Childrens Fashion

Ear piercing has been practised all over the world since ancient times and its becoming increasingly popular today. Three main reasons people get piercings are culture, tradition or fashion.

While researching about piercing I was interested in finding out more why parents choose to get their babies ears pierced.  This subject is divided as to whether a parent have the right to make a choice for the child for reasons such as fashion or social statements.

This raises questions around this subject. Do they do it for fashion? If so is this an example of fashion being forced on children and does this lead to what subculture or stereotype they will fall into.

Hindus hold an ear piercing ceremony known as Karnavedha on babies of both sexes at twelve days old. They believe that the piercing of a hole in the lower lobes of the ear have benefits of acupuncture as well as distracting evil spirits. (http://www.babyworld.co.uk/information/baby/health/pierce.asp)

I asked people in my local area as to why they choose to get their childrens ears pieced and most of them said it was for fashion reasons and made them look 'cute'.

I took this photograph of a friends baby who had his ear pierced at 6 months old. I used a 50mm lens to get the shallow depth of field and to the focus to draw the viewers eye to the child's earring.