Men and women the world over, have long adorned themselves with beautiful things. Whether it be jewelry or glamorous clothing, additions to the body are part of the human tradition. Rings, necklaces, earrings, arm and
ankle bracelet, are just a few of the many types of jewelry seen today. For some the jewelry has nothing more than decorative value, for others it defines who they are as people, either culturally or according to how society views its meaning.
While men may where certain pieces, jewelry is associated with women and popular fashion. With pieces ranging from the simple and inexpensive to the intricate and one of a kind, people enhance any part of the body they choose to. One piece seeing a comeback is the anklet, which has been around since at least the Bronze Age, thousands of years ago.
The feet are not often the first place that come to mind when thinking about jewelry. Yet the ankle is perfect spot for a bracelet, like a lower body version of the wrist. The ankle may be an even better site for adornment than the wrist, as the foot provides a better blockage to a bracelet falling off, as can occur on the wrist.
Dressing up the ankles and feet is popular among many Eastern cultures. Excavations from Persian sites have turned up many of these trinkets and in India they are about as common as any other type of jewelry. While both men and women in India wear anklets of all types and forms, they are often associated with women and marriage. It is a practical and appreciated gift to give the bride, and the tinkling of small bells from the bangles around her feet usually announces the arrival of the bride.
In Western cultures like the US, jewelry for the ankle or foot is a more contemporary idea. Owing to the idea that the feet and legs of women should be covered up until the turn of the 20th century, women had little reason to think of decorating their lower extremities. A peek of a woman's ankle was often seen as taboo, and that the girl must be fast and loose if she were to allow a man to see that private area. Thanks to a revival of equality for women and their eventual sexual liberation, the ankle would soon make its appearance in the world of fashion. In the US, anklets were first seen on the bobby soxers who wore them as an adornment to their socks. Contemporary times have seen the comeback of the anklet as jewelry for the legs, in this age of short shorts and short skirts.
Like other jewelry, these bracelets come in an array of types and forms. Ranging from strings, straps, and chains to intricate pieces with precious stones and metals, the anklet is a piece that draws attention to the foot whether it is by itself or one of many. In India, small bells often tinkle from around the ankle, while in the US many choose to adorn theirs with charms. With the ankle, anything goes.
Just as people express themselves through their clothing choices, or what genre of music they listen to, so does jewelry act as a way to express who that person is. Where it is worn on the body is a further extension of who they are. The anklet can be worn as a cultural decoration with deeper meaning or as a simple beautiful embellishment to an area that is often overlooked, but which has as much beauty as other parts of the body. It is a versatile piece of jewelry that has for centuries stood as a symbol of beauty.
