When you think of pearls, you probably think of First Lady Jackie Kennedy, television mogul Oprah Winfrey, fashion designer Coco Chanel, Braves outfielder Joc Pederson . . . wait, what?!

That’s right, that once iconic emblem of femininity has more recently turned fashion statement of choice for the virile.

You don’t have to look far these days to see male athletes, actors, musicians, models, and even hunky average joes sporting a little pearly bling. In a recent episode of Love Island, not just one fashion-forward bloke, but every male cast member appeared in a set of pearls.

While this may seem unusual by 21st-century standards, there is a long history of men wearing pearls. The maharajas of the 17th century wore pearls as a symbol of power, a 1637 painting of England’s Charles I depicts him in pearl earrings, Henry VIII adorned his singlet with pearls, Chinese royalty were gifted pearls. It was only in the 19th and 20th centuries that pearls became the symbol of femininity. 

Today, however, pearls have become a powerful statement for the fashion-forward male. Just a few of the famous figures you might spot sporting a strand include: Timothee Chalamet, A$AP Rocky, Pharell Williams, Harry Styles, Shawn Mendes, and Young Paris. In fact, the Lyst’s Report shows that in 2020 there was a 150 percent increase in men buying jewelry and that online searches for men’s pearls had risen by 17%.

Some men sport the traditional single, double, and triple strands your grandmother might have worn, as a type of gender challenge that recognizes changing conceptions of masculinity. Other men have adapted pearls to more typically masculine looks. Mikimoto, for example, the Japanese company that created the cultured pearl over a century ago, recently released the Passionoir line of black pearls with a more masculine appeal. Men are accessorizing their pearls with leather strands, interspersing them with other elements like skulls and animal claws, and using various colored pearls to create non-traditional looks.

One theory of this trend rises from the pandemic where waist-up fashion in a digital world was key. Some fashion theorists suggest that men who were looking to look good online turned to jewelry as a means to do so. Another theory is that in troubling times like the pandemic, we turn to the traditional for comfort, and what could be more traditional than pearls? Whatever the reason, you’re just as likely today to see pearls at an arena as you are at a gala opening. 

–Written for Bufkor by Ivan Young in partnership with Chittons spiritually conscious, luxury activewear.