When you see a woman wearing a large trinket on just one ear, do not assume her earring’s matching pair is missing. She is just embracing a trend that has become big the past year: the single statement earring.

Sometimes, at dinners, some people would point out that I seem to have dropped an earring when, in fact, it was deliberate on my part to wear a particular design on just one side.

The reason? I felt that its design was too much to wear on both earlobes. It was a style that incorporated two black and white pearls, and with another gold ball stud on my second ear piercing, it seemed too much to wear another piece on the left side.

From Dior’s double-sided pearl earrings to the shoulder-grazing jewel, enamel and brass drop earrings on the Fall/Winter 2014 runways at Celine and Louis Vuitton, single-statement earrings are having a moment in fashion.

While some fret on whether or not to go solo with the new statement danglers, the trend is really nothing new; punk devotees have been rocking this off-kilter look for decades—only this time, the pieces look more luxurious.

In many cases, these solo earrings come in large, bold proportions that might seem overpowering if worn as a standard pair. Offered as an earring, ear cuff (which usually adorns the top

or side of the ear and does not require a piercing) or ear jacket (a splashy piece that attaches to a stud, hanging just below the ear lobe), these single items often tweak traditional designs with additional embellishments.

Whatever your style, there are many ways to wear it—from crystal-covered styles to studded hoops. And perhaps, to balance things out and to avoid repeatedly clarifying that what you’re wearing is a deliberate “look,” you can wear it with another simple stud on the other earlobe, or style your hair in a side-swept style for a more dramatic effect.

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