When a male celebrity famed for "see(ing) both sides like Chanel" creates his jewellery brand, boasting brightly coloured accessories, genderless lab-grown diamonds, and a campaign primarily featuring male models - one would know that the men's jewellery market has seen a big cultural shift, in which guys are pretty like girls.
Men's jewellery has historically and unsurprisingly been "masculine" like most menswear. They are practically devoid of colour, while the design is simple and unadorned. Materials are restricted to the tried and tested classics gold and silver; finishings are inoffensive - blackened silver, brushed steel, or reworked machine parts. In fact, men's jewellery has long been gemless because jewels have been reserved for women for their notion of femininity. How, then, has the coloured gem become the choice accessory for a Gen-Z man steeped enough in TikTok and Pinterest fashion? How has a string of pearls and a multi-coloured gem choker become the defacto "f-boy" necklace, while costume jewellery from the likes of Vivienne Westwood found an unprecedented resurgence? The trend certainly begets many questions. Has the modern version of the urban metrosexual man adopted polychromatic jewellery as their new pointer to cultural prowess? Or has the youth's growing distaste for the colourless for the overwhelming palettes of millennial grey and eggshell white seeped their way into our choice for accessories? Perhaps its motivation is more pragmatic, an economical and accessible maxim for flair and eccentricity that is low-cost compared to traditional luxury jewellery brands. For the chronically online, as an appeal to the dating pool, to the "female gaze", to serve as an antithesis to the trope of the "manly man" and to break down ideas of the hyper-masculine. The reasons need not be mutually exclusive; in fact, it is likely a mix of all.
Denne historien er fra February 2024-utgaven av MEN'S FOLIO Malaysia.
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Denne historien er fra February 2024-utgaven av MEN'S FOLIO Malaysia.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Made For Modern Life
The Volvo EX30 is the much-needed vehicle for a joyful and fuss-free ride.
Eastern Charm
With a blazing display of KARLS Group's culinary bravura, the Upper House KL gives classic Asian flavours a modern twist.
When Worlds Collide
Where revered tradition meets unceasing imagination, Hennessy has teamed up with French artist Jean-Michel Othoniel for its latest collaboration.
The Watchlist
Chronicling the finest timepieces and jewellery for those who appreciate the best.
Forged in Steel
Franck Muller celebrates Sincere Fine Watches’ 7Oth anniversary with avery special Vanguard.
Racing Through Time
Celebrating Rolex's timeless relationship with motor racing.
A Man And His Watch
Men's Folio Malaysia speaks to watch collectors about the first watch that drew them into the hobby.
MIND THE GAP
Millennial humour or Gen Z brain rot? While the online debate rages on, a closer look reveals that these two generations might be staring into the same mirror-realising they are not so different after all. So why does it seem like the two generations are always lost in translation?
Phases of Time
In an exclusive interview with Men's Folio, Thai actor \"Blue\" Pongtiwat Tangwancharoen dons the iconic Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso and speaks about the concept of time as well as his latest endeavours.
GOING FOURTH
Even in the third interview with Nattawat Jirochtikul — or Fourth — there is more to be discovered about the actor and singer-songwriter, and Men's Folio learns of how much he has changed from the teen who won a talent competition to the young adult he is today.
