A nameplate necklace (also known as a name necklace) is a type of necklace which displays a name, initials, or other words of choice. Originating among African-American and Latino communities during the 1980s and 1990s, nameplate necklaces have become a popular fashion piece all around the world.
The nameplate necklace originated in African-American and Latino communities in the 1980s and 1990s as a form of cultural expression among wearers. During this time, nameplate necklaces were available from street vendors, with Fulton Street, Brooklyn, becoming a popular destination for buyers.
During the 1980s and 1990s, nameplate necklaces became a staple of hip hop culture, being popularised by artists like Big Daddy Kane and Slick Rick. By the early 2000s nameplate necklaces were mass-produced by large department stores such as Walmart, which mainly catered to those with common English names.
Given that nameplate necklaces are sometimes associated with low-income communities of colour, journalist Collier Meyerson claimed that nameplate necklaces arose as a "flashy and pointed rejection of the banality of white affluence". Rosa Salas described nameplate necklaces as a "political expression of personhood" among people who have been marginalised by "racial, ethnic and class-based hierarchies".
Meyerson generated some controversy in 2016 when she claimed that white people were engaging in cultural appropriation by wearing nameplate necklaces, claiming <blockquote>"White girls and women have other stories, but they donâÂÂt have ours. It never feels like a homage to me when I see a white woman rocking a nameplate". </blockquote>Katherine Timpf from National Review responded "cultures and trends are shifting all the time, and elements from outside sources are always inspiring mainstream fashion".