Dating as far back as to our primitive times, men have been wearing earrings even longer than women. Ancient Indian tribes would use ear and facial piercings in cultural initiations and religious rituals.
Fast forward to the 1920s, where sailors wore earrings made from sterling silver and gold. If they were to die in a shipwreck and their bodies recovered, the earrings were meant to afford a proper burial. Pierced ears on sailors also represented a sailor who had made it around the world or survived a sinking ship. Originally somewhat taboo in the 1960s and 70s, hippies and homosexuals began wearing earrings as a form of expression. What was once taboo quickly turned to a fad, and soon celebrities, rock bands, and athletes caught on. An acceptable form of expression as well as a form of vanity, men’s earrings really went mainstream in the 1990s. Now, such popular celebrities as Will Smith and David Beckham carry on the trend that is surely here to stay.