CHICAGO
zakkiyyah
Hoop earrings for me - especially small - medium dainty hoops - signify elegance and simplicity. My style is pretty practical and minimal, but I love elegance and feeling elegant. I can wear my hoops to work, to art openings, or a gala if I wanted to. The versatility and aesthetics of hoop earrings are timeless - they will never go out of style! This all depends on the type of hoop earrings (haha). If I'm wearing big bamboo gold hoop earrings or the big round thin hoops, they make me feel sexy and fierce. I always feel like I'm tapping into a different part of myself, that's connected to a history of Black women who have always worn hoops as a loud fashion statement. There's a very specific type of Black femininity that I tap into when I wear those. If I'm wearing simple dainty gold hoops, I feel a little more subtle and laidback, but still elegant and graceful. For the most part, hoops make me feel multi-dimensional as a woman. The first pair of hoops I tried on, were some small silver hoops that belonged to my mom. And in this traditional way, they made me feel "made-up" and like a woman - because I would always see her and older women wear them. I remember feeling like I was "grown" when I had them on (haha).
Nancy
I grew up only wearing hoop earrings, they were a part of me. My visual understanding of the people that surrounded me. At some point, it felt as though I was shamed out of them. Wearing hoop earrings as an adult represents a reclaiming of power, story, and the self. They are my hype girls, I feel ready with my girls. I have soo many poems I've written about my experience with hoops. They carry so much collective as well as individual history. But, if I had to choose a memory, it would be just me, admiring my grandmother's golden hoops with a flower cutout design.
mia
Hoops are extremely cultural for me.. As someone who studies adornment across various indigenous communities in Africa + the America’s, I can say with confidence that modern day hoops are a significant marker of culture. I might even go as far to say that getting your first pair of hoops is a mini little rites of passage. I feel confident, GROWN, and myself. Wearing big grandiose hoops reminds me to take up space wherever I go. My favorite memory as of late is when I got one of the biggest opportunities in my entrepreneurial career, and the conversation starter with the the CEO of said venture capital company was the lights on my lantern hoop earrings!
luz
I am a first generation Chicana born and raised in Southern Califas, I was practically born with hoops on. Nah but for real the hoop is a staple of our cultura no matter where we living. Here in Chicago I see the flyest people of color wearing hoops, often with Jordans, and heavy eyeliner, it’s a different vibe than the Cholx culture from back home but carries the same magic. I feel fly as hell when I wear hoops. My favorite hoops are big, cheap, and from the hood beauty supply. I can skip the full face makeup, put my hair up in a bun, and wear my cozy sweats, and still feel bomb cuz the hoops truly set a mood. “The bigger the hoop the bigger the hoe!,” I remember hearing this growing up and shit is hella funny to me. I think a lot of us reclaimed that slut shaming sentiment by wearing our hoops and feeling sexy no matter if they’re big or small.
mckenzie
Sometimes, it’s just easy fashion, a Monday through Sunday look that even if it couldgo out of style, I wouldn’t care; my hoops are mine. Other times, I see Black people and People of Color, and those descended from indigenous peoples, and suddenly my hoops exalt me into the tribes of my ancestors, locking me firmly into a legacy that’s richer than any American history book or Urban Outfitters trend would ever willingly acknowledge. I’m given the password to an exclusive yet perennial zeitgeist peopled by fierce-eyed Black and Browns who share not only struggle, but beauty. Resilience. Fortitude. Creativity. Ingenuity. And legacy. Legacy. Legacy. Legacy. Most days, I’m pretty thoughtless about my hoops. I throw in my go-to pair: big, gold-plated, inexpensive, and just heavy enough that I can feel them move with me as I go about my day. They are the ones I can wear with almost anything, and when I look in the mirror, I can feel myself come into greater focus. I feel elevated, a Black regal. I feel like maybe people will think twice before they try to fuck with me to today. I wear them, too, as a signal to the homies. They call out This is who I am and who I am proud to be! This is the jewel in the armor I wear to fight white supremacy! Stand with me! The first pair of hoops I can remember were given to me by my mother when I was just five years old. She had pierced my ears when I was a baby, but I never liked jewelry because I thought it just got in the way of all the running, jumping, cartwheeling and general mayhem I liked to engage in. This was the first piece of jewelry that I didn’t fight her about. I remember them so clearly - they were small and delicate, probably hollow inside because they were so light, gold with a clasp in the back, and beveled sides. Putting those hoops in before church I remember as the first time in my young life that I ever experienced feeling beautiful.
pinqy ring
Hoops to me are home. They travel with me from far to wide, gold or silver, corner stores and club floors. Hoops are different countries, in different languages, and different dances. Hoops are a twerk session, especially when you're perreando sola. "The bigger the hoop, the closer to Gawd..." Hoops are my religion. Hoops are my femininity, but also my "Don't fuck with me." You're a fierce gatita fiera when you slip them on, but EVERYTHING can go down once you take them off. Hoops are Chicago. Hoops are Hip Hop. Hoops are "Boriqua, Morena", & everything in between. Hoops are women and femme folk dressing themselves up during a Quarantine... Hoops are resilience. Strength when you need it most. Hoops fit into any setting. Hoops adjust to the pressure. Hoops last. And, so will we.
melissa
Hoops are an infinite statement of power, beauty, & glamour. The hoops I wear were a birthday gift from my older sister so I feel timeless & glamorous whenever I wear them. Since my hoops were a gift from my sister: every experience I have in them is magical. I’m poet, so I often perform in them as a good luck charm.
NEIVA
Hoop earrings represent a symbol of my unfiltered Latino existence. They are ornaments of my brown beauty and femininity. I feel powerful. Hoops have the capability of announcing my presence loud & proud in any space. They allow me to own my whole look & identity. Hoops have become a symbol to me of power & pride. I have worked in a corporate setting for many years. Hoops are not really considered “professional’ in the workplace. Women of color from all walks of life and cultures have been wearing hoops long before it was considered a trend. However, we still can’t wear these earrings without facing discrimination for looking “too ghetto.” On my birthday last year, I walked into my office. On my desk, there was a small gift bag. I opened it and it was a pair of rose gold hoop earrings from my boss. She stated that she saw them and automatically thought of me as it was my signature accessory. Receiving that gift made me feel as if I took a leap in destigmatizing hoops as unprofessional. I will never forget that.
SADIE
Hoops have been a fashion staple since adolescence coming of age in the 80s-90s, alongside door knockers, razor blades, nameplates, grillz, gold links and bling. For me, hoops have been a symbol of femininity and style in hip hop culture and streetwear. They were a bold choice in owning my self-expressions through fashion, and what made me feel glamorous. I still find pleasure and play in modern, fashion-forward takes on the classic hoop. As a DJ, having a sense of personal style reflective of your work is just as important as it is to harness technical skills to spin and have a keen knowledge of music as a selector. Wearing hoops is a way for me to honor the subcultures that influenced fashion through street culture, and in turn influenced me as a young person in ways that continue to resonate with me and my work to this day. There is power in that and owning it is sexy to me. My grandmother is a native New Yorker, Puerto Rican from Brooklyn. As a young child, I would accompany her with my mom on family road trips to visit family mainly in Bushwick, Flatbush and Williamsburg. We would also shop in New York because at the time it was cheaper to find clothes and jewelry there then in Chicago. Some of the places my mom would frequent for gold jewelry were on Knickerbocker and Stockholm back then. Her favorite all time shop is Majestic Jewelry.
sky
Hoop earrings to me represent Fashion, Culture, and Confidence. When I wear hoop earrings I feel confident and strong. I feel like I’m representing culture and representing being a Latina and being comfortable in my own skin. My special memories with my hoops is wearing them when I go out with my best friend. We’ve had some of our greatest girls nights, and we never forget our HOOPS.
DANI
Hoops are about visibility to me. Big, flashy hoops take up space. They shout READY OR NOT HERE I COME! When I wear my hoops I feel formidable. People can't tell me anything when I'm feeling chingona vibes. Hoops just take me to the next level. My CUTIE PIE hoops are definitely my favorite pair despite also being the heaviest. A few years back Justice of the Pies was at Renegade Craft Fair and had these adorable hoops for sale beside their delicious pies. I had already spent a lot at other booths so I was debating the purchase. When they told me the proceeds were going to the I Knead Love workshop, it was done deal. The workshop provides elementary aged kids from lower income communities instruction on nutritional development, acquiring basic cooking skills, and encouraging creativity in the kitchen. I'm proud my favorite hoops also put money toward something good.
vicko
To me, HOOP earrings are my defense when I'm not too sure I can defend myself. When I catch myself feeling insecure about the decisions I make for myself, when I catch myself questioning what I deserve, I'll just slip on some HOOPS and remember who the fk I am, where I came from, and who I wanna be. When I wear HOOP earrings I feel like I can get anything I set out to get. But with setting goals comes knowing that you'll get curved a few times so I'm also ready to receive whatever may come. RIP to the HOOPS I lost traveling the U.S. as an organizer, the HOOPS I lost on a dumb night out with friends, and the HOOPS that probably got moshed on at Ruidofest.
felicia
To me, hoops mean Fun, urbanity, timelessness. I feel bold, bouncy & fly when I rock hoops of any size. I didn't have pierced ears until my 13th birthday, so wearing hoops always reminds me of my bat mitzvah. I also think about LL Cool J's classic cut, "Around The Way Girl" and hoop-wearing icons like Jody Watley, Sade, Janet Jackson & Prince.
JacquI
Hoops mean heritage, legacy, and herstory. Unstoppable. I inherited the gold hoops in the photo from my abuela Lola when she passed away a few years ago. I also inherited the gold necklace you see in the photo, along with a few other beautiful and unique pieces of gold jewelry. These are deeply personal and highly cherished family heirlooms that I will treasure for the rest of my life. When I wear them, I feel her spirit living on through me.