Are Grills Back? One Writer Takes Mouth Jewelry for a Spin
A grill from Brooklyn’s Undergroundgrillz. Photo: @undergroundgrillz/Instagram
I am a self-proclaimed jewelry fiend. Sparkles? Always. Delicate gold bands? Yes please! Chunky statement necklaces? Check! Once, I even got an additional ear piercing just so that I could wear a single earring I found in my grandmother’s jewelry box. I’ve experimented with most jewelry trends. There were toe rings and tattoo chokers in the ‘90s. Long beaded necklaces and big hoops in the aughts. And, most recently, midi rings and the statement earring. But there is place I have yet to wear jewelry—in my mouth.
Most people may not think of grills as jewelry, but I assure you, the craftsmanship, materials, and precious stones say otherwise.
Grills—aka fronts or goldies—have been around for millennia. Ancient cultures affixed decorative stones to their teeth, and today, remote Amazonian communities put gold basket crowns around select incisors to signify status and maintain tribal identity.
DJ and entrepreneur Hannah Bronfman recently showed off her grill on Instagram. Photo: @hannahbronfman/Instagram
Their most recent iteration in pop culture has been equally prolific. Gold and stone-encrusted grills have been spotted on everyone from Madonna to Miley, and like any good jewelry devotee, I wanted in on the action. And that’s how I ended up in a small second floor studio nestled above the bustle of Fulton Street Mall in Brooklyn. Undergroundgrillz—a name inspired by its original subterranean location—is a bespoke mouth jewelry company handcrafting some of the most interesting and creative grills in the game. The proprietor, Jean Midi, has been making grills since his late teens, carving grills for everyone from Madonna to Dr. Oz (seriously)—and now me.
“Bite down and push your lips over the mold,” I was told. “Mmm, hmmm,” I mumbled, as my teeth set into the viscous material forming around my gums. A few minutes later the mold was removed and I was on my way to becoming the proud owner of a shiny new grill.
Grills rose to popularity in the ‘80s and ‘90s when rappers and hip hop artists started wearing them en masse. Jean has been making them ever since, but has seen a distinct spike in business as of late. And fashion’s recent reinterpretation of ‘90s style may be to blame. “For us, grills are associated with creativity and fashion,” he says. And the fashion crowd seems to agree. Kim K. wore them on the cover of CR Fashion Book, Cara Delevingne’s flaunted hers, and Beyoncé featured a bedazzled “bottom six” in her video for “Yoncé.”
Kim Kardashian wore a grill on the cover of CR Fashion Book.
“We grew up on straight hip hop,” says Alain Gilles, the shop’s general manager. “Jay Z, Biggie, that whole style inspired us.” However, the team at Undergroundgrillz remains most inspired by their non-celebrity clients, 70 percent of whom are now women. “Our customers are regular people who are into fashion and appreciate what we are doing,” Gilles says, gingerly snapping in my petite two-tooth grill. I turned to the mirror and smiled, letting out a shriek of joy when I saw the glimmer of gold peek out from behind my lip. Wearing jewelry in such an unexpected location actually felt intoxicating.
So I took it out for a spin. I kind of felt like I was wearing a gold retainer, but I also kind of felt awesome. The women at my local nail salon certainly took note, and lingered a bit longer on my expression than usual. Later, I met up with some girlfriends to show off my shiny new bauble.
“Huh,” one said, as she cocked her head, staring. “It’s definitely interesting.”
I assured her that that proper styling would make all the difference. “Imagine it with a red lip, sleek hair, and an all-black outfit.”
“Ya, maybe…” she said.
The next evening I decided to dress for my grill, which proved more difficult than anticipated. J.Crew was too preppy, Steven Alan too bohemian. I threw on a Reformation top and some old cut offs before popping in my grill.
The author wearing her grill.
I was more comfortable wearing the grill, and less self conscious about my smile’s 24-carat sheen on day two. I nearly forgot it was in my mouth when I struck up a conversation with a friend-of-a-friend, who, when I pointed out my newest accessory, reminded me that trying new trends and methods of self-expression isn’t easy. “It takes courage!” she said.
I had forgotten how much fun experimenting with new fashion could be. Even in a city like New York, where self-expression is nearly a requirement, I seemed to have sunk into a routine largely devoid of fashion risk. My new grill changed all that. It made me think differently about my outfits, invigorated my sense of fashion curiosity, and, most importantly gave me an excuse to smile. How’s that for putting your money where your mouth is?
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