For men, pendants are special pieces of jewelry with a personal, almost intimate meaning. More often than not, they become amulets that symbolize experiences, moods, and feelings of its owner. Bold men don’t hide their pendants under the shirt. They wear them with aplomb and dignity. The first step toward picking a men’s pendant is to identify your own style. For example, some guys like classic pendants shaped like letter or zodiac signs while others rock religious symbols. Audacious individuals wouldn’t mind putting on a biker pendant featuring a\ or Iron cross.
Strict, discreet, and simplistic pendants are normally a choice of businessmen who spend most of their time in the office, at meetings, and conferences. A totally different approach is common for people of the bohemian lifestyle – artists, musicians, and creative personalities in general. For them, a pendant is a must to emphasize their originality and creativity. If you want to please such a man with a gift, make an emphasis on exclusivity and the offbeat quality.
Tog Tags
A dog tag pendant is sough-after among men who want to showcase their strong-willed and tough character. Not many people know that these accessories first appeared during the Civil War in America. At that time, there were two options regarding tog tags: inexpensive “labels” made of fabric and more durable models crafted of bronze or lead.
An interesting fact is that the ‘raw material’ for those tog tags was flattened spherical bullets, which were not uncommon at the wartime. Instead of bronze and lead, some men bought silver and even gold amulets but this was rather an exception. Regardless of design and material, each pendant had an inscription that carried information about its owner. On November 20, 1906, the American authorities ordered soldiers and officers to buy dog tags that matched the following requirements:
- round shape.
- the size of a silver coin with a face value of 50 cents.
- contain engraved name, title, and designation of the unit.
Military men had to buy a dog tag only if they lost the one that was issued to them by the state. In the case they were promoted, the old data on the pendant was erased and the new rank was engraved. Gradually, dog tag pendants spread around the world. Now they can have different shapes based on the type of troops.
Today, many men use them as a talisman even if they have never served. They have a strong association with the army, and in the army, men are masculine, strong, and brave. Every guy would like to boast these qualities. Well, a pendant is one of the ways to emphasize the masculine side of your personality.
Pendants and Symbolism
Although dog tags are incredibly popular, most men’s pendants have a different design. Oftentimes, they carry geometric shapes – round, triangular, square, octagon, etc. As for their motifs, we can single out these several groups:
- religious symbolism – crosses, Hkamsa, crescent, etc.
- stylized weapons – daggers, knives, swords, spears, guns, etc.
- marine motifs – anchors, fishing hooks, tridents, ship wheels, etc.
- Scandinavian folklore – Thor’s hammer, images of gods of the Scandinavian pantheon, Scandinavian patterns, etc.
- Totem animals – lions, dragons, wolves, bears, eagles;
- Tribal designs – flame-like motifs, fangs and claws, Battersea Shield, Tetraskelion, Lauburu, Aztec motifs;
- Gothic themes – royal lilies, knights, hearts and daggers, bats and vampires, Ankh, etc.
- Asian motifs – Japanese demons, Ying and Yang, samurai, etc.
- Biker symbols – skulls, Iron Crosses, Harley Davidson logos, wings, motorcycle parts, etc.
- Superhero images – every guy can wear a pendant with an image or symbol of his favorite superhero;
- Zodiac Signs.
Of course, there are more designs and symbols than those mentioned. For example, athletes can pick an accessory denoting what kind of sports they are into (a ball, dumbbell, shoes for running, etc.). Americans often flaunt pendants with the stylized Stars and Stripe, Bald Eagle, the Liberty Bell, etc. Each country has its own national symbols and it is a great idea to wear one in a respectful way to show your patriotism and love for the motherland.
How to Pick a Pendant
First of all, you need to consider your style. If you never part with an elegant three-piece suit, a biker pendant will look odd with this ensemble. For the office-style wardrobe, you need something discreet and polished – infinity sign, royal lilies, simplistic tribal motifs, etc. If your style is relaxed and casual, you’ll benefit from totem animals, marine themes, superheroes and movie characters, and everything that is original and eye-catching. Everything is quite easy if you’re into some subculture – biker pendants will suit bikers, Gothic ones are perfect for Goths, and so on.
When you decided on the style, think about how you’re going to rock your pendant. If with other jewelry pieces, they must go well together. Similar designs, colors, and materials will make them cohesive. It also makes sense to consider what kind of necklace you are going to use with your pendant. If thick and short, then you’ll need a burly but not too large pendant to match it. If you prefer long leather cords or thin chain necklaces, you’ll benefit from elongated and light pendants with openwork designs.
