![]() ![]() After a pandemic, global lockdowns and isolation, rising polarization of the political discourse, the continued effects of racial injustice and the intensifying urgency of the climate crisis, having fun with fashion and style feels refreshing. The reason for this comeback could be that Y2K is synonymous with fun. However, Gen Z, the drivers of this comeback, were only babies in the early 2000s. Usually, the renaissance of trends or a fashion era is brought up by nostalgia. Micro-mini skirt, logomania, Dior saddle bags, Von Dutch caps, pencil-skinny brows, and the list goes on. Tooth gems are only one of the many Y2K trends having an encore. This is perhaps where tooth gems come in, more minimalist and versatile but still possessing that power to express oneself. For some, grills tend towards the gaudy, the profoundly unnecessary and pointlessly excessive. His physical transformation, his accessories and his occupation are all a defence mechanism, a way to silence his inclinations and his true self and prove that he belongs to his world. Chiron says, I built myself back up from the ground up to be hard. Similar to his car, his gun, and his job as a drug dealer, his teeth capped with flashy grills are a mere facade. As the character tries to make Black masculinity coincide with his own identity and sexuality, grills shield him from being demeaned. In Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight, Chiron’s grills become an armour. ![]() Featuring more than 70 close-up shots of grills and starring Johnny Dang himself, it captured the precise moment when tooth accessories were brought into the American zeitgeist. Virtually no society or no region of the world escaped the custom of teeth modification.īy Jack Bridgland Nelly’s ‘Grillz’ music and video clip played a major role in popularising mouth bling. Japanese aristocracy’s black dyed teeth were also, and most importantly, a sign of coming of age, and a signal of wealth and social status. In Japan, the custom of ‘ohaguro’ was believed to preserve dentition and protect it against decay and yellowing. They were possibly inspired by other populations they encountered in their travels, as signs of similar body modification were found in England, Denmark, and Sweden. ![]() This type of body modification was borne from a wish to express a sense of belonging, to build a strong group identity. Far from sparkle and shine, on the other hand, Vikings are believed to have filed their teeth to create ridges, sometimes enhanced by a black paste. The Filipinos’ gold-pegged teeth, achieved by hammering gold plates into the dentition, and the Chinese’s gold grills in a fish-scale pattern are other examples of ancient teeth jewellery. It was a visual and everlasting promise that everyone would be looked after. For Mayan royalty, the green of jade symbolised sustenance and plant growth, and teeth gems therefore served as a sign of duty and obligation towards their people. To them, this type of enhancement not only beautified its wearer, but also ensured prosperity. Mayans adorned their teeth with precious stones like jade, gold, hematite and turquoise, a style obtained by drilling holes in their enamel. They would even get their teeth removed to wear the style. Etruscan women of the 7th century BC sported delicately gold-woven teeth, mainly to show wealth and a form of (relative) emancipation. More than just a fashion statement, mouth bling was imprinted with symbolism and possessed a strong signalling value. Coming back in fits and starts, they pranced in and out of fashion as civilisations rose and fell. Michèle Lamy for Vice Tooth adornments have been appearing, disappearing, and reappearing throughout history and the world. This latest addition to body positivity allows us to transform a ‘flaw’ into intricate, sparkly artistry with bling and strass. Tooth gems are all about embracing our pearly whites, and instead of covering them up with grills or caps, we embellish them with shiny stones. Teeth modifications are intriguing: they highlight a part of the body that so often is an insecurity: pre-teens scared to reveal a toothy smile when they have braces, people thinking their teeth are too yellow, or their smile too crooked. The daintier and more subdued offspring of grills allows individuals to fulfil their wish to be unique and to express themselves by modifying and accessorizing their appearance. This body modification is painless and relatively easy to achieve, and it appeals to teens, rappers and pop stars, bikers and sassy grandmas alike. At a crossroads between the cosmetics, and the tattoos and piercings industries - not exactly permanent but you don’t wipe it off before going to sleep at night – tooth gems are one of the many Y2K trends that have recently returned. ![]()
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