The San Francisco call., 1910-03-30
WEDDING RING FOR
MEN IS THE LATEST
Proposition That They Are Now
Discussing in London and
Seem to Favor
Enforced Custom Would Avert
Complications, Thinks a
Feminine Correspondent

Some time ago 3, discussion was
aroused in London and New York by
statement to the effect that a national
danger lay in the alleged custom of
young married women discarding their
wedding rings in order to be ultra
smart.
one DAY recently a party of four
young married women had their heads
tosetner over one of the tea tables at
the plaza, says the New York Sun. All
were brides of less than three years,
yet only one wore her wedding ring.
The others had discarded theirs for
heavy antique rings and diamonds.
In London they are tussling with
far different phase of the ring problem.
Snould married men by law be re-
CURED to wear wedding rings2'
Inc discussion has become all the
more animated in London as result of
a recent divorce case, in which a GER
tain Mrs. Marion c. Gale, of Bourne
mouth, wished to sever the marriage
ties between herself and her husband,
waiter I. Gale. Letters written by
young woman who figured in the case
to Gale tended to show that the girl
might not have known at first that the
defendant was married man, for she
wrote:
NEED TO BE WELDED ON
Il wish there was law passed COM
pelling married men to wear rings to
show that they are married.
Good said the court. There's
real idea in that. But I fear" went on
his honor, that the law would have to
require in many cases that the rings
be welded on by an expert metal
worker"
Very true" added another jurist.
The rings would have to be made to
resist files and explosives and then be
chained to a handcuff.'
While history and ring lore hands
down the old custom of the double
wedding ring, or the exchange of we'd
ding rings by husband and wife, in the
United States it will probably be found
that married men in the east hold to
the custom of wearing the ring more
than anywhere else. In some parts of
the west and middle west the mans
wedding ring is almost an unknown
adornment. The wedding ring spoken
OF is the small narrow band or hoop
of gold similar to the woman's wedding
ring.
When questioned on the custom of
wedding rings for men in New York.
the head of the ring department of
Tiffanys said:
While so far there is no custom that
absolutely regulates the wearing of
wedding rings by married men, we
have long been called upon to supply
them.
'As a rule we find that in fash
ionable weddings, as we'll as others
unless there is an exception where
the ceremony calls for it, the exchange
of wedding rings by the bride and
bridegroom is largely a sentimental
idea; but the married man of good
form in New York wears a wedding
ring.
IF 1 remember rightly it is only the
Lutheran ceremony and possibly the
Hebrew ceremony which calls for the
exchange of wedding rings, but in the
former [ know the two rings play an
important part. The custom of wear
Ing the wedding ring, that is among
men, | believe is far more prevalent in
the east than elsewhere in general,
but so far as we sell wedding rings
with any regularity to men in New
York, we sell them mostly to Germans
Following these come the Hebrews.
WHAT'S WHAT IN RINGS
1.-The right kind of married man
will always have a certain sentimental
regard for his wedding ring, and in
most cases of the fashionably correct
weddings of today we find that the
bride buys wedding ring to exchange
with the bridegroom, if not at the al
tar, to wear for sacred and sentimental
reasons afterward.
The style of mems wedding rings of
the present day is the narrow oval
model in the bright or natural gold
finish. Sometimes we are called upon
to refnish in dull gold. but this is more
or less obsolete. Mems and women's
wedding rings are identical in style and
finish and are made in IS karat or %
karat gold"
At the Little Church Around the Cor
ner, where perhaps more romantic mar
riages have taken place in New York
than anywhere else, 1t was found that
the Rev. DR.. Houghton was leaving for
the south because of recent illness, but
his secretary spoke for him.
"In 80 weddings out of 90 that take
place in this church the man has no
wedding ring, but he ought to- said
she. ITS a splendid custom and Doctor
Houghton approves of it, but [ doubt if
any real law for forcing a married man
to wear wedding ring could be passed
in this country. Our wedding service
here is ring service, and there must
be a ring for the bride. The bride may
exchange rings if she wishes.
For various reasons we turn away
many applicants for weddings, and, as
a rule, l see them before they reach
Doctor Houghton, but ! can say, how
ever. that the popular opinion that any
one can be married here at any time of
night or early morning is absolutely
untrue and is a condition that never
did exist, for I have been here nine
years and know. Sometimes a ceremony
does take place as late as 10 o'clock in
the evening, owing to professional con-
sidera tions, etc, but the conditions
must be regulated to have 1t take place
as late as this. Theatrical people come
among these.
II feel that the clergy would strongly
approve of the wedding ring for mar
ried men, and it goes without saying
that all women should or do advocate
the custom"