The Complicated History of Pierced Ears

Like so many of our ancestors, my female relatives had large collections of screw back and clip-on earrings. This is because they either didn’t get their ears pierced until well into adulthood or because they never got them pierced at all. I assumed it simply wasn’t a trend way back when infections were harder to deal with and most people didn’t have a lot of extra money for fancy jewelry. In historical dramas I always wondered how accurate it was for them to be wearing modern style posts or French hook earrings. But, as it turns out many women had pierced ears throughout history!

Earrings in the Ancient World

Collections of ancient earrings for pierced ears, often rendered in gold, have been found in many regions. The ancient world was full of ways to adorn the body and most included earrings for pierced ears. Based on archaeological finds we know that Ancient Egypt, West Africa, Iran, Syria, China, Korea, Rome, and Europe were just a few of the many areas where this form of beauty was practiced. In many of these cultures earrings were women’s domain, but the Ancient Egyptians notably engaged in piercing the ears of both men and women.

So what changed that so many women alive in the early part of the 20th century didn’t have their ears pierced?

Victorian Earrings

In exploring the trends that shape our modern sense of beauty the Victorian approach to beauty cannot be understated. Queen Victoria herself decried the use of makeup as an artificial and vulgar way to present oneself to the world. Instead she favored a natural approach to beauty that focused on elaborate hairstyles and clothing instead of changing how one’s face looked. But, even the queen had her ears pierced! She’s depicted below as having pierced ears at age 13. Yet the premiere sex symbol of the 20th century, Marilyn Monroe, did not have her ears pierced at all.

Many people would have had their earlobes punctured with an awl or needle which may or may not have been cleaned first. There was a string attached that ran through the lobe, some with knots to slowly expand the hole over a period of days. It was considered less painful than trying to place an earring in just after the trauma of piercing. Back then the modern piercing gun and other equipment didn’t exist.

In the US special Union earrings were made in support of the Union cause during the Civil War. Women who sat for photos during this era were sure to wear their best (and biggest) earrings if they had pierced ears. A variety of mourning jewelry, made in gold with woven hair designs or in jet, survive today- made for pierced ears.

The Late 1800s

Some in the suffragette movement in the US were seeking an end to the “barbaric” and highly gendered practice of ear piercing. Around 1880 the piercing of ears started being abandoned as being painful and unnecessary. This makes a certain sense when you think about the methods for piercing ears in the old days. Though even with modern equipment the process is still painful and can easily lead to infection.

These outspoken early feminists not only wanted to see women given the right to vote and to own property, but they also wanted women to be able to free themselves from the confines of restricting beauty standards. There was a leap in the late 1700s and early 1800s from the ladies garments that had looser shapes-like the chemise dress worn by Marie Antoinette and the empire waist gowns worn by the likes of Jane Austen. But, by the 1840s a host of fashion trends had converged to create a much more structured look with many layers of lace, petticoats, enhancements, and very tight bodices. These more restrictive dresses were popular until the early 1900s and it was only after World War I that women’s clothes changed to be more comfortable once and for all. But, one trend that was dropped in the late 1800s was pierced ears. The screw back earring was popularized around the same time period, making piercing unnecessary for adornment.

The 1960s and Beyond

From the end of the 1800s up until the 1960s many people didn’t get their ears pierced at all. During the 1930s it’s hard to imagine many people wanting to waste money on such a frivolous thing. During the 1940s the rise of plastic jewelry made adornments more colorful, while saving metals for the war effort. They were also a welcome inexpensive indulgence because the economy hadn’t fully recovered from The Great Depression before the world was launched into a long war.

By 1964 the practice of piercing ears was identified in Time magazine as being something of college girl trend. It was during the 1960s that ear piercing came back into fashion with stars like Mia Farrow on Peyton Place (who wore pearl post earrings) and Peggy Lipton on The Mod Squad (who wore thin hoops) inspiring a generation of young women to take a needle and ice cube to their earlobes to emulate the fashion. As author Jane Merrill writes, “We pierced our ears because our parents didn’t want us to.” It was seen as rebellious, a form of self expression, and a departure from the clip-ons worn by older or more conservative women. By the early 1970s even Ringo Starr and George Harrison each a had pierced ear. Simple designs were favored over the large, complex, colorful designs found in clip-on styles of a generation before.

By the 1970s the trend for having multiple ear piercings in each lobe started to gain popularity. Today it’s uncommon to meet young women who don’t have earrings and even many young men have pierced ears as well. It’s considered quite common these days without much of a sense of rebellion to it. But, plugs and body piercings have replaced ear piercing as the controversial trend for young people these days.