How jewellery is defying gender

The shift towards genderless fashion

Fashion changes with every generation. From the flares of the 60s through to the slip dresses of the 90s, different styles always emerge as a reflection of societal trends of the times we’re living through.

But there’s one trend today that might just change the way we view ourselves for good.

We look at the rise of owning a ‘genderless’ wardrobe, meaning shopping for clothing that feels and looks good rather than shopping based on how society thinks you should dress. Our report considers how this trend started, where it’s going, and what it could mean for jewellery and engagement rings in the future.

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What is genderless fashion?

Unlike fashion trends of the past, people of all genders today are feeling more free to choose clothing and jewellery that isn’t dictated by their gender identity and are instead shopping for fashions that are suitable for anyone to wear.

This social movement is all about expressing your authenticity and showing off who you really are, rather than following outdated norms on how you should be.

According to our research, Generation Z—those born between 1997 and 2015—is leading the trend, with only 44% saying they exclusively buy clothes designed for their assigned gender. Millennials are also in on the trend, although to a slightly lesser degree, with 54% of people born between 1981 and 1996 buying clothing made specifically for their gender category.

So what about genderless jewellery?

There have always been commonly held expectations that engagement rings should be feminine and intended only for women and men’s wedding bands should be plain and understated. But as people become empowered to look for designs that speak to them on a more personal level, that’s all changing.

As we all get more expressive with our fashion, we’re also seeing people become more open to unconventional engagement ring designs. Recently we’ve seen women go for chunkier, stronger looking bands, whereas many men are opting to wear ornate diamond solitaire rings. It’s all about personal freedom and finding what you think best represents your love.

— Kate Earlam-Charnley, Design Director

The number of women who propose has tripled

As we begin to revolutionise gender expression within the fashion industry, jewellery, including engagement rings, is seeing a similar change. Traditionally only women were supposed to wear engagement rings, but today more men than ever are choosing to wear an engagement ring alongside their wedding band, resulting in a huge increase in the number of people searching for men’s engagement rings.

Until now men have been solely responsible for proposing, but a recent survey by events agency Chillisauce found that while in 2010 only 5% of women said they had proposed, by 2019 that number had risen to over 16%.

What does this mean for engagement ring design? Our Design Director has her say on where she sees the industry going.

A few years ago I had a customer who was planning to propose to her boyfriend. She reasoned that marriage is always a two-way commitment, so why should it only be the man’s responsibility to propose? She loved being able to design her boyfriend an expressive and personal engagement ring, and since then I’ve worked with more and more women who feel the same. I really believe the industry should be embracing this new normal.

— Kate Earlam-Charnley, Design Director

Men’s engagement rings are more in demand than ever

More people are searching for men’s engagement rings than ever before, with Google searches suggesting the tables are being turned on traditional marriage jewellery.

The USA is leading the way for this growing trend. In the last year alone would-be wedding planners searched 594,000 times for men’s engagement rings, which is particularly interesting for a country where men have typically never worn this type of ring before.

India came in second with 325,200 searches, while in the UK there were 217,200 searches.

Canada is some way back in fourth with 43,200 searches, while Australia completes the top five with 34,800.

Such interest could be fuelled by more celebrity men wearing fine jewellery, such as Harry Styles’ internet-breaking pearl necklaces or Brooklyn Beckham’s engagement ring that features a 0.5ct baguette diamond set on an 18ct yellow gold band.

London is the UK’s capital of male engagement rings

In the past year there were 22,800 searches for male engagement rings in the capital, more than double that of any other UK city.

Birmingham came in second with 7,080 searches, with its world famous Jewellery Quarter sure to be producing some exquisite custom designed engagement rings.

Glasgow is in third with 3,840 people looking to pop the question to the man in their lives, with Lancaster and Manchester tying in fourth with 3,120.

From men’s engagement rings to marriage’s rising popularity and availability amongst LGBT+ couples, we’re redefining all the rules of engagement, meaning that genderless engagement rings could soon be the new normal.

The future of fashion

Alongside a rise in demand for men’s and unisex engagement rings, searches for ‘genderless clothing’ have been consistently rising since 2014. As recently as 2018, Vogue covered this new fashion trend after a catwalk featured a diverse cast of models representing a wide range of gender identities, while Grazia published a piece in 2020 claiming that this new approach to self-expression has already taken over our wardrobes.

As big fashion brands add gender-inclusive ranges to their selection, all fashion styles being available to all genders is poised to take over the mainstream. Gucci is one of the brands leading the way. They’ve recently created their own “genderless” fashion lines, thereby appealing to a whole new demographic and continuing their charge as fashion pioneers.

Jewellery will surely follow suit and as custom engagement ring designers, we’ll be right there with our customers to help find the perfect ring for every finger.

Love has always found a way to defy expectations and constraints. And it’s time that jewellery design did the same.

Methodology and sources

We analysed Google search volumes across the last 12 months to reveal the demand for male engagement rings.

Other sources include JWT Intelligence and Chillisauce.