Men wearing necklaces

[Keltest]

I don't think it looks "too feminine", whatever that actually means, but I do think it looks, well... boring. I'm of the opinion that if youre going to wear a necklace it should either be visible and stand out, or have some sort of meaning to you (or both). Otherwise, well, someone mentioned wearing a shoelace around your neck earlier.

[Flickerdart]

You forgot gangster rappers.

That's not a necklace, that's the Spanish treasure fleet.

[cobaltstarfire]

I don't understand jewelry...

I don't understand why being wrapped around a neck twice would make a necklace more feminine? Does the double wrap somehow make it feel more 'delicate', and thus 'feminine'?

It looks simple, and neutral to me.

If you like the necklace wear it, it'll probably look nice.


Disclaimer: I do not wear jewelry at all nor am I known for adhering to or caring about what "gender" a thing has been assigned for. Though I suppose it's easier for someone presenting female to get away with dressing "masculine" than the other way around...

[tantric]

to be helpful, i went on etsy.com (vintage and ethic garb) and found some men's necklaces.

men's necklaces

i wear a buddha on a beaded lamp cord chain.

[huttj509]

Ooh, here's an idea.

The weight would be all wrong, but to get a feel for things try taking a long black shoelace and wrapping it around your neck like that.

A lot of the look depends on your personal proportions, style, and taste. I know blokes on whom that necklace would look fine, I know blokes on whom it would look odd.

As an example (though different concerns), I have a hat I wear often. On some people it looks a bit off, but when I look in the mirror I see me looking back. I feel it fits me (it also has personal sentiment, no, I didn't get it from George RR Martin, I got it from my grandpa TYVM).

A friend of mine has a hat he wears often. On him it looks awesome, on me it just looks goofy. His head is narrower than mine and it changes the flow.

[Bohandas]

"Treason, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder."

Also deathrays

[kraftcheese]

It looks like something a surfer would wear I guess?

If you like it, wear it! Why not?

[Foxtail]

I'm usually the guy who just says "If you like it then go ahead, don't care about what other say." but even so, I don't think it's necessarily feminine. If you think it looks good, I wouldn't think it'd look out of place.

[NickNgaruiya]

You don’t need any special training to recognize bracelets that go for men. Thin metal bands with precious stones are exclusively for women. Pretty much the other type of bracelets goes for males, as well. But here are a few that are the most common for menswear.

[Honest Tiefling]

If you were American, I'd suggest a nice, good watch that will match most of your clothes as an accessory. Iceland? No idea. My best guess is that if you like something like it, try to make it more masculine. I doubt bolo ties are widely known in Iceland.

One idea is to make it more masculine. The cord should perhaps be thicker and not as tightly wrapped around your neck. You don't want to emphasize how tiny your neck is, unlike the model. If you can get a leather version, the material itself might help. I do suggest adding a thicker piece somewhere to it, even if you don't like metal.

Have you considered going to a jewelry store? They want your money, sure, but they can usually offer some advice more relevant to your region. They want you to be happy with their purchase, after all.

[AuthorGirl]

As a girl whose family has quite strict ideas of appropriate femininity, I'd find it too masculine to wear without risking an argument. So there's that.

Seriously, though: life's short and you're a grown adult. Wear what you want.

[Kyberwulf]

I find it a good rule of thumb, that if anything is referred to as "unisex"... then it usually isn't.

The thing about bolo ties, is that you can really only wear those, if you are from the south (usually Texas) have an oil field, and have a drawl.


I noticed you said, Accessorizing, how tied are you to necklaces? Because, in my limited experience, only two types of people wear necklaces. Women, and men who want to show off their wealth. I mean baring religion or showing something significant (such as a wedding ring on a chain), which I assume isn't you since you mention it as accessorizing. I also assume that you don't want to show off since you also mentioned not liking metal, or shiny, and liking unobtrusive and simple.

I second, going to stores and asking around, or if you have a friend who shares the same kind of look you are going for as him. Ask some other people in your life if you know them. If you want to ask randos on the internet, try to bring some other things to show what you are wearing besides the necklace. Because, as far as accessories go, we need to see what you are "Accessorizing" to tell you if it looks good or not. I mean, you could dress like Eminem, and ask us if adding a stetson would make you look to "cowboy"... and we wouldn't know.

[2D8HP]

In counterpoint

Spoiler: Screamin' Jay "I put a sell on you" Hawkins

Show

Do not ask if what you want is "girly" remember that un hombre macho no pregunta, él es!

[Honest Tiefling]

I mean baring religion or showing something significant (such as a wedding ring on a chain), which I assume isn't you since you mention it as accessorizing. I also assume that you don't want to show off since you also mentioned not liking metal, or shiny, and liking unobtrusive and simple.

Could be a way to gain confidence in your jewelry selection. Get an item that represents a cause/belief/memory you have and put it on a thicker, plainer leather cord. If anyone asks, you have a way to make them feel bad.

[Lemmy]

Well... The guy asked the question 2 years ago, so at this point he probably already got his accessory or gave up the idea.

[Gravitron5000]

That's not a necklace, that's the Spanish treasure fleet.

Who knew that this whole time they were rapping about booty, they were actually talking about buried treasure?

[dehro]

I think what matters is that you're comfortable with it. if you are, whether it's girly or not is completely irrelevant.
There are always going to be men and women out there who have an opinion about anything you put on, or take off.
Put it this way.. would it be girly if, say, Jason Momoa, Brad Pitt or Johnny Depp wore it?
Is make-up in general particularly girly or effeminate?
Truth is, most jewelry, perfume and ways to adorn oneself were developed by men, for men, at least initially; like high heels, just to name one, intended to make one look taller and more imposing.
Every society has it's own particular hang-ups.. but that's all they are. Pink shirts would be a no-no for a guy in certain countries. In Italy they're perfectly fine. Skirts would be frowned upon in many countries.. but there are plenty of countries where they are acceptable... Plenty of dudes in Asia use make-up and have droves of girls chasing them.
It's all equally pointless and gains significance only when you give it value.
If you like it, wear it.

[Lvl 2 Expert]

EDIT: Ah dammit, got suckered into necroreplying. In general I don't like the rules against that, but for advice topics thay're a good thing. Anyway, I wrote it already:




I'm going to skip the whole discussion on "you should wear what you like", because you should wear what you like. I'm instead going to analyse what looks traditionally masculine and feminine about this necklace.

The necklace is simple, made from mostly everyday materials and generally looks not jewelry like. That's unisex or maybe even masculine. A girl could use an accessory like this to look a bit more tomboyish or less "trying hard to look pretty" while still using jewelry to not look too bland or casual.

Another aspect of the necklace is that it's thin and lacy, and that's kind of feminine. Imagine the same simple lace with a shark tooth or a raptor/bear claw on it. That's manly. It has the same simple materials and natural look, but like other examples people gave, it adds some weight to it. Some nice woodwork on a string could work as well, or even some bronze or copper ornament because of how unlike gold and silver it looks.

In that sense the bolo ties some people linked seem design wise almost the opposite of this, yet very similar in overall effect. They look like jewelry, they're elaborate and metally, but they add some weight and size to compensate and become more manly. They're not something you would wear when you want to be the manliest man around, more something a man would tack on to an outfit to show sophistication or a gentler side, or even "I'm so manly I'm still the man while wearing this". (I guess rapper bling is kind of the exception, because of how ridiculously they often overdo the size and weight aspect and how it's tied to a specific subculture and has build up meaning within and through that.)

So yeah, I would definitely say this has a unisex or feminine quality to it, similar to guys wearing earrings. If you're trying to be conscious about the signals the stuff you're wearing give off, this will give many people some sort of feminine or unisex signal. Depending on the viewer, the rest of your clothing and just how you yourself look you might be seen as sensitive, deeper than meets the eye, sophisticated, gay (doesn't even have to be by people who have certain negative perceptions off that matter, it's just in general an impression some people could get), or just plain so secure in your masculinity that you can throw on anything, like an 80's rocker. That's my take on it anyway.

[Vinyadan]

What about men-wearing necklaces, though?

[Corsair14]

As an amature jeweler, I tend to refer men to silvers, tribal and jade. I cant actually see the original pic as its blocked where I am. Neutral or earthtone stones, or on darker skinned individuals smaller turquoise and silver pieces. Certianly no brighter than that.

[darkrose50]

That looks a LOT like a Bolo tie . . . (In a Simpson hillbilly voice) that cowboy thingum what cowboys wear. Looking like a cowboy is manly, I bet.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolo_tie

-----

At work we wear lanyards with our work ID on them. They just started color coding them . . . like from PARANOIA . . . sort of. I am purple, and in Paranoia that is second to the highest rank (8/9), but sadly here at work it is the middle 3/5 one.


-----

When on vacation to someplace like Disney or while at a convention to someplace like GenCon I wear a belt pouch / fanny pack. Those are now in style with 20-something girls that go to clubs. I am guessing so that they can have a phone in one hand and a drink in the other, and not worry too much about their purse.

------

That is basically a bolo tie, which was popular even when I was young and when worn right, is definitly masculine.

You beat me to the punch!

-----

To be fair, I've seen guys wear pink shirts saying "tough enough to wear pink". The decision of what is and is not something in fashion changes like the wind.

This post is mainly an excuse to link this video by garak on fashion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jW5weeu3kQ

Pink was once a mans color . . . all the red-like colors were . . . because blood . . . and how we would be all manly and make it come out of other manly men. Men also used to get all the flower names.

[sktarq]

Pink was once a mans color . . . all the red-like colors were . . . because blood . . . and how we would be all manly and make it come out of other manly men. Men also used to get all the flower names.

Yes but the French Men liked it....And thus the Brits started calling Pink a feminine colour as a way of calling into question the masculinity of the French. And the via the British empire and the like and that norm became phenomenally widespread.

Because the British be using colour to play with the heads of the continental types...again.

- see also using a Mexican red dye to make "redcoats" a law in order to A: Provide a market for all the dye the privateers were raiding from the Spanish and B: to publically make fun of the Spanish by declaring their confidence in their ability to KEEP raiding the Spanish galleons on their way be from the new world.

[Liquor Box]

Yes but the French Men liked it....And thus the Brits started calling Pink a feminine colour as a way of calling into question the masculinity of the French. And the via the British empire and the like and that norm became phenomenally widespread.

Because the British be using colour to play with the heads of the continental types...again.

- see also using a Mexican red dye to make "redcoats" a law in order to A: Provide a market for all the dye the privateers were raiding from the Spanish and B: to publically make fun of the Spanish by declaring their confidence in their ability to KEEP raiding the Spanish galleons on their way be from the new world.

If that's true, I think it is hilarious that the idea that pink is not for men came from the English wanting to call the masculinity of the French into question.

[Xuc Xac]

Yes but the French Men liked it....And thus the Brits started calling Pink a feminine colour as a way of calling into question the masculinity of the French. And the via the British empire and the like and that norm became phenomenally widespread.

Because the British be using colour to play with the heads of the continental types...again.

The idea that pink is for girls started after World War II, because department stores and fashion retailers all pushed it as part of a "return to peace time/end of rationing/let's all relax" marketing campaign. Women could stop wearing blue cotton work shirts and leave their factory jobs, so why not go the complete opposite of blue denim? Frilly pink aprons and skirts for staying at home!

People bought into it hard. "Pink is for girls" was what baby boomers grew up with. Like everything else that happened more than twice to a baby boomer, it was assumed to be a tradition handed down from time immemorial.

[Knaight]

Like everything else that happened more than twice to a baby boomer, it was assumed to be a tradition handed down from time immemorial.

Mind if I borrow this phrase? It's a thing of beauty.

[sktarq]

The idea that pink is for girls started after World War II,.....
People bought into it hard. "Pink is for girls" was what baby boomers grew up with. Like everything else that happened more than twice to a baby boomer, it was assumed to be a tradition handed down from time immemorial.

Not quite, though that is where it rises in popularity again.

the had faded somewhat but was a thing before that-esp in England....the baby boomers brought it back and Americanized it though.

[Jay R]

"Ignore what other people think" is just as wrong as "do what other people think," and for the same reasons.

Make your own decisions, based on all the information - and that includes what the people you care about think.

[Note that if somebody tells you to ignore everybody else's opinion, they are implicitly declaring that you should not ignore theirs.]


In the specific example of the necklace, it depends so much on what else you're wearing, how you look, where you intend to wear it, what other people wear to the same venue, etc., that we can't give very informed advice.

I recommend asking somebody whose fashion sense you trust, and whose opinion matters to you, a more specific question, like, "How would this necklace look with this shirt, at the barbecue next Saturday?"

[Sinewmire]

When I'm wanting to be dressy, I have a bronze rectangular pendant, about the height and width of a thumb, covered in norse knotwork that I wear on a leather string around my neck at just above open-shirt collar height. I think it makes me like a self-absorbed d-bag, but I tend to underplay everything too much, and I also think it looks quite good and so does my girlfriend, so I do it.

Generally in my opinion I'd say traditionally feminine neck-wear tends to be fiddlier, and comprised of smaller intricate pieces, where mens' tends to be larger individual pieces (although they can be intricate items). Gold chains were all the rage back in the noughties, there's always some dude wearing bear claws or sharks' teeth.

[Knaight]

"Ignore what other people think" is just as wrong as "do what other people think," and for the same reasons.

...

[Note that if somebody tells you to ignore everybody else's opinion, they are implicitly declaring that you should not ignore theirs.]

Not necessarily - there's a fairly clean transition here. "Ignore what other people think" is effectively a shorthand for "switch your way of thinking about this topic from one that takes other's preferences into account, to one that ignores them". You're addressing the person at the first part of the transition, where they currently don't ignore opinions. In the second part of the transition you may well be asking them to blow you off just like everyone else.

[Themrys]

"Ignore what other people think" is just as wrong as "do what other people think," and for the same reasons.

I don't ignore what other people think.

I pay attention to it and then very deliberately and intentionally do the opposite.

(Well, most people. My friends tend to agree with my course of action, that's why they are my friends)

With regard to the wearing of necklaces as a male, I'd think about whether I'd endanger my life and/or seriously damage my social standing by going against gender norms in this way. If not - well, gender norms need to be challenged regularly so that people get used to the fact that their silly ideas aren't law.

Otherwise, you might end up with the silly gender norms actually becoming laws, and next thing you know, you live in a dystopia a la Handmaid's Tale.

Besides, I just prefer to do what I want, if it is at all possible to do so without getting myself killed, or unemployed.


Male necklace-wearing just pushes the boundaries a bit.

If Aragorn does it, it can't be wrong.