"When you think of ear cuffs, you think of Fumiya."
This was a line I saw on a customer's social media who recently purchased an ear cuff from us.
Intrigued, I did a quick search and found images of Fujii Fumiya wearing an ear cuff on the side of his ear during his Checkers days.
Apparently, an ear cuff was also a gift to commemorate the 5th anniversary of The Checkers' fan club, "Cute Beat Club."
The design was almost identical to the one Fumiya was wearing in the images, and I found one on Mercari, so I impulsively bought it.
AROM. has been making ear cuffs for about 5-6 years now.
The initial impetus was seeing many fashionistas wearing ear cuffs during Milan Fashion Week at the time.
Back then, they weren't widely available in Japan, so during POP UP events, we'd often start by explaining what an ear cuff was.
But who would have thought that over 30 years ago, The Checkers were synonymous with ear cuffs?
Although I'm part of the Checkers generation, I was only in elementary school then, so I had no idea.
Curious about the history of ear cuffs before Fumiya, I did some research.
Ear Cuffs existed as far back as 2000 BCE
The first appearance of an ear cuff is said to be in Greece around 2000 BCE.
Initially called "Kaffa," they hooked over the entire base of the ear.
Leveraging the advantage of distributing weight across the entire ear, which reduced the burden, many designs were large and dramatic.
I saw quite a few people wearing this type in Milan, so I even made a prototype of it. However, because it had a large contact area with the ear, it felt very present when worn, so it ultimately remained a prototype.
Then, in 18th-century Europe, they featured floral motifs, making them feminine and gorgeous.
They used precious stones like diamonds and sapphires, along with noble metals, as an item to display the wealth of the aristocracy.
From Kaffa to Earrite
In the 20th century, a French jeweler named Marcel Boucher, who immigrated to the US in the early 1920s, created an item called "Earrite" to meet the needs of elite American women.
Earrites, like Kaffas, hooked over the entire ear but were secured with a clip at the earlobe.
In the 1950s, Earrites became extremely popular among fashionistas and socialites. Photographs of popular actresses like Lisa Baron and Marilyn Monroe wearing them still exist today.
And to the modern form of ear cuffs
Twenty years later, Earrite became a thing of the past, and ear cuffs began to be favored as a symbol of strength and rebellion.
In the 80s, amidst a mixed culture of pop and punk, they started appearing on the runways of fashion designers like Jean-Paul Gaultier.
In the 90s, ear cuffs, redesigned as silver accessories with simple designs or incorporating chains and stud motifs, became extremely popular.
The Checkers' ear cuffs are thought to be from this period.
Today, there are various designs, from simple ones to those resembling Kaffa or Earrite.
In the current mask-wearing environment, many people prefer smaller designs worn on the side of the ear, as they are less likely to snag when putting on or taking off a mask.
Investigating the origin of ear cuffs, prompted by Fumiya's ear cuff, led to many interesting discoveries.
It's quite astonishing that people have been adorning their ears for 4,000 years.
You can find AROM.'s ear cuff collection here.
* Reference images borrowed from Sophie's Closet
Introducing the Ear Cuff Diagnosis Tool
Even if you know how to properly widen them, you might still wonder which ear cuff suits you best. We've prepared a diagnosis tool that helps you find the right type for you by answering a few questions, so please give it a try.