Trend Tonic

The Pair You Forget You Are Wearing.

Anybody with sensitive ears knows the calculation: the earrings you want and the earrings you can actually wear for six hours are rarely the same object, and most people quietly give up somewhere in their thirties. Kerry Clayton did exactly that, went five years without wearing any at all, and then in 2019 started making her own in Kent on the straightforward principle that lightweight, hypoallergenic and interesting ought not to be three mutually exclusive qualities.

The material is the clever part. Cork leather is a vegan alternative to animal hide and to the plastic-based faux leathers, and it is almost weightless, which is why the reviews keep saying the same thing: that people forget they have them on. Every pair is set on hypoallergenic stainless steel, nickel and lead free, and made to order rather than held in stock. The designs run from spiked cork and steel through skulls, leopard print and lightning bolts to the quieter spots, and the range has grown into necklaces and clothing. Trend Tonic is worn regularly on Loose Women, holds Theo Paphitis's Small Business Sunday award, and sits on the BAFTA approved sustainable supplier list for film and television.

For more to wear, have a browse of our earrings and jewellery collections, or carry on to necklaces, women's accessories and gifts for her. There are more businesses like this one in women-led brands and small batch artisans, and more close to home in British makers.