Evolution of "Bling" and Where We are Today
"Bling bling Everytime I come around yo city Bling bling, Pinky ring worth about fifty, Bling bling, Everytime I buy a new ride Bling bling, Lorenzos on Yokahama tires,
Bling bling." Sounds ridiculously silly but isn't. "Bling" has been around a lot longer than the B.G. Bling dates back to prehistoric times. Websters Oxford English Dictionary defines Bling as "jewelry often gaudy or ostentatious," its etymology coming from "the sound it makes". "It is a hip-hop slang term referring to specifically very expensive jewelry and other accoutrements, and also an entire lifestyle built around excess spending and ostentation." Bling was more important for the ancient man than it is for any modern age celebrity. To say that it represented status is an understatement. For ancient man clothing was not only essential protection from the elements, it was a symbol of power. A prehistoric woman seen wearing a beaded bag was an object of envy. Not because of the beautiful colors and intricate patterns, but because it meant she wasn't hungry. If she had the time to sit around and hand bead a piece of cloth it meant that she wasn't using that time to look for food. It meant she had the luxury of a full stomach and could think about something else; that's wealth in prehistoric times. The more intricate the beading, meant the more time she had free and wasn't hunting-she had time to think and be creative. Her beaded bag simply stated without the use of words, how wealthy she was and her standing in society. Clothing and accessories, such as jewelry, has always represented a person's whole identity.
Hundreds of years later, in the court of Louis the 14th, the same exact thing was going on. Civilization has created many languages, yet people still chose symbols rather than words to present their wealth and power. During the reign of Louis XIV, the Sun King, French fashion took over the leading role in Europe. This was... [continues]
"Bling bling Everytime I come around yo city Bling bling, Pinky ring worth about fifty, Bling bling, Everytime I buy a new ride Bling bling, Lorenzos on Yokahama tires,
Bling bling." Sounds ridiculously silly but isn't. "Bling" has been around a lot longer than the B.G. Bling dates back to prehistoric times. Websters Oxford English Dictionary defines Bling as "jewelry often gaudy or ostentatious," its etymology coming from "the sound it makes". "It is a hip-hop slang term referring to specifically very expensive jewelry and other accoutrements, and also an entire lifestyle built around excess spending and ostentation." Bling was more important for the ancient man than it is for any modern age celebrity. To say that it represented status is an understatement. For ancient man clothing was not only essential protection from the elements, it was a symbol of power. A prehistoric woman seen wearing a beaded bag was an object of envy. Not because of the beautiful colors and intricate patterns, but because it meant she wasn't hungry. If she had the time to sit around and hand bead a piece of cloth it meant that she wasn't using that time to look for food. It meant she had the luxury of a full stomach and could think about something else; that's wealth in prehistoric times. The more intricate the beading, meant the more time she had free and wasn't hunting-she had time to think and be creative. Her beaded bag simply stated without the use of words, how wealthy she was and her standing in society. Clothing and accessories, such as jewelry, has always represented a person's whole identity.
Hundreds of years later, in the court of Louis the 14th, the same exact thing was going on. Civilization has created many languages, yet people still chose symbols rather than words to present their wealth and power. During the reign of Louis XIV, the Sun King, French fashion took over the leading role in Europe. This was... [continues]
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