The Long History of Earrings

It seems crazy to write this, but here it is: Earrings have been popular for 7,000 years. Yes, 7,000! I can't really think of anything else that has remained a fad for that long. Handmade beaded earrings remain a fashionable accessory today, but I was surprised by the many interesting tidbits in their history.

Earrings were a staple in many cultures during these many centuries or millenniums. What is most amazing is the varying messages a wearer could send just by donning a pair. For instance, for many thousands of years in the Middle East, the variety or shape of your earring could immediately broadcast to strangers your social status. With just a glance, one could tell if a person was enslaved or if a person was of the aristocracy. How daunting! It's a relief to know that today, we can choose a pair of earrings and not be judged!

Through the many years and many, many changes in fashion, earrings have remained a vibrant part of a lady's wardrobe. During Elizabethan times, towering wigs perched atop a lady's head. It was a husband's duty to grace those earlobes with something dazzling and memorable. If you've watched Bridgerton on Netflix, you've seen it for yourself! Later, during the 1900s, women chopped their hair into shorter hairstyles that accentuated the face and left the ears visible and ripe for accessorizing. This is when women really embraced earrings as a stylish add-on for any outfit.

Hoops or studs? Dangly or modest? Your answer to this question no longer has to define you to a category of society. Living in 2021 gives us the power of history. To learn, to modify, and embrace the wonderful inventions of our predecessors and incorporate those ingenious creations into our daily lives. It is fascinating to think that the hoops one wears today once were a message to others that the wearer was enslaved. Or that the earbobs a grandma left behind were a signal to her parents that she was a flapper- so scandalous! Or even that the beautiful vintage earrings from Venice were once the signal to others that the wearer was related to or involved in a successful merchant operation.