Why I don’t wear earrings

Europa

August 9, 2016 6:11 PM

Whenever someone reminds me that I forgot to wear earrings I tell them nicely that I consciously did not wear earrings and that it is my personal style.

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I have answered this question too many times it’s getting exasperating. Whenever someone reminds me that I forgot to wear earrings I tell them nicely that I consciously did not wear earrings and that it is my personal style. Then comes the barrage of questions that range from whether it is a religious requirement or a matter of sexual orientation.

A baby girl gets her ears pierced and gets fitted with stud earrings before she leaves the hospital. And for the rest of her adult life, it is one of the markers of her gender. Not even the trend that allows men to wear earrings extricates women from the stereotyping.

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It is near the top of a list of ridiculous demands and expectations that society has of women and I am strongly averse to any fashion choice that is borne out of societal expectations.

Granted, earrings like many other fashion accessories enhance the beauty of a woman and a woman should do what makes her look her best on any given day. But what if wearing earrings gives me a look that I am uncomfortable with? Should I still ride with it because I want to go easy on the eye of the beholder?

Apart from the hassle of removing earrings every night to ensure a comfortable night’s rest, I also have to endure the torture of losing stoppers and buying new earrings because I want to fit the stopper on an old one (I know, I’m clumsy) and bear the extra weight on my earlobes. It’s not the kind of price I want to pay for beauty.

I am of the honest opinion that earrings do not magically enhance the looks of any woman. It is the kind of subtle enhancement that can be foregone and I am glad to do without it. I only wish it wasn’t considered such a travesty for a woman to be constantly without earrings. Like everything else it a personal decision that should be respected.

Author is Yaa Amponsah

Europa