So far, pearls and men seem to have been born to be together. Pearl jewelry for men is the latest trend in fashion. However, this trend has been around for centuries, and today at Planderful we will tell you the history and tips for men to wear pearl jewelry.
The history of pearl jewelry for men
Let's start with history and then get to the sublime trends. Just a few years ago, ties were the preferred, established, and sometimes boring accessory in men's outfits. However, the world of jewelry and the current context have boosted creativity to show personality and style. Proof of this is men's jewelry, specifically pearls through time.
But don't get us wrong, if you wear a tie it is a great accessory, although a more daring and stylish touch is the use of pearls. For example, in the 15th century (before the Victorian era), George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham wore pearls with singular joy and a masculine demeanor still admired today.
And how not to appreciate these organic gems, for example, in an article of the New York Times they call pearls as "a silky orb that lives inside an armor of rock-hard sand". Art, isn't it?
You may be interested in: Why Pearl Jewelry are Still Worth It
To understand the evolution of the pearl necklace, it is necessary to look back, from an icon like Queen Elizabeth I, a member of the Tudor family, through the portraits of European kings to the vestiges of the Indian maharajas, the rulers of that country. For example, Indians used to surround their necks with these mainly white and pearly spheres used in important events as a sign of power and status.
In the past, both men and women used to wear this accessory, with round pearls like the moon, or irregular and pot-bellied like the baroque ones, since it was a symbol of power and status. The most popular case is Queen Elizabeth, who wore the gift of her father King George IV, and that accompanied her throughout her life.
The Renaissance witnessed a fashion trend for men's earrings. Men's jewelry even dates back to the Stone Age, when they wore designs sourced and crafted from natural materials, such as necklaces containing animal teeth.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/14/t-magazine/pearls-mens-fashion-harry-styles.html
Source: https://claudiabradby.com/blogs/blog/men-s-pearl-jewellery-where-it-all-began
The popularity of pearl jewelry for men
The use of pearls much more open to the middle class has been given since the 50's. But a blessed gift has been to live in this time since it is just now in the millennial era that the use of jewelry, in general, has climbed to democratic levels, that is to say, that the person who wants can use what he likes.
This generational group, where the bulk of the world's population is located, put vintage in trend and the pearl necklace was closely related to this term due to its great popularity in the 50's. However, it also has to do with this trend of defying the established and being much more creative when it comes to expressing the personality.
White pearls for men today
Accessories, clothing, and trends in general began to embrace the gender-free ideology. This is how artists like Harry Styles, the Jonas brothers, C. Tangana, Alejandro Speitzer, Justin O'Shea, Shawn Mendez, Marc Forné, Pharrell Williams, Travis Scott and Pelayo Díaz have put pearls on the top of trends and style for men. It is enough to pay attention to music festivals around the world to see this trend among the young and not so young.
The boom of new masculinities has been accompanied by a growing awareness of gender issues and in some cases a postmodern dandy aesthetic, which has forged a very powerful message. But why has a necklace as traditional as the pearl necklace begun to gain prominence among younger people to become a global symbol of emancipation and freedom of expression? It is due to a shift in values, from grandma's jewelry box to the outfits of the day on Instagram, which is best understood with some context.
It is a revolution that originated a few decades ago by the queer movement that has now taken hold. Anarcho-punk and preppy circles appropriated upper-class aesthetic elements and reimagined them to express dissent and redefine the contours of identity within the social context of the time. It happened then and it still happens today, with the difference that the reasons are much more random.
Today pearls are worn without explicit gender labels or passionate social claims, but purely for personal distinction. Of the eight billion people who choose to wear a pearl necklace with a sweater, jeans, and sneakers, or with a skirt and leather jacket, the vast majority do not give a damn about stereotypes, and only intend to stand out with their own personality.
You may be interested in: We Need to Talk About Harry Styles’s Pearl Necklace
Source: https://www.ebay.com/itm/284644339753
Most popular jewelry: pearl pendants
Pearl necklaces are one of the most classic types of jewelry in existence and have been worn for centuries by a wide demographic of people. From royalty to the ordinary person, both freshwater pearls and their imitations, pearls are seen in rings, bracelets, cufflinks, and earrings.
Although they are most commonly associated with women's fashion, it should absolutely be acceptable for men to wear them as well. In fact, the delicate shape of the pearl can match more "masculine" garments bringing a certain balance. It can be incredibly liberating to wear items outside of your comfort zone, and once you accept that jewelry is genderless, your closet is likely to expand significantly, allowing you to be more creative in the way you dress.
Whether in the form of a necklace, charm, or earrings, pearls are here to stay. Visit Planderful's website and explore our pearl jewelry collection.
