Why do so many teens/younger men here wear chains/necklaces?
Posted by Jaylight23@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 35 comments
It’s a random question I know, but having moved here recently - compared to my home country, I’ve noticed that just about every second young man or teenager wears a little chain or necklace around their neck. Is there some kind of cultural significance? Is it some kind of signifier of something? Is it a mark of coolness and popularity? I’ve never seen it before on this scale, and more than anything I’m just curious as to why they’re so common here!
Sea-Still5427@reddit
Why not?
Jaylight23@reddit (OP)
I don't have an issue with it, I'm just curious as to why it's so common here when compared to where I'm from it's not something I've ever noticed
idril1@reddit
I suppose turn t he question around, why don't men where you are from wear jewelry? Might be an answer there
leeco700@reddit
Cause it's gayish
Scarred_fish@reddit
Because in any rational situation, it's dangerous?
Not to mention, it obviously makes you look like a total dipshit for the same reason.
TV trope, not reality.
LittleSadRufus@reddit
If it's so evidently dangerous, how do we account for women still wearing jewellery in many cultures?
ExtremeAd2207@reddit
What the fuck are you talking about? 😂
Wearing a necklace doesn’t make you a dipshit. For a long time I had my wedding ring on a small chain because I’d lost weight and it didn’t fit. I now have a small chain with my football team’s badge on it.
How does wearing jewellery - a perfectly common sartorial choice - make you a dipshit exactly?
Nice-to-be-nice@reddit
This coming from the man that doesn’t iron his clothes? I think I’d consider an old man in creased clothing a dipshit over a person wearing a chain.
Fun_Scratch6102@reddit
r/Imextremelyhomophobicandhappy butnoonewilleverknowbcsthisissolong
Mad_Mako01@reddit
It’s just something that’s been a staple in streetwear and rap culture, which happens to be the go to fashion for most kids 12-20
Fearless-Magazine227@reddit
fashion
smellyfeet25@reddit
i wear a sliver chain and i am older than teenager
Other_Exercise@reddit
I wear my 22ct gold chain for personal reasons.
But also, in a tight spot, it could probably be pawned for £200 or so, which could be useful.
Constant-Tax-8240@reddit
I wear a small gold chain with a St Christopher pendant on, I've had it since I was a baby but started wearing it all the time a couple of years ago (30m). I travel a lot for my job and the superstitious part of me is afraid to take it off now. Plus obviously it makes me look like a double hard geeza
Scarred_fish@reddit
You must be seeing a very select group.
I've never known anyone, male or female, to wear necklaces on a regular basis. You're either losing them in a few days (if you're lucky) or getting strangled.
ExtremeAd2207@reddit
Why would it get lost or have me strangled?
I wear my modest necklace daily, and keep it on a necklace holder at night, I’m not going to lose it. And I certainly never put myself in a position of confrontation, I haven’t been in a physical one since I was a teenager over 20 years ago.
Is it that odd to wear a necklace? It’s just a piece of jewellery that I wear for sartorial and sentimental reasons.
Is wearing a ring or having a piercing weird?
Rassilon182@reddit
In my 30s so not younger but have always worn a subtle silver necklace with a Star of David since being really young. It’s of cultural significance to me and by no means a fashion statement. Nowadays it’s a risk sadly.
RiClious@reddit
I really hope the downvotes are not for the Star of David!
If so, sort yourselves out!!!
Nice-to-be-nice@reddit
Why bring it up?
ExtremeAd2207@reddit
Because the post is about necklaces, and they were describing their necklace?
Rassilon182@reddit
❤️
PlentyOfNamesLeft@reddit
It's only a certain group. Let's just say they're easily led. A marketer's dream. Am accessible demographic. You know, morons.
Rumhampolicy@reddit
I always thought this was an older working class man thing. It seems to have come back in fashion. It just makes me think of the Argos catalogue.
LeagueMuted9716@reddit
It goes way back, look at the gold jewellery they found in the Sutton hoo graves and the Staffordshire hoard, gold jewellery inlayed with gems so skilfully they still can’t understand how they did it.
rellz14@reddit
Status. Especially if it’s real gold or diamonds.
bobovdarlo@reddit
They've watched Top Boy and wanna be a gangster
yourmomsajoke@reddit
My granny got my brother in law a chain for his 21st, I thought it was really lovely and ended up getting my son one for his 18th and my nephew one for his 16th. They all still wear them daily.
I don't know anyone outside of them who wear them tho, I thought it was just my boys who wore them really as their pals/peer group don't seem to.
369_Clive@reddit
I'm an older guy and I wear one with a cross. Why not ...it gives people an insight into your personality. But you can also take it off. What's not to like?
BabyAlibi@reddit
Are you just asking about people wearing a single necklace? Men and women?
Or are you asking about the people that wear like 15 necklaces at a time. As in they don't have a jewellery box so just carry it around with them all day?
DirectorProud3223@reddit
With teen boys it’s mostly just a fashion thing. Nothing to do with religion or flaunting wealth in most cases. Think it might help draw attention to the chest and shoulders for women.
Apart-Purchase9580@reddit
The character Connell played by Paul Mescal wore one in Normal People (TV show really popular in lockdown, especially amongst women due to the popularity of the book it was based on) and lots of people thought it was very sexy
joeschmoagogo@reddit
It’s a convenient way to carry your coke or ket spoon.
throw4455away@reddit
It used to be really popular in the past, it then seemed to wane a bit and is now popular again. So I think it’s just mostly a fashion thing. I think hip hop culture is one of the origins of it and the genre is now one of the most popular
LeagueMuted9716@reddit
Its way less common than it used to be, it’s a status symbol. It s a good way to store wealth, gold chains and crosses and religious medallions were also a good family heirloom. I am 40 and when I was growing up gold jewellery was very fashionable, half sovereigns in finger rings for men wore massive, big gold finger rings were popular because they were like legal knuckledusters, nightclub and pub bouncers would wear them because they were as effective as a knuckle duster but they did not count as a weapon in the eyes of the law.
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