How to Style Threader Earrings
Have you wanted to try threader earrings but weren’t sure how to wear them? We’ll show you easy styling tricks to up your sorority earring game. No matter how many piercings you’ve got, delicate threader earrings are versatile and add a touch of shine to your look. At mazi + zo, we love the way threader earrings add a flash of shine and coordinate so easily with all our sorority earring styles. There are so many ways to wear them, and we hope this guide gives you the confidence to style your threaders in new ways. We’ve got ideas for how to wear threaders in one piercing or across multiple piercings.
What are Threader Earrings?
Threader earrings, also known as "ear threaders" or simply "threaders" are all over these days-- maybe you already have some! Threader earrings feature a long, slender chain with a stick post seamlessly integrated at one end and there’s usually a charm at the other end of the chain. They’re called threader earrings because you push them through your piercings with the same motion you might use to push a needle through fabric.How to Wear Threader earrings
Threader earrings are easy to put on. You hold the earring by the post (the end that does not have a charm,) and gently thread it through the ear from the front to back or from back to front-- there’s no wrong way to wear them. You can wear them with the ends evenly distributed in front and back, longer in front, or long in back with the charm close to your earlobe. We recommend using a rubber stopper to secure your threaders, especially if you’re wearing the threader long in front, the threader charm is a little heavy, or the threader chain glides easily through your piercing.
Wearing Threader Earrings in 1 Piercing
The method we described above is the easiest way to wear threader earrings. You can match the length of the chain in front to the chain and post in the back, go for a long threader in front for a dramatic look (our favorite!), or keep most of the chain in the back to create a delicate drop earring effect from the front. If you choose the long-in-front style, remember to use rubber stoppers since the earring charm's weight in the front might cause it to fall out.
We don’t recommend sleeping with your jewelry on, but if that’s your mode, threaders are so much more comfortable than hoops or studs because there aren’t any posts or ear backs poking at your skin. You don't need to wear threaders as a pair either. Try mixing it up with a threader on one side and a stud or hoop on the other for a modern twist. Even if you wear a matching pair, feel free to experiment with different lengths. Have fun with it!
Wearing Threader Earrings in 2 Piercings
If you have two piercings in the same ear, you’ve got a lot more threader styling options! Also, when you stitch a threader through more than one piercing, you shouldn’t need stoppers because the extra “stitches” secure the earring. Don't forget, your left and right ear looks don’t have to match at all!
- Pair with a stud, hoop, or drop - Feel free to mix and match threaders with other earring styles to keep your look fresh. Just like you might wear a statement earring in the front and a smaller stud in the back, you can pair threader earrings with studs or hoops. It doesn’t matter which style goes in which piercing! You might find it more natural to wear the threader in front, similar to how you’d wear a big hoop, or try placing it in a higher piercing with even ends for a shorter effect. Try wearing a drop that’s longer or shorter than the threader it’s paired with! So many options!
- Whip Stitch - To create a whip stitch effect with your threader earrings, start by threading the earring through your first piercing, pulling it through until the post end is longer. Then, insert that loose post through the front of your second piercing. This creates a diagonal chain wrapped around your lobe between the two piercings, similar to a whip stitch in sewing. You can mix it up by starting from the back instead of the front or by leaving a loose loop between the two piercings instead of pulling it tight against your earlobe. If you leave some slack, use stoppers to secure the loop length by placing one behind both the first and second piercings (the last one will stay in place on its own!).
- Running Stitch - This technique starts similarly to the Whip stitch. Begin by threading the earring through the front of your first piercing. Then, instead of pulling it through the back of the same piercing, pull it through the back of your second piercing. This way, the connecting line between the two piercings is hidden, and the post end will appear in front of your ear. For an even cooler look, try starting from the back of your first piercing and then threading through the front of the second. This method shows a bit of delicate chain at the front, creating a thin dash, similar to what sewers call a running stitch. You can also leave some slack in the "stitch" to create a swag for added movement (use stoppers behind your second and third piercings). Feel free to switch it up by starting at the top piercing instead of the bottom, so the charm ends up higher than the post end.
- Why settle for just one when you can double up? We adore the look of two threaders in a single ear, and you can play with the lengths to match your vibe! Plus, they don’t have to be identical! At mazi + zo, we offer our threader earrings both as singles and pairs, giving you plenty of ways to mix and match.
Wearing Threader Earrings in 3 Piercings
- More mixing - Experiment with combining threaders with studs, hoops, or drops. The arrangement is totally up to you! You can have the threader between two studs or on either side of your look. And if you're threading through two piercings, you can place a hoop or stud before or after it.
- Whip stitch - If you have three piercings, you can create a cool whip stitch effect! Pull the threader so the charm is closer to your ear to give yourself enough chain to work with!
- Running stitch - Start by threading front to back in your first piercing, then go through the back of the middle hole, and finally through the front of the last piercing. You can also do this from top to bottom and use stoppers for a draped dash effect. Another version of the running stitch is skipping the middle piercing for a longer dash-- try it!
- More is more - We love seeing three threaders together! Play around with different lengths and designs. That’s why we offer singles, so you can mix and match to your heart’s content.
Wearing Threader Earrings in 4+ Piercings
You get the gist ;). Mix and match however you like—there are sooo many possibilities!
Try a Threader up high!
One more style we love: threader earrings worn in helix piercings. Ultra cool.
We hope you’re feeling inspired to try something new and if you’re looking for more, we’ve got tons more examples in our IG feed-- don't miss the one where Stacy London, Queen of Style, shows how she styles mazi + zo threaders. You can contact us any time with questions and we’d love to see what you come up with, too, so please tag us when you post your threader styles!
Ready to try?
>>shop mazi + zo threader earrings
