm stealing this idea (and katherine's! - nice :).

drollgirl said...

oh the shame! the horror!!! JUST KIDDING!!! i love earrings! they are a must! and you have found the perfect solution!

my mom has a lot of clip on earrings. i tried them as a kid, but they hurt my ears. perhaps my earlobes are too FAT?!??! is that possible??!?!? i had no idea some could be adjusted! hmmm. now i have more options, and that is a good thing as there are some seriously cool vintage clip on earrings out there that should/COULD be mine!

Dimitrova said...

I cannot believe you make it seem like such a bad thing, my dear friend! Of course clip-ons are fabulous. That's all I've got. Mine are not vintage though. I have a couple of pairs only (that I alternate almost every day), all of which were made by Beth Cyr. I love them, I love them, I love them, and would never in a million years pierce my ears! They are super comfortable too, she uses a screw-on device instead of the old clip style and they are great!!!! Your pictures are really pretty too!

Melissa Blake said...

I love you! There's is nothing wrong with wearing them! xoxo

naphtali said...

Great post! Ha! I love clip-ons, though haven't worn them for years. I may need to rethink.

Monika said...

Huh, what a dark little secret :-) What else are you hiding, girl?

Gangsta Bride said...

maybe i should start wearing them. my skin's kinda sensitive so maybe i can make the earrings that turn my skin green clip on!

TheBeautyFile said...

My mom pierced my ears at an absurdly young age as well. Needless to say, but 7 years old I was BACK in the jewelry store doing it again because the first time didn't take. I have had nothing but heartache from the pierced ears! I love the red flowers. So sweet.

Rachel Follett said...

My ears are super sensitive too. I can only where really high quality metals. You found quite a few gorgeous clip ons. My grandmother never had her ears pierced and she had the most gorgeous collection.

Anonymous said...

These are adorable. They remind me of the clip ons my grandmother would let me play dress up with with before I had my ears peirced when I was 13. So cute!

Gabby said...

Ahhhh you're speaking right to me, lady! I don't have pierced ears (shhh). And I tried clip ons years ago, but they were uncomfortable! So you can believe I'm gonna be emailing you! Thanks for this :)

FROM THE RIGHT BANK said...

Oh my goodness, something else we have in common. Sign me up for your club! My ears are pierced but they're super sensitive and everything irritates them. Clip ons are so hard to find and usually ugly and uncomfortable so I basically stopped wearing earrings altogether. I never thought to make my own . . . I may have a new project on my hands. :)

Blair Friedeman said...

Oh, love the vintage flower ones! My eras hurt just thinking about clip ons!

beauty comma said...

Great post, there are people out there who can't pierce their ears for various reasons (I'm one of them), so good job addressing this "problem" in such a constructive way!

Kellie said...

I don't wear them, but those are some great finds! I remember being little and playing w/ my grandma's screw backed earrings. I loved them!

LenoreNeverM♡re said...

I adore the vintage clips, my mom has them!
'non pierced earring wearers' Club?! haha...you are funny!
In my recent trip to Japan, I was told that traditonally, the Japanese royal family is not allowed to pierce their ears...

~XO*

Aline said...

I have always thought that they would hurt! these are all beautiful!!!

Felicia|DaLipstickBandit said...

lovely...

Kristen said...

I love that you wear clip ons!! I actually had to take my earrings out the other day because they get sore and "crusty" (love that you used that word) and are so sensitive so this sounds like a perfect fix!!

High-Heeled Foot in the door said...

Those vintage flowers are amazing! I love screw back earings and where from time to time even though my own ears are pierced.

Gabbi said...

I love clip-on earrings Christina! As you know, I'm a big fan of vintage and it doesn't get more vintage and cute for me than clip-on. I'm sort of on the opposite end of you though, I've tried wearing them so many times but it hurts! It's like someone's pinching my earlobes and pulling at the same time... but also, my piercings are all a mess, one is higher than the other. My aunt pierced them when I was less than 2 years old! What is it with Latina mom's? :)

Noble Beeyotch said...

You are so hilarious!!!....i used to love clip-on earrings when i was young and my parents wouldnt let me get pierced!

Sixpence and A Blue Moon said...

You are funny, girl!:) That is so cute, that you feel you are confessing some dark secret.:)) I have pierced ears, but I wear clip-on earrings when I find a really cute pair. I am glad to hear this though, cause they always start hurting after a time. xoxo

Diana said...

this is really cool!
i wear clipped on earrings too! but it was due to stretching my ears. not pretty. these are so cute! you should glue the clips to big buttons!

I love Pearl Drop Earrings said...

Hi, Thanks for revealing your secret that you wear clip ons. I have never worn them myself but have a friend that wears them. She says that people really don't know how to put them on properly because they don't know how to stretch out the ear lobe before clipping them to ensure that they hold fast in place and don't sting when they grip.

Is this how you wear them? Could you give a description of how you put yours on?

I have quite a few pearl drop earrings that are clip-ons if you would like to browse and give your opinion on. I would really appreciate it.

Kind Regards,

Denise

Courtney said...

I love the first two sets, and although I do wear the pierced type of earrings, I am not opposed to clip-ons in the least!

Christina said...

a lot of you are skeptical about how badly these hurt and i'm telling you that they don't hurt at all! the key is adjusting them (and depending on what type of back it is) by using a small flat head screwdriver and lifting the middle bracket ever so slightly. Be careful b/c too much pressure and you'll loosen it to wear it won't stay on. Do a little lifting at a time and find the happy line b/w hold and no pain. i wore clipons with the conventional clip all day yesterday with NO PAIN. I'm a wussy too, so i'm not kidding. check out the tutorial i posted above and that should help. as for pulling or stretching the earlobe, i haven't done that before, adjusting the pressure of the actual earring is the only thing that helps.

Marilyn said...

Excellent post-I don't have pierced ears yet love earrings. I am also unwilling to actually get them done and look after them. I'll be sure to look into clip ons more. Thanks!

Unknown said...

Pretty much the only earrings I wear are my grandmother's clip-ons dating anywhere from the 40s- 60s. There is no shame in doing so! They're beautiful and unique and often have an intricacy that today's earrings could never hope for.

Be proud hunay~!

Cara said...

I popped over from Design Lovely and saw this -- Aw, these earrings are too cute! I'm with you on the crust (eee, right?) -- I switched to sensitive ears after a good 5 years of no earrings, then after another 5-ish years I started wearing "normal" earrings find -- and now I'm back to getting sensitive. Boo! But I love this clip-gone-chic deal, thanks for sharing!

Samantha said...

I'm a clip-on only girl, too.

Pierced make my ears itch.

That's probably Too Much Information.

Islandia Lane said...

Love this post! I don't have my ears pierced either - I sometimes wear my grandmother's old clip ons that I kept b/c she never pierced her ears either- thanks for this post! Never though of actually making my own. Can't wait to try now!

Madeline said...

I am totally and completely a clip on wearer too. I have made a few pairs and scored an incredible vintage pair for just $3, and I wear them all the time. Why should our ears be crusty and red for the sake of fashion.

Love the post! Thanks for the tips. Oh! And I am back in town and will be back to regular posts on Monday, I see I have been booted from the blog roll, don't forget about me!

Karis said...

I dont have my ears pierced. there. Although, I'm still in high school, but most people around me do have their ears pierced. I loooove the 1st two earings and I'm totally going to buy some clip ons! :)

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