Regardless of your fashion preferences, you cannot deny the power of seeing a guy wearing earrings – especially dangling ones.
Whether it is to express your individuality or try out a growing trend, you can still rock earrings as a guy, thanks to the changing mindsets on men’s fashion.
Since they come in a wide range of styles, you can wear them confidently as long as they complement your overall look.
Can guys wear dangly earrings?
Yes, guys can wear dangling earrings. However, they need to be in decent sizes to avoid looking awkward or out of place with the outfit or look they are going for.
Over the years, men’s fashion trends have changed – and the earring is a classic example of that.
Far from their reputation in the past decades, where they were associated with rebels or gay men, they have now become staples for straight guys as well, and they still look stylish. This is likely because of the extra charm and suaveness they instantly add to a guy’s look.
The trend’s beginnings in the modern-day stem from the 1980s pop star George Michael, whose signature look was a single dangling silver cross. However, men had been sporting the style for longer than that – specifically in Elizabethan England in the 1500s.
According to the priest William Harrison and his 1557 account, the Description of England, certain men – in his words, ‘gentlemen of courage and lusty courtiers’ – used to wear large earrings that were comprised of pearls and stones or gold.
The famous Elizabethan Royal guard Sir Walter Raleigh, as well as King Charles I, wore dangling earrings made from pearls, and King Charles I was well-known for his love of earrings, even wearing a pair during his execution.
During the French Revolution, these earrings and any ‘fancy’ wear such as plumed hats went out of fashion and relegated to a backwater era, which is where their association with sailors came from – a reputation that lasted until the 20th Century.
However, that is a shame because dangling earrings should belong to anyone – they are fun to wear and work well with multiple outfits.
Do straight guys wear dangly earrings?
The history of dangling earrings is long and turbulent, and this led to men being discouraged from wearing them since the 1700s and 1800s.
However, that is starting to change due to the growing number of openly-LGBT adults, as well as increasing flexibility in how people opt to have fun with their fashion choices; even to the point of discarding previous gendered clothes.
That does not mean you cannot enjoy wearing them if you are a straight guy. It is your personal preference after all, and you can choose to wear them on one ear or both. Some men also have multiple piercings and can choose to wear one or several of them at the same time.
Your earring choices will also depend on where you are going and your intentions – for instance, dark dangly earrings look great if you are heading out for a casual afternoon drink.
Read more relevant posts here: Ear Piercing for guys, left or right?
Why do guys wear dangly earrings?
There are various reasons why men choose to wear dangly earrings. These can range from fashion choices to confidence levels. For most guys, the allure of these jewelry pieces is because they look good in them, and that is simply what matters in their case.
Some of the reasons you will find guys sporting these earrings and jewelry pieces in general include:
- A religious tradition or custom – there are regions of the world like India that pierce the ears of both men and women, and both sexes are encouraged to wear earrings even for special occasions. These piercings are symbols of good luck; for both girls and boys, this happens on their 4thor 5th birthday, and celebrations in their honor are held.
- Fashion trends– People that love fashion and trends will probably pick up wearing dangling earrings and making them their own. This also comes through advertising, seeing other men rocking it during formal occasions and casual wear, and general trends.
- Acting– when guys wear earrings in movies and TV shows, some young guys will see these looks and want to emulate them due to the admiration they feel for these guys.
- Attracting women– Some guys know they will attract female attention by wearing dangly earrings, which is true as some studies show.
- Presenting sexuality – although dangly earrings were worn by homosexual men in the past, as well as criminals who wanted other guys to know who they were, this is not the case today as many people do not know or care what message the earrings send – just whether they look good.
- Rebellion– children and teens will try anything to fit in with their peers, even if it means rebelling against their parents. Boys can pierce their ears and wear dangly earrings in this case, although this is not the only reason why they wear these jewelry pieces.
- Wearing them as gifts– Men can choose to get piercings if people in their lives get them earrings as a gift.
Tips for wearing dangly earrings for guys
Similar to any accessory you wear, you need to choose earrings that work with your outfit. Here are some tips to help you maximize that:
- Match your outfit’s theme – If you are wearing subtle designs, the earrings should be subtle. If you are completely unsure, you can skip the earrings entirely or wear studs instead. The earrings need to complement the outfit, especially if you are wearing them for the first time.
- Keep things small –As a rule, you should keep earrings proportional to your body, and avoid wearing bulky options.
- Match your metals –While the earrings are small, the idea is to match them to other accessories either by metal or color.
Conclusion
Dangly earrings for men can seem like a risky choice, but you are in good company if you choose to wear them.
The key is to wear them with confidence and start with subtle choices that universally work if you are unsure of where to begin.
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Tiger is a fashion&jewelry lover. He is also a fashion jewelry manufacturer that help thousands of small business to grow and also do business with some big fashion jewelry brands. He is a truly metal expert and he will share some information you are looking for.