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The History Of Grillz And Their Return Back To The Modern Fashion World

The appeal drew so directly from what was loved in underground/African American culture wherein you take the essence of luxury and wealth that was historically separated from the black populus and brandish it proudly once you became able to achieve the same financial success as upper America. It was more than anything an unconventional sign of rebellion that played into music, art and pop culture. Heading into the mid 2000s they had reached an all time peak in popularity, and with that came even more ridiculous attempts to up the ante on cementing the look.

And as with any fad, once reaching its zenith of accessibility it slowly began to die out. It morphed into a stereotype meant to represent people with gaudy fashion taste who either wanted to flex the appearance of money they didn't have or had no sense of the current fashion climate. Eventually it became a rarity to see many celebrities wearing them at all, let alone your ordinary citizen. Incredibly enough, in its absence grillz still made strides towards creative modification that brought the concept back to the forefront. Most majorly was the accessory's "entry into high fashion wear.” It became a contrast to some of the most well respected fashion houses who offered slim and clean fabrics opposite to the more urban nature associated with grillz. A simple case of opposites attracting. This, in part, restirred the interest along with more creative interpretations of the idea being brought out by mainstream and local talents alike. Now there is no singularly recognized image with the fashion statement today and it is able to take on as many forms as your imagination allows. From Lil Yachty’s multi-colored canvas of teeth to Erykah Badu’s subtle one-tooth grill designs.

In the midst of all the clothing movements that have come and gone within the past four decades, something as basic as “tooth jewelry” has found a way to turn heads after all this time. Grillz represent a rare phenomenon in fashion where the cyclical breaks offered to the complimentary item seemed to heighten the nostalgia surrounding it while giving time for new variations of the concept to reach massive success.

They communicate the innate beauty of fashion, the ability to tell a story that reinvents what is previously expected while adding the unconstrained individuality of whoever dawns them.