Oh Errol, I would do anything to wear an earring like him . . blokes wearing earrings? Your thoughts?

I came across a 48-year-old tradesman this morning (he fixes and attaches roofs for a crust) and he got me thinking about a matter of international fashion interest and intrigue. The wearing of earrings by men of a certain arrge.

This guy, who is already grandfather, and a mighty fit one at that, wears a thickish, engraved, smallish hoop earring . . . and he got me thinking about earrings on men.

Ok, by 'older' let's say men over the half way point . . . say 45. For some, the look works. For others, well it just plainly doesn't.

I mean what would old-school actors, Tyrone Power and Errol Flynn be if they hadn't worn their hoop earrings when they were in pirate mode (an old wives tale says real 'pirates' wore them so the metal, ie, gold, would ward off evil spirits on the high seas.)
Harrison Ford would be a perfect of the older man . . . if it wasn't for the daggy diamond stud he wears. For some strange reason it kind of trivialises and demeans the 'seriousiness' he puts into his 'craft' (that's plain old 'acting' to most of us) wheras The Rolling Stones' Keith Richards, the confessed drug-lover just wouldn't be the same without heap of head and hand jewellery to enhance his gloroiusly rock-star persona.

David Beckham, and his nouveau-riche lifestlye gets him over the jewellery finish line, pulling off the look with ease, while earrings on Bruce Springsteen and Johnny Depp also pull it off without us searching for the nearest bucket.

To me, the premise of some (older) men wearing an earring is that he is trying to cling onto a skerrick of his youth. A bit like one of those Garfield, stick-on plush toys that are stuck on car windows, for no real apparent reason, but just clinging on for a piece of his dear, youthful life.

Or, perhaps some men feel the need to compete with us chicks in the jools stakes (P. Diddy is a perfect example and he's another who gets away with it) but I do find when men wear two hoops, unless they are of tranny persuasion and are doing it for 'professional' reasons, kind of make me chuckle.

Rock stars, artistes and assorted celebrities, yes, they work on them; but most lawyers, money market boys, public servants, teachers and GPs, well, they kind of don't. Even though Doctor Brenden Nelson soon got ride of his earring when he became our momentary Coalition leader.

On the other hand, there aren't many ways of men to show their 'rebellious' side (and please forget amusing ties) so an earring or a, wow, edgy haircut is about it for some older boys.

Simply, earrings are either a yoh-go or a total no-go, so for men to earring or not to earring?

It's over to you to let me know?