Ever snagged the only open spot in a packed parking lot or, swiped the last jacket at an Acne Studios sample sale ? If so, then you know the wrath of a vicious look. Because these types of envious glares were thought to cast curses of misfortune or physical harm, eye-shaped talismans were historically employed as a form of eye-for-an-eye protection. Superstitions surrounding the evil eye may vary, but ocular amulets are worn across the globe as quasi-universal mechanisms of defense. The popular aesthetic interpretation of what was originally a small, eye-like blue bead has evolved with contemporary fashion's growing interest in mystical jewelry and design . But, long before the evil eye pins à la Alexander McQueen and Gigi Hadid's embellished mules for Stuart Weitzman , the use of this enchanted motif spanned centuries and civilizations dating back to 3300 BC — most notably in the Ottoman Empire.