Until yesterday, as it were, the only men’s concrete ring one could refer to were those representing the union of marriage. If anything, the extravagant references riddled with XL gemstones with which rappers and hip hop artists began to dress their fingers in the late 1970s in a claim of status aimed at all those conservatives who thought they could not climb to the upper social strata – a code that remains in force today, of course.
“At first they were labeled as tacky, but today they are the guide that shapes the streetwear that has dominated the last decade of our time,” explained Javier Girela, style editor at GQ Spain.
In both cases, we are talking about a very specific public with a tremendously limited context. However, the universe of men’s jewelry has undergone a radical metamorphosis in recent times.
Coinciding with the rise of the hip hop scene (and also its aesthetics) in the mainstream, replacing the always beloved pop genre in the music charts, and the proliferation of the new masculinity, which has brought an evident freedom and aesthetic experimentation in men’s clothing, men’s concrete ring have become a sine qua non clause in the looks of the most fashionable fashion readers.
Nothing revolutionary if we consider that our monarchic ancestors showed no qualms about bejeweling themselves from top to bottom, as shown in the portraits of Louis XIV of France, aka the Sun King, but at the same time a blow to the table on what is supposed to be masculine.
Conclusion? Real men’ are wearing rings in 2023. And not always the most discreet and minimalist, since creativity in the jewelry industry is unparalleled (especially in the case of luxury brands). Here is the GQ selection that will make you want to add some bling bling to your daily looks. Without even realizing it, you will enter the Olympus of trendsetters.
If you are skeptical about men’s jewelry because your thing is the most archetypal classicism but you don’t want to be left out of the clan, ally yourself with aesthetic minimalism. This ring from the German jewelry firm, with clean lines and made in sterling silver, represents the eternal union between two friends… or two lovers.
The concrete ring, which you will recognize by its geometric silhouette and unrelieved front, is in the male jewelry box the equivalent of the white cotton T-shirt in the daily wardrobe: the essential and timeless basic.
After all, it is a piece of jewelry of millenary origin that in Mesopotamia was used as a tool for certifying documents. The Barcelona-based jewelry firm also adds a plus: you can customize it with your initial (or that of whomever you want).
Considering the power and status it can represent, falling for the logomania trend, which reached its peak of popularity and excess in the 1980s only to be resurrected in recent times in a more refined version, is in itself a statement of intent. Advantages?
Not only can it be implemented through clothing, but also with bags and jewelry as mediums. With anagrams like Loewe’s, with an irrefutable legacy, you won’t be able to resist.