The Rosary

R E L I G I O U S   J E W E L R Y   I N   F A S H I O N :

So. happy Weekend, to those who are not studying a fashion deign degree and actually get weekends. For us at fedisa, it's just a longer day to work with more hours. Which is always useful.

We are in the midst of writing our seemly last dissertation of our degree with the theme being Trends in History . . . we were given topics and we must find a trend in said topic and elaborate.

One of them caught my attention more than others because I have had personal experience with this. I am openly open and aware to all religious, beliefs and faiths around me. I love fashion, trends and people what make themselves known through these things.

THE ROSARY AND SAINT BRACELETS

A Rosary is a strand of prayer beads that are used during the Catholic Marian Devotion, during which Hail Marys are recited. The number of beads provides a physical method of keeping count of the Hail Marys said. They are kept in the pocket of Catholics to remind them to pray. A Saint Bracelet is to the same effect.

The word comes from the Latin term, rosearuim, which means “Rose Garden” or “Garland of Roses”. Tradition says that Saint Dominic, a Carthus monk, was given the first rosary by an apparition of the Virgin Mary. The prayer beads can be made from wood, jade, amber, stone and precious metals. Simply, the rosary is a long loop of small beads in groups of ten, and ever tenth small bead, there is a bigger one. There are about nine of these ‘decades in a loop, and then a crucifix hangs off the end of a ‘decade’

In recent fashion, the Rosary is being worn around the neck, as a necklace. In the 80’s, Madonna was photographed for her cover and during her video of Like a Virgin and in the movie, Desperately Seeking Susan, wearing a silver Rosary. This was the first look at religious symbols being used as fashion accessories.

In the popular recent movie, Twilight, Kristen Stewart is seen wearing a Saint Bracelet, as her character Bella.

Other celebrities to push this religious jewelry fashion are the Gotti Brothers of Growing Up Gotti, The men of Jersey Shore, Britney Spears, popular music and rappers such as Justin Bieber, 50 Cent and Jessica Simpson and sportsmen like David Beckham.

And let's just be honest, once the Biebs has done something, it's going to be a trend.

The Catholic church is appalled at the sacrilegious use and blatant lack of respect that people portray by wearing the religious statement pieces, and they say it is devaluing the history and traditional religious value those rosaries have. It is a hot topic of interest at the moment, with my bloggers and online magazines posting polls about whether or not this trend should be allowed.

this picture is one of some good boys I've known for years, 16 years old, sporting a fashion that has such huge connotations behind it.

It looks pretty good, and it's good to see men/boys accessorising, but is this the way to do it? I'm not sure where they saw it, but that is my point - it's everywhere.

The Christian Orthodox version of these is a Prayer Rope. It is very similar in that the rope is simply a long stand of knots and beads, with a tassel of rope at the end, where the crucifix on the traditional rosary hangs. It will only be a matter of time until this too will be seen in fashion. 

I have this general idea for things like this:

understand what you are doing and take the consequences that come with it.

Religion is huge, and with so many people these days having open ideas behind what they believe, eventually people are going to forget the actual meaning behind the styles.
 what is your take on this trend? Do you follow it? Get it? Hate it?

peace & love

pictures: 1 / 2 / 3