Nameplate necklace
A nameplate necklace[1] (also known as a name necklace) is a type of necklace which displays a name, initials, or other words of choice.[2] Originating among African-American and Latino communities during the 1980s and 1990s,[1] nameplate necklaces have become a popular fashion piece all around the world.[3]
History[edit]
The nameplate necklace originated in African-American and Latino communities in the 1980s and 1990s as a form of cultural expression among wearers.[4] During this time, nameplate necklaces were available from street vendors, with Fulton Street, Brooklyn, becoming a popular destination for buyers.[3]
During the 1980s and 1990s, nameplate necklaces became a staple of hip hop culture, being popularised by artists like Big Daddy Kane and Slick Rick.[5] By the early 2000s nameplate necklaces were mass-produced by large department stores such as Walmart, which mainly catered to those with common English names.[1]
Cultural significance[edit]
Given that nameplate necklaces are sometimes associated with low-income communities of colour,[3] journalist Collier Meyerson claimed that nameplate necklaces arose as a "flashy and pointed rejection of the banality of white affluence".[6] Rosa Salas described nameplate necklaces as a "political expression of personhood" among people who have been marginalised by "racial, ethnic and class-based hierarchies".[5]
Meyerson generated some controversy in 2016 when she claimed that white people were engaging in cultural appropriation by wearing nameplate necklaces, claiming[7]
"White girls and women have other stories, but they don’t have ours. It never feels like a homage to me when I see a white woman rocking a nameplate".
Katherine Timpf from National Review responded "cultures and trends are shifting all the time, and elements from outside sources are always inspiring mainstream fashion".[6]
In popular culture[edit]
- In the 1998 comedy-drama series, Sex And The City, the main character Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) wears a gold nameplate necklace displaying the name "Carrie".[1] The necklace was incorporated into the show after Parker's stylist saw some "kids in the neighbourhood" wearing nameplate necklaces.[8]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d Solomon, Jadriena. "From Ancient Egypt To Present Day - Here's The Evolution of the Nameplate Necklace". 21Ninety. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
- ^ Andrea Carrillo. "Forget Carrie Bradshaw, nameplate jewelry is more than 'ghetto gold'". Input. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
- ^ a b c "Oct 2020 | Documenting the Nameplate". Race in the Marketplace Network. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
- ^ "Cultural Identity & The Nameplate Necklace". Popular Sociology. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
- ^ a b "Where did nameplate jewellery come from?". The Face. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
- ^ a b "Columnist Upset That White Girls Are Wearing Nameplate Necklaces Because It's Cultural Appropriation". National Review. 2016-11-02. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
- ^ Meyerson, Collier (2016-11-01). "Nameplate necklaces: This shit is for us". Splinter. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
- ^ "Patricia Field Explains the Origin of the Carrie Necklace from Sex and the City". InStyle. Retrieved 2023-03-15.