Many men don’t wear much jewelry. If you’re married, then perhaps you wear a wedding ring, but apart from that, many men keep their wearable accessories to a minimum. That notion of thinking has come in and out of favor over the years. It’s currently out. More men are wearing jewelry, and women are loving it.
A survey on GuysAskGirls.com showed that girls preferred guys wearing a few pieces of jewelry over wearing none at all. Most girls that commented expressed keeping it simple, and to a minimum number of pieces.
Cultural differences also account for acceptability of men wearing jewelry. What comes to mind for me is Italian men and their jewelry. How many movies have an Italian guy wearing a gold necklace, or a flashy pinky ring?
But too much flashy jewelry becomes a turn off for many women, and puts the man into a stereotype, like being an Italian mafia man.
Women prefer men that wear either a simple necklace, a leather or rubber bracelet (like the charity bracelets), a watch (this actually can be a little flashy), or one unique ring. The main point was that men shouldn’t wear too much jewelry.
Men should stick to simple men’s rings. Rings that have a modern or timeless look to them is preferable, rather than something that could be mistaken for your mom’s jewelry.
“I feel confident wearing one of our wine barrel wood rings because of it’s simple design, and how it incorporates a pretty manly material… wood.” – Kyle Goleno (founder of Cask Jewelry)
In today’s world; both men and women are free to express themselves in whatever fashion they so desire. Expression of one’s individuality is not only common, but is encouraged among peers.
You can walk down the street and see men confidently wearing brightly colored clothes, outlandish hats, and jewelry all without judgment from passerbyers. A man wearing a nice necklace, bracelet or simple ring is not only accepted, but considered cool.
The story makes it more acceptable.
Based on several surveys of online content, it seems that most women are more accepting of men wearing jewelry if it is not flashy and also has a deeper meaning. If a man is wearing a simple unique ring and somehow has an emotional connection to the piece, then not only do women find it acceptable, but they actually appreciate it.
Women liked when they learned more about why the man was wearing the jewelry. The jewelry’s uniqueness comes from the connection to the piece.
Her eyes twinkle when she learns that he wears that necklace because it was given as one of the groomsmen gifts by Urban Designer from a grandfather who has passed. Or, when she learns that his bracelet is from a small village he visited on vacation that led to a change in his lifestyle. Or that he is passionate about something… like wine, and wears a ring made from a wine barrel :).
Getting to the story about the jewelry is the fun part. Having a piece of jewelry that is both non-flashy but catches the attention of a woman is something that is rarely achieved.
Nice ring, is that wood?
There’s a difference between flashy, and unique. Most men should stay away from jewelry with gems. Shiny cut stones that reflect light tend to be more feminine, and are a turn-off for most women. Go for materials that are smooth and flat as a general rule. I think the big exception to this generalization is one or a few small diamonds.
Best colors for men’s jewelry include
- Silver – Think Silver, Platinum, Titanium, Tungsten
- Black – Black Coral, Black Onyx, Cobalt
- Brown – Cat’s Eye, Wood
- Blue – Usually a dark hue with some variance of black
- Tan – Antler
These traditional boy colors aren’t the only thing a man can wear, but they are a good starting point if you’re concerned about wearing jewelry and looking girly.
Unique Men’s Rings
When searching for unique women’s rings, I found that most of them still have a common theme: Shiny metal, and/or sparkly gem, and/or bright colored stone.
But unique men’s rings range the gamut of images carved into the top of the ring. The skull head ring seems to be a popular available option, which then perhaps isn’t so unique.
I’m sure you could find the perfect $20 skull head ring at Rebels Market .
I found rings with a carving of a Lion, Wolf, Cheetah, Bulldog, and the whole cast of Star Wars at Tribal Hollywood.
This style of ring may be pushing the individualism needle a little far. You don’t want to come off looking immature or looking like you are trying too hard.
I found this unique men’s ring at Wolf and Badger. It’s a simple ring that includes the symbols of the suit of cards. It certainly tells a story about your interests, but is still simple in design. Although now thinking about it, I could think of several situations where I have heard women say they would shy away from getting involved in a guy who likes to gamble.
Society seems to be getting better about not judging books by their covers, but our style still says something about ourselves. If you choose to have your hair dyed, have tattoos, and wear ripped clothes, you are projecting one image, compared to a man who has a clean shave, polo shirt with the color popped and brightly colored Bermuda shorts.
The jewelry a man wears may not project quite a dramatic stereotype, but the choice of your jewelry still says something about who you are, or what you are into.
Keep it simple, keep it manly.
What do you think? Do you think men can pull off wearing the jewelry I’ve described? Does having a story to go along with the jewelry make it more acceptable?
Cask Jewelry makes refined women’s and men’s wood jewelry from reclaimed oak wine barrels.
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