Bling For Blokes: A Man’s Guide To Jewelry (Hollywood Style)

Real men don’t wear jewelry, surely? Well, thankfully this a perception fast becoming obsolete. In this new dawn of the metrosexual, a man can moisturize safe in the knowledge that he is well within the boundaries of social acceptance and protocol. In fact, he can even have his eyebrows shaped and, if feeling particularly confident and self-assured, he can even buy and apply his own makeup (typically known on the streets as guy-liner and manscara).

Jewelry is arguably more socially acceptable and men have probably been wearing it since time immemorial (perhaps women even got the idea from us?) Sultans, Caesars, Kings, and Barbarians all wore it – and if chaps need further validation they can now look to the ersatz tough guys stalking the mean streets of Beverly Hills, Holmby Hills, Bel Air and Sunset Boulevard.

Colin Farrell’s career began in his native Ireland in the soap opera Ballykissangel before a move to Hollywood saw the proliferation of his career as an actor. However, the naughty little Irishman has made more headlines for abusing photographers and indulging in a bit of bed-hopping. So he is obviously the ultimate man’s man then? And of course, he is also famous for wearing a lot of jewelry. So if you want to get the Colin Farrell look go for a big woolly hat (and wear it in the hot summer months too), cultivate some designer stubble, and buy and wear plenty of bling; a couple of diamond ear-studs, a chunky silver ring on almost every finger, chains and necklaces, and lots and lots of bangles and wristbands too! The next time Colin gets hassled by the paparazzi it might be more effective if he just throws his jewelry at them.

He came to prominence as Rocky; the boxing underdog who epitomized the American dream. It was in this role that Sylvester Stallone got to wear a rather ostentatious gold belt, and it must have left a lasting impression because he is still wearing some pretty impressive bling. He has played just about every tough guy role going; from a very stressed out Vietnam veteran to a number of hard-bitten cops. He is still in great shape, and you certainly wouldn’t want to tangle with him – not least because you could end up with a nasty cut from one of his many bracelets! To get the Sly look (the theme here is the ultra-masculine skull) you will need a bling-tastic Jacob & Co skull watch (starting from about $27,000), a Ugo Cacciatori skull ring (about £500) and a very heavy chunky silver bracelet – no wonder he can’t throw punches like he used to!

Hollywood once proudly exclaimed that they had ‘more stars than the heavens’, but their tough guys certainly didn’t twinkle. Now take Clark Gable, he was a real man. A man who didn’t give a damn (ask your grandparents about him) – and furthermore the Gone with the Wind star didn’t wear jewelry, except a simple watch. Clark was of a different generation; a true Hollywood icon of the golden age. I just thought it would be nice to add a bit of balance and show that Hollywood’s tough guys were not always weighed down with jewelry.

Pink is the new black. Sensitivity has replaced stoicism. Gossip and chit-chat have replaced reticence and reserve, and men can wear jewelry with confidence and assuredness. Just look at our case studies; what is good enough for Hollywood’s tough guys is good enough for the rest of mankind. However, if jewelry is not for you then take a leaf out of Clark’s book and invest in a watch, a pipe, and a roll-neck sweater.