I don’t wear a lot of big, sparkly jewelry, perhaps because my social life consists mainly of dinners with friends, not society galas. But something about these earrings at J. Crew called to me—maybe the irregularity of the shape and the neutral colors (they also come in a version with sherbet-colored stones). Or maybe I was influenced by this recent New York Times Style Magazine piece about the renowned costume jewelry designer Kenneth Jay Lane.

I also don’t buy a lot of jewelry from chain stores as a rule—I tend to gravitate toward smaller brands and independent artists because the designs tend to be more creative and for the “shop small” ethos. In fact, I’ve bought pieces at J. Crew before, only to return them a few days later after realizing that they weren’t really me. However, I’ve already worn these several times in just a couple weeks. It’s the holidays, of course—and even if I’m just having dinner with family at home, it’s fun to do it up right. After all, I’m someone who used to tell my styling clients that you can get away with wearing a ball gown to a breakfast meeting with the right attitude. In fact, maybe I should do that some time in 2017—with a jacket thrown over it. And these earrings.