This Women’s History Month, Accentuate Your Femininity With A Vertical Philtrum Piercing

What we know as “feminism” is everchanging—from the women’s suffrage movement of the early 1800s, to the fight for equality and anti-descrimination of the late 19th century, to the modern-day pressure for inclusivity beyond white, cis-gender women. All that’s to say, feminism can mean something different to everyone, and we think that’s the beauty of the movement.

The month of March is Women’s History Month, where we commemorate, encourage, and honor the study, observance, and celebration of women in American history. As we think about how to celebrate this event, we’re reminded of the fight women face for bodily autonomy—to look and dress how they want, when they want. Piercings are just one form of this critical self expression and can undoubtedly convey one’s sense of style, with femininity being part of the puzzle.

One in particular, the Vertical Philtrum also know as the jestrum piercing, is a piercing that we believe can enhance this femininity. The vertical philtrum piercing is similar to a philtrum piercing in that it sits in the cupid’s bow of your upper lip. Except with the vertical philtrum, the jewelry is curved so that it’s also visible at the bottom of the top lip, accentuating that beautiful curve in the middle.

In this blog, we’ll talk about different ways a vertical philtrum piercing can help you step into your femininity. And, we’ll choose a couple jewelry styles that take inspiration from historic feminism trends.

Inspired By The Origins Of Lipstick

Femininity has long been associated with the appearance of one’s lips. But before lip appearance was tied to gender, accentuating one’s lips was a way to show one’s social status. Particularly, the ancient Egyptians—both men and women—used a form of red lipstick to show one’s high class. At some point in American history, specifically the early 1900s, lipstick started to garner a female following, mostly focusing on red colors to accentuate the mouth.

Because of this, we think the Beaded Red CZ Titanium Threadless Curved Barbell is a stellar choice to accentuate your femininity in a modern way—a jestrum piercing—while paying homage to the rich history of the red lipsticks and stains of the past.

Inspired By Historic Jewelry Trends

In 1830s French society, a woman owning jewelry (and lots of it!) signified financial freedom and overt femininity, according to British Vogue. Not only this, but it was a reminder of a woman’s sensuality, which was a rebellious act during that time. In post-World War II America, women finally had disposable income due to working jobs while their husbands were drafted away. The jewelry they bought had meaning, and it pointed back to their feminism and autonomy, just like those French courtesans.

In memory of this movement, we chose the Horde Cluster Clear CZ Titanium Threadless Curved Barbell. Its beautiful cluster of clear CZ gems, adorned with silver beads, is a gorgeous tribute to early-to-mid 1900s feminism. Not to mention, it’s a great choice for a jestrum piercing in order to call attention to the cupid’s bow. 

Inspired By Third-Wave Feminists

Historically, there have been four waves of feminism: the first surrounding women’s suffrage; the second calling for a reevaluation of gender roles; the third embracing rebellion; and the fourth being characterized by the Internet with movements like #MeToo.

Third-wave feminists, according to History.com, encouraged women to embrace their sexuality and individuality. Additionally, a lot of work was done on feminism and intersectionality during this wave, which better included transgender women and women of color in the feminist movement than the past two waves.

In honor of this iconic wave of feminism, we chose the Claw Purple Opalite Titanium Internally Threaded Curved Barbell to signify standing out. Women who characterized the third wave of feminism were loud and weren’t afraid to take up space in order to stand up for what they believed in—equal rights for all women. So with this bright-purple piece of jewelry, especially in a vertical philtrum piercing, we hope you can step into your femininity with pride.

Feminism Is For Everybody

The modern-day take on feminism is the fight for political, social, and economic equality for all genders. We know that piercings can be a critical part of one’s self expression, and this Women’s History Month, we hope you’ll take an opportunity to accentuate your femininity with some of these vertical philtrum piercing choices. But no matter your style, remember that Urban Body Jewlery has a wide portfolio of trendy, high-quality jewelry sure to meet your needs.