He got his ears pierced and also got holes in his pockets.
New Yorkers are flocking to ear stylists by the thousands to get their ears pierced and their auditory areas dazzled with baubles specially crafted to complement the curvature of their ears.
“I probably spent about $4,500 on piercings. My most expensive piece was about $800,” says the Edgewater, N.J. Janelle Agee told The Post. “I want each ear to have a different feel.”
Edge, 36, has had three lower lobe piercings, as well as one each in the upper lobe, a concha (inner cup of the ear) and a daith (upper cartilage) — and said she’s only halfway to where she wants to be. But it is.
That’s why she sought out an ear stylist, who helps trendsetters create the perfect “ear story” by arranging fine gems to match the wearer’s fashion sense, personality and ear anatomy.
“You can really design your ears however you want,” Edge explained. “Each ear is unique.”
all ears
Ear piercings date back to ancient times, but in recent decades popular piercings have expanded beyond the lobe, to include the tragus (pointed cartilage in front of the ear), daith, conch, helix (upper curve), forward helix (upper Next section) are included. curve) and rook (topmost peak of the inner ear).
In the world of ear styling, there is no exact way to determine what type of ear piercing looks best, although shape, length and curve do matter.
Ear stylists analyze the shape of each individual’s auricle to select the ideal piercing based on one’s “ear-scape” or its layout and shape.
Since no two lobes are alike, nor do everyone have all the structural characteristics of their ears, this limits what jewelry they can wear, says Vi Pellegrin, an ear stylist and piercer at the Soho store. ones wild like told The Post.
“It’s all about the anatomy of your ear,” Pellegrin, 21, explained. “It’s not just how big your ear is. Someone may have an ear that is the same length from top to bottom as yours and have this piece of anatomy, while your conch folds in a completely different way.
At WildLike, jewelry starts at $25 and can reach $1,695 For more detailed design, but the price does not include piercing and stylingWhich runs between $50 and $150.
Although ear stylists want to make sure clients leave with well-styled lobs, they aren’t afraid to decline requests.
During one of Danielle Meyers’s many visits to WildLike, she wanted to get her helix pierced, but ear stylists wouldn’t give her the green light.
“I have very small ears and [staffers] “No, we can’t do that,” Meyers, 29, told The Post. “But then they helped me pick out a really nice yin-yang earring to go in, as if piercing my inner ear gave me exactly the aura I was looking for.”
“It’s a great option,” Meyers said. “I was very happy with the result.”
“We try to fit pieces where they will work best on their ears, or find pieces that will match that vibe and also work well with the piercings they already have.,Pellegrin said.
Wildlike’s stylists — “Wicked” actress Cynthia Erivo and Broadway star Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer have their ears styled by the glam studio’s experts — are adept at combining a minimalist look with a piercing or a maximalist look with more than twenty gold hoops .
For more complex arrangements, stylists use marking mechanisms and calipers to measure the distance between piercings to prevent the pierced holes from merging into one – and to see if it “fits” in your ear. How will he sit?”
“If you already have three lobe piercings and we want to make sure the fourth one is perfect…we’re going to make sure whatever jewelry you put in there fits,” Pellegrin said.
Of course, piercings take forever, so stylists hold the earrings against the ear frame with tweezers during the styling session to give a rough idea of the final product.
And comfort is also important. There may be safety issues if jewelry presses against the skin, causing “pressure and irritation.”
don’t play by ear
Pellegrin said styling the ears is “really just picking the right jewellery”, but also “setting the stage for future ear projects”.
“People can bring that inspirational photo and already have the piercing they want,” she said. “Or it’s planning the next piercing.”
Aggie often comes to the store curious about how to further refurbish her ears.
“I’ll always go into the shop and say, ‘You know, what about this? Or can I do this? Or what would this be, what would this look like?'” she continued. “It’s really fun to have beautiful jewelry and “I really like having the options to be able to show my individuality.”
Of course, anyone can get any piercing or add a new bauble they want, but Jamie Nairn, Founder and CEOThe Year Stylist by Joe Nayor,” said it takes an experienced professional to create the best Cannes story.
“What’s most important to me is ear flow,” the self-proclaimed chief ear officer told The Post. “It really depends on the size of one’s ears [and] The difference between their current piercings. We see whether anyone wants to add a new pit or whether they have enough space or whether there will be crowding there.”
Nair sees ears as a “blank canvas” where people can express themselves and their personal styles through their earrings.
“I play with texture and I like a little bit of contrast,” she explained. “I always like something hanging toward the top of my second-to-last piercing. I like to create some length with earrings. And I always wear ear cuffs. It’s kind of my signature.”
In addition to matching piercings to one’s personality, stylists also offer ways to coordinate jewelry with your wardrobe.
“Somebody recently came to their wedding and they had pearls in their veil, so they wanted to have pearls on their ears, too,” Shawna Athey, 41, store director at Wildlike, told The Post.
“It’s been fun using styling services to get it to match really well and look good,” said Meyers, who has 11 piercings.
“I’ve spent a grand total of $2,500 on ear styling over the past few years, and the max I’ve spent on jewelry is $500,” the Brooklynite confessed.
“It was a new concept to me,” Edge said. “The first time I went there the experience kind of mesmerized me.”
