Engagement rings: not just for women anymore
Georgia Gay, Staff Writer
That�s right, you read the title correctly. You are also probably wondering what it could possibly pertain to.
Well, ladies and gentlemen, there is a new trend out there and it is making a statement.
Men now are getting in on the ring action and wearing engagement rings. Typically, a man buys his future wife both an engagement ring and a wedding band, while the woman buys the future husband a wedding band; however, times have changed and traditional values are subject to change.
It all becomes very dependent on what the couple wishes to do.
�In a way, guys have their own version of an engagement ring�a purity ring,� said Olivia Owens, a student at North Greenville University.
Purity rings symbolize sexual abstinence between a couple and the commitment they have for one another. Purity rings usually lead to engagement rings and for guys it can act as their engagement ring. This also shows to the public that a guy is taken before he is officially married. So, for the women out there who want people to know their man is taken, this is a great way to show off the future hubby.
Another not so traditional way of men having engagement rings is getting the ring tattooed. With people wanting to express themselves through the means of body art, it correlates with expressing the love between a man and woman with rings.
“Tradition is great but some people don�t like tradition and that�s okay,” said Natalie Gilstrap, a senior at NGU. “I think it is ok for a guy to wear an engagement ring but I also think it takes away from the meaning of the woman�s ring and how it represents him cherishing her. Regardless, couples should not spend a lot on rings and should save that money to do life together.”