Engagement rings for men growing in popularity
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
According to a new report there is a growing trend in the US for men to wear an engagement ring – dubbed a ‘mangagement ring’.
According to the report in the Telegraph, the engagement rings are increasingly being sported by men who wear them until they get married, when the ring is swapped for or accompanied by a wedding band.
Wedding rings for men became popular in the 1920s but the trend really took hold during World War II, when men wanted to show that they were married and committed, despite being separated from their loved one. Men’s wedding rings became even more popular in the 60s and 70s as ideas of mutuality and equality began to really take hold.
However, Dr Stephanie Coontz, author of Marriage, a History: From Obedience to Intimacy, told the Telegraph, “I don't know of any historical precedent for a mangagement ring. After considerable research, I too have found no examples of an American woman giving her man an MR before 2008.”
A number of male celebrities have worn engagement rings, including Jennifer Hudson’s fiancé, David Otunga, and singer Michael Bublé. In a recent poll by Brides.com, 45 per cent of female respondents said they would give their fiancé an engagement ring.
