Mens Earring Styles: Classic Cool or Worn by Fools?
Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010Although earrings have been a fairly stable and consistent fashion accessory for women, the same cannot be said for mens earring styles. For middle aged men today, their youth was probably spent arguing with parents about the “shameful act” of getting their ears pierced! This kind of scene is still played out these days, but is usually centered around what age the parents allow their children to get piercings.
In the past, it was a common misconception that earrings for men actually meant earrings for gay men. This is one of the eternal myths that crops up with every new generation. You might hear questions like, “Is it the left ear for gay, and right ear for fashion?”
Whether there ever was a rule for this in the past, there certainly isn’t nowadays, and men can wear earrings wherever they want, to accompany their other bling. Another reason for men’s earrings being frowned upon was when they were worn for job interviews. Teachers, parents, pretty much everyone, advised against boys wearing earrings at an interview – but it was okay for the girls as long as they were discreet. Equal opportunities in action!
What many people don’t know is that earrings are ancient symbols of wealth and status. In most civilizations, gold earrings were worn by both men and women. In the Elizabethan period, men of high status wore very elaborate earrings – and this includes such famous men as Sir Francis Drake and William Shakespeare. So perhaps the fashion revival of mens earrings in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries is a good thing – and about time too!
The styles for men are, understandably, less flamboyant than those for the ladies’ earrings. Mens earrings are generally confined to studs, hoops and neat, small dangle earrings.
So the next time you see a man in earrings, if you are about to mutter something unkind under your breath, just remember that he’s simply continuing a jewelry tradition that is thousands of years old.