The world of men's jewelry has been in turmoil for around ten years. What was still unthinkable before quickly became commonplace, especially in terms of men's bracelets, necklaces. If the earring is one of the most difficult male jewels to wear, some have already broken down doors. But even more daring than Cristiano Ronaldo's diamond earring, a model could well impose itself: the dangling earring.
Could this men's jewelry be the secret to looking cool?
What do George Michael, Barry Bonds and Harry Styles have in common? They are fans of the dangling earring. And as far as Harry Styles is concerned, there is a juicy anecdote about his adoption of this masculine accessory. The day before the Met Gala, he suddenly got the idea of piercing his ear so he could walk the red carpet with a dangling earring. It was her stylist, Harry Lambert, who had suggested the idea to her a few days earlier after discovering such a Gucci earring. "Let's do it," the British singer replied. He claimed to have pierced his ear himself in the Middle Ages, like with a needle. Although some believe this version of the story is somewhat romanticized by Styles.
In recent years, male celebrities from many walks of life have succumbed to the temptation of wearing a dangling earring. We can notably mention the PSG star (still not validated transfer) Neymar, the YouTuber Jake Paul, the American rapper Lil Nas X or the Beckham brothers. Young Thug once wore an extreme version of these earrings with chains reaching down to his shoulders. Korean singing star Park Ji-min, with his chain hoops, inspired a multitude of copies sold on the Internet. As incredible as it may seem, the dangling earring has become the masculine accessory of men at the avant-garde of fashion. However, the celebrities named above are far from being pioneers in this field.
George Michael, the spiritual father of men's dangling earrings
The modern origins of the trend of course go back to the great George Michael, who in the 80s used to wear a dangling silver earring with a cross . We should also mention Mr T and his feathered earrings, even if they were somewhat overshadowed by his mountain of chains and leather rings. massive gold.
However, historians have established that this habit was in vogue as early as the 16th century. In Elizabethan England, some gentlemen used to wear large earrings made of gold, pearls or precious stones, according to the writings of William Harrison dating from 1557. Pearl drop earrings were worn by Sir Walter Raleigh and His Majesty King Charles I. The story goes that he first hung his earring at the age of 15. He cared so much about it that he wore it during his own decapitation.
After the revolution, men's fashion calmed down a lot: no more flamboyance, sobriety was the watchword. As for jewelry for men, they were then the preserve of certain categories that often did not have the best reputation, for example sailors. It was not until the 20th century that men's jewelry began to spread again in various categories of society to become common accessories in the 21st century. And while the last taboos are falling, everyday men can wear almost anything they want in terms of jewelry.