Rock stars made the look appealing and more people got multiple piercings.Īt some point gay men started to use piercings to signal to other men they were homosexual. But then, in the 1970s, more and more people were getting their ears pierced. Even for women, the fashion was to wear clip-on earrings.

From the 1920s to the 1950s facial piercings were uncommon, gay ears or not. In the 1500s in Europe, it was common to see a wealthy man dripping with jewelry and it was fashionable for them to wear a single pearl earring hanging from one ear.Įar piercings fell out of favor in the 1920s in the USA. Through the centuries, the popularity of ear piercing has come in waves. Adornments like facial piercings and other jewelry were common. Since ancient times, people have been getting body piercings to show status or caste.