Are you looking at images of ‘Chucks and pearls’ on Meta? What does this trend mean? This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.
Meaning
The expression ‘Chucks and pearls’ refers to the viral trend on Facebook supporting the dress code choices of Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris. Kamala is an icon to young African-American women who see her as an astute, competent leader.
They connect with her because of her youthful act of wearing Converse Chuck Taylors with a string of pearls around her neck. While Harris received criticism for this dress code, she continues to use it.
Example Usage
“I love Kamala Harris! She’s the most important African-American woman on the planet. I’m rocking my Chucks and pearls to show support for her.”
“I love wearing my Chucks and Pearls in support o Kamala Harris. She’s a boomer, but she has style, and I like how she represents the youth of America with her fashion choices.”
“Chucks and pearls are the hottest fashion trend right now. It’s blowing up on TikTok, and Kamala Harris can be proud she finally did something that caught attention online.”
“Why does Kamala Harris like wearing Chucks and pearls? It’s her thing, what she’s known for, and what people will remember her for in history. What a shame.”
Origin
The expression ‘Chucks and pearls’ originates from a viral video trend promoting the dress code of Kamala Harris. Facebook users produced videos of themselves dressed in Converse ‘Chuck Taylors’ and strings of pearls in homage to Kamala Harris and how she blends formal and informal dress codes.
The movement started on the social media platform, Facebook (Meta), with users organizing groups like ‘Wear Pearls on January 20th, 2021’ and ‘Chucks and Pearls Day, January 20th, 2021,’ with 450,000 and 90,000 members in each respective group.
Harris coined this look, using her combination dress code of Chucks and pearls at several prestigious White house events and high-level meetings with delegates. The official word from Kamala as to why she chooses to wear such an informal dress code while occupying one of the most important offices in government is the following.
“Chucks — whatever your background is, whatever language your grandmother spoke — you know, we all at some point or another had our Chucks.”
However, there is no direct context for why she chooses to wear pearls. However, when accepting the Democratic VP nomination, Harris thanked her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha. The founders of this historical black sorority include notable members like Coretta Scott King, Maya Angelou, and Rosa Parks. The sorority’s founders were called ‘The Twenty Pearls.”
Phrases Similar to Chucks and Pearls
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Phrases Opposite to Chucks and Pearls
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What is the Correct Saying?
- Chucks and pearls.
Ways People May Say Chucks and Pearls Incorrectly
The phrase ‘Chucks and pearls’ doesn’t refer to a person named ‘Chuck.’ It refers to the Converse ‘Chuck Taylor’ sneaker model, popular with all age demographics across the United States. When you use the expression in a social media post, you’ll wear Chuck Taylor shoes and a string of pearls around your neck.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase Chucks and Pearls
You can use ‘Chucks and pearls’ to describe the action of wearing Chuck Taylor Converse shoes and pearls in the same outfit. Some people may find it tacky, but if it works for the Vice President of the United States, why not?
The phrase is a viral trend on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. There are hundreds of videos of young African-American women wearing ‘Chucks and pearls’ to show their support for Kamala Harris.