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More and more men are embracing statement jewellery and wearing engagement rings, according to industry insiders. The trend isn’t exactly brand new. For example, back in 2009, American singer, actress and TV host Jennifer Hudson decided to propose back to her then partner, American actor David Otunga – getting down on one knee with a ring in hand, five months after he’d first popped the question to her on her 27th birthday. Later, singer Michael Bublé sported an engagement ring after he and Luisana Loreley Lopilato de la Torre got engaged, telling fans it was usual that “the boy also wears the engagement ring” in Argentina, where his now wife is from. Former American footballer Osi Umenyiora was another male celeb spotted wearing an engagement ring, among others. Attitudes are shifting For Arabel Lebrusan, founder and designer at ethical jewellery designer brand Lebrusan Studio, the margins for ‘bridal’ jewellery customs are shifting, largely in line with our evolving understanding of gender roles and identity. “But what makes the current demand difficult to define by concrete statistics is the difference in the language used to refer to engagement rings for men versus engagement rings for women, with men’s engagement rings often discussed in more ambiguous terms,” Lebrusan told PA Media.“Western tradition has assigned engagement rings primarily to women for centuries, but a greater emphasis on gender equality within couples and increasing visibility, inclusivity and liberty of LGBTQ+ people has loosened the rules that once governed who could and couldn’t wear an engagement ring,” she added.“Up until last year, we’d never knowingly been commissioned to create a men’s engagement ring, so even one assignment in this field is technically an increase.” What should you look for in a men’s engagement ring? According to the industry experts, male engagement rings are usually selected on an individual basis and every enquiry is different. Dan Dower, design director at Dower & Hall, said they rarely get asked for an actual engagement ring for men – it tends to be a more elaborate or stone set ‘wedding’ ring, which does the job, and often in white gold or platinum. “We’ve done quite a few with diamonds, but also with other stones like sapphires and even one recently set with a faceted labradorite. It was definitely a statement engagement ring, which was then reconfirmed as the wedding ring,” explained Dower. “We’ve had commissions from both gay and straight men – but all definitely super confident in their tastes and appearance, which has been a joy to work with.” Do men have separate engagement and wedding rings? Traditionally, women have tended to have an engagement ring at the point of proposal, and then a different wedding ring once married. Is it the same for men who choose to wear an engagement ring? “More often, the ‘engagement’ ring then becomes the ‘wedding’ ring,” said Dower. “Or we might do a ‘commitment’ ring, which is worn on a different finger or right hand, followed by a ‘wedding’ ring for the ring finger.” Ultimately, it’s an individual choice and traditions don’t need to dictate how you choose to do things! How much do men’s engagement rings cost? Cost often depends on a number of factors, including how complex the design is and the materials used. Simple bands without any gemstones will cost less than more detailed rings, of course. Pricing can typically start anywhere from £200 to £2,000. What are the things to be mindful of? Lebrusan strongly encourages men to think about the materials they go for, since they will be wearing the engagement ring every day, and maybe for years on end. She suggests: “Choosing only from a pool of resilient metal and gemstone options – think platinum, 18ct gold, diamond or sapphire. For those with bigger hands, we also recommend considering chunkier styles, since incredibly slender bands can be compromised by large internal diameters. “Jewellery care requirements vary depending on style and materials, so it’s worth asking your jeweller for some detailed tips for caring for your engagement ring before you part ways,” Lebrusan added. “As a general rule of thumb, however, any engagement ring should be easily removed before any form of sport, housework or manual labour.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live 11 ways to work the terracotta trend 3 great abs exercises that aren’t crunches ‘Women short-changed as 65% of weekly working hours ignored in official data’

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English model, actress and singer Twiggy has revealed that she never planned to go into modelling. Twiggy, 73, whose full name is Dame Lesley Lawson, rose to prominence as a model in the 1960s, and has appeared on the front cover of fashion magazines Vogue and Tatler. Discussing her career, including an appearance in musical film The Boy Friend, Twiggy told Good Housekeeping: “I’ve spent my life doing things that I didn’t plan to do. “I didn’t plan to model. I definitely didn’t plan to do a musical film with Ken Russell and I certainly didn’t plan to star on Broadway in a big musical. I must be mad!” Russell wrote and directed The Boy Friend, which also starred ballet dancer Christopher Gable and EastEnders actress Barbara Windsor. Twiggy has also been involved in Close Up – The Twiggy Musical, written and directed by comedian Ben Elton and slated to open in September. She said: “I only get involved with projects that really spark something in me, with people I love and want to work with. “Ben Elton is an old friend and I love him to bits. “He’s a huge talent – so clever and such a sweet man. “The musical came about when we were having dinner about six years ago and he said, half-jokingly: ‘I should do your story! It’s an amazing story set in an amazing period – I should write it.’” The musical traces the model’s rise to stardom in a show filled with music from the 1960s and 70s. Twiggy also talked about her marriage to English actor Leigh Lawson and said: “(Leigh and I) have been together for 38 years, which is frightening! I suppose luck has a lot to do with it. “You never know when you meet somebody how it’s all going to turn out or what life is going to throw at you. “We’ve both been through things that didn’t work out for various reasons and when you’ve had that experience, you’re a little gentler when you meet someone else.” Lawson is also a director and writer and he has credits in TV shows including Silent Witness, Travelling Man, Absolutely Fabulous and The Red Tent. The September 2023 issue of Good Housekeeping is now on sale. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live ‘Women short-changed as 65% of weekly working hours ignored in official data’ How to wear the casual tailoring look in summer What is premenstrual dysphoric disorder?

Twiggy has revealed that she did not plan to get into modelling as a career, which means the world could have missed out on one of the most iconic fashion models of the Sixties. The English model, actor and singer, whose real name is Dame Lesley Lawson, said that most of her life has been spent “doing things that I didn’t plan to do”. In a new interview with Good Housekeeping, Twiggy, 73, said: “I didn’t plan to model. I definitely didn’t plan to do a musical film with Ken Russell and I certainly didn’t plan to star on Broadway in a big musical. I must be mad!” Russell wrote and directed the 1971 musical comedy The Boy Friend, which also starred EastEnders star Barbara Windsor and ballet dancer Christopher Gable. Twiggy was also involved in Close-Up: The Twiggy Musical, written and directed by comedian Ben Elton. The show is set to open in September at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London. She said: “I only get involved with projects that really spark something in me, with people I love and want to work with. “Ben Elton is an old friend and I love him to bits. He’s a huge talent - so clever and such a sweet man. “The musical came about when we were having dinner about six years ago and he said, half-jokingly, ‘I should do your story! It’s an amazing story set in an amazing period – I should write it’.” Close-Up traces Twiggy’s rise to stardom alongside music from the Sixties and Seventies. Elsewhere in the interview, Twiggy opened up about her marriage to English actor Leigh Lawson and reflected on their nearly 40 years together. She said: “[Leigh and I] have been together for 38 years, which is frightening! I suppose luck has a lot to do with it. “You never know when you meet somebody how it’s all going to turn out or what life is going to throw at you. “We’ve both been through things that didn’t work out for various reasons and when you’ve had that experience, you’re a little gentler when you meet someone else.” Lawson is also a director and writer. He has been credited for TV shows such as Silent Witness, Travelling Man, Absolutely Fabulous, and The Red Tent. Earlier this year, Twiggy revealed that cosmetic surgery “frightens” her, and she has never undergone procedures such as Botox, which is common among celebrities. Speaking to the Daily Mail, she said she is “proud” of her wrinkles, but said she was open to the idea of having “little tweaks” someday. “But what I don’t think I’d ever do is all the stuff they inject, when they get those funny cheeks that look like cotton wool balls have been stuffed in them. It would frighten me,” she added. The full interview is in the September 2023 issue of Good Housekeeping, which is on sale now. Additional reporting by PA Read More ‘My dentist injects me, but I trust him’: Inside the scary world of unregulated Botox London chef apologises after criticism for all-white, all-male kitchen team Bakery delivers brilliant response to ‘well-known celebrity’ offering ‘exposure’ in return for free cakes JW Anderson is teaming up with a major tennis star for new collection Leigh-Anne Pinnock unveils the three wedding dresses she wore to marry Andre Gray Eva Mendes shows dress made out of sponges as she jokes it’ll be her Oscars outfit

Imagine yourself in Times Square, New York. You're on a trip with your sister. Flashing

When I was 16 years old I was lucky enough to see Taylor Swift live for the first time. My sister and I pooled all our resources — birthday card cash, babysitting tips, pocket money — to splurge on Speak Now tour tickets at my closest venue, London’s O2 Arena in the UK. Along with our mom (our chaperone) and a friend, we took our places in the back row and clung onto the near vertical seats to sing, scream, jump, and cry, all at the same time. We wore the very best from our existing wardrobes and took barely any pictures. The only evidence from the then Best Night Of My Life is a grainy, disposable photo that my mom made us take outside the arena “for posterity’s sake.” I’m clutching my simple but lovingly made poster and smiling awkwardly — I was far too teenage and far too uncomfortable in my own skin to want to pose. Neither I nor my family can remember how much we paid but the internet tells me tickets started at $37 and there’s no way, despite our combined piggy banks, that we would have been able to break $60 two times over. Not to mention the cost of our train tickets to and from London, which we would also have been expected to cover.

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