If you are a fashion enthusiast, you have likely noticed an interesting trend – the popularity of men’s earrings, especially dangling ones.
From their turbulent history, due to associations with homosexual men and guys in gangs who showed their affiliation through wearing dangling earrings, they have now been embraced in popular culture by most men.
Among these dangling earrings rising in popularity are cross earrings, which may make you wonder whether they have any special meanings attached to them.
We will delve into that in this article, and answer any questions you may have on men’s earrings in general.
One cross-earring trend
To check out the roots of this trend, we have the pop star George Michael to thank for the risks he took in men’s fashion in the 1980s, although men had been wearing dangling earrings for much longer than that.
For his 1987 album “Faith”, he wore a crucifix drop earring on his left ear, and Rob Lowe also sported a crucifix earring on his right ear for his role in the 1985 film “St. Elmo’s Fire”.
Unlike the 1980s though, the common notion of a “gay ear” does not exist, so men wear earrings on both ears now.
Is it okay for guys to wear cross earrings?
Although there was a common assumption that only rebels or gay men wore cross earrings or earrings in general, the notion does not exist anymore as societal norms have evolved.
Many famous men wear these earrings on the red carpet or special occasions, as well as wearing them as casual wear – so there is no reason to refuse to do so either.
Many fashion stylists in the celebrity world agree with this and see the growing acceptance of men’s earrings, including cross ones, as part of a broader change in men’s fashion – also part of the “soft masculinity” movement.
This movement encourages men to experiment with their looks and become more comfortable in their masculinity.
It is also not surprising that the cross-earring look has grown in prominence as platforms such as Instagram have grown in their audiences because these put the focus of a picture on the face.
The more attractive you look in a photo, even with jewelry, the more your social media post is shared and liked by others, which encourages this trend to flourish.
Are cross earrings offensive?
Although cross earrings and jewelry have existed since the Christianization of the Roman Empire, the trend of crucifix earrings in fashion is a fairly recent one.
You may not see it as new if you have followed the careers of famous people like Billy Idol and Madonna, who wore them mostly to criticize the chastity and conformity that were attributes of Christianity, and so were taken as offensive by many.
However, today they are mainly worn as trendy pieces instead of subversive fashion choices.
The question of whether cross earrings are offensive is a very subjective one for this reason.
For every Christian or Catholic who wears cross earrings and jewelry religiously, there are many more who do not follow these tenets and will avoid wearing crosses in their jewelry regardless of whether they are practicing Christians or not.
Many avoid wearing cross earrings because they do not want to offend people, while others wear them because they want to criticize or comment on Christianity.
The topic of symbols is always a tricky one to navigate because people will attach their subjective meanings to them and may choose to see them as offensive or not.
If you want to wear cross earrings for any reason, feel free to do so – but also know that you may encounter someone who does not see it the same way you do.
Can you wear cross earrings if you are a non-Christian?
If you are not a practicing Christian and are considering wearing cross earrings, it may not mean much to you but it may be offensive to Christians, especially if you are outspoken against the faith.
Most Christians may not say anything against you, although you may encounter outspoken people who will question you and your stand if they see you wearing such jewelry.
Many Christians will not have issues with you wearing cross earrings or jewelry, because it is not an object of worship, but they may ask you questions about it.
What does wearing a cross earring mean?
Crosses are religious symbols that show a person’s belief in Christianity, as it recalls the death of Jesus Christ and the salvation of humankind.
Many wearers of jewelry pieces such as earrings that have cross designs will wear them for sentimental reasons, although its rise as a fashion statement may make more people wear them, even non-Christians.
The cross earring may carry the same meaning, as the cross is a symbol – and symbols have different meanings depending on the wearer.
While it may mean Christ’s death and salvation for a Christian, it may carry different meanings to other people. To avoid confrontations with others, ensure you avoid opposing Christian beliefs if you wear cross earrings or jewelry for this reason.
3 Tips for wearing cross earrings for guys
Before deciding on the cross earrings you want to wear – and this goes for any earring design for a man – you need to know tips to wear them confidently and proudly.
1. Your style
Although cross earrings are on the adventurous side of things, they are not always the best choice for all your outfits – for instance, formal suits you wear when going to a black-tie event.
However, this is not always the case, as your fashion sense can also guide you into knowing whether cross earrings will go best with your look or whether you can avoid them for the moment.
2. Size
If the size is a major consideration for you, choose a proportional but small earring to wear according to your body structure.
Cross earrings tend to be large, but there are smaller options that you can find as well which work with most outfits.
3. Other accessories
If you are wearing earrings, chances are you are wearing other accessories as well.
Ensure you choose cross earrings that are of the same material or similar to the other pieces – for instance, silver earrings will go with a silver necklace.
Conclusion
Many men are turning to earrings to complement their outfits, including cross earrings, so you can choose to wear them as a signature look. Read more topics here or here!
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.