How hoop earrings’ Y2K appeal endures today, with fans including Khloé Kardashian, Rihanna and Jennifer Lopez – who’s loved them for decades

Nov 7 , 2024

Hoop earrings’ enduring appeal draws the likes of Khloé Kardashian and Rihanna (pictured) today, while Jennifer Lopez has been a fan for decades. Photo: Getty Images

Dating back to ancient times, this most classic of all jewellery designs continues to be part of collections today, including pieces by the likes of Cartier, Bottega Veneta and Messika

A pair of hoop earrings is a true classic and one of the most versatile items in one’s jewellery box. Given their simple shape and timeless design, it’s no surprise they’re one of the earliest pieces of jewellery known to humankind, spanning cultures from ancient Egypt to Greece, Persia and India.

Jennifer Lopez at the MTV awards in New York, in 2000. Photo: Getty Images

While their appeal has never faded over the decades, hoops had a major resurgence in the 1990s and early noughties, thanks in no small part to the one and only Jennifer Lopez, who embodied the epitome of Y2K fashion at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards clad in a Sean John outfit paired with bedazzled hoop earrings. The “Love Don’t Cost a Thing” singer has been a staunch supporter of the hoop throughout the years, and earlier this summer, accessorised a crisp white Dior shirt with a pair of giant hoop earrings while out and about in Los Angeles.

Bottega Veneta Sardine gold-plated earrings

Khloé Kardashian and Rihanna are also fans of oversized hoops. Rihanna piled them on at a Super Bowl event last year and wore a pair of Move Unos XXL hoops from jewellery brand Messika in a recent Fenty Beauty Instagram post.

Jewellers ranging from Cartier to Jennifer Meyer offer their own takes on hoop earrings in plain gold or embellished with diamonds. Fashion houses have also hopped on the trend: Bottega Veneta’s bestselling Sardine hoop earrings come in both gold-plated and silver versions.