The Man Candle; sexism or sophistication?

As a young child I remember (dimly!) keeping a supply of candles and matches handy in case of a power cut.  I don’t recall  candles ever being considered much more than an inconvenient and occasional necessity.  Or at least that is my recollection; perhaps it is inaccurate.  Either way, that is no longer the case.  

So when did the humble candle undergo this tremendous upsurge in popularity and metamorphose from utilitarian to decorative and refined?   Incredibly, I cannot bring to mind a single person in my entire acquaintance who does not have at least one candle in their home, (and I don’t mean an emergency stand by in case of unexpected power cuts).  There is a staggering array of fragrances, colours, shapes and sizes available to purchase in an equally staggering array of shops.  There is hand poured, natural beeswax and organic, along with a zillion other options and sitting comfortably amongst those, there is now the thinly disguised man candle.

Candlelight has long been associated with relaxation, indulgence and romance.  Utilitarian qualities aside, the lighting of a candle bestows a certain ambience that can arguably be matched and possibly exceeded by the roaring flames of an open fire, but is infinitely more portable, more versatile and more delicate to the sensibilities.  And whilst sometimes it most certainly does not, just sometimes, with a  carefully thought out and very special blend, the addition of fragrance takes it to a whole new realm.  And why should the door to this sensual world not be open to men by default?  Is branding really necessary to unlock it?

It's all very cleverly done but I am a huge fan regardless! The idea of a man candle makes rather a lot of assumptions but however one feels about it, there is no getting away from the fact that there is much to be said for the arresting fragrance of Seaweed and Samphire from Plum & Ashby, softened by the glow of a flickering flame. For all the men who have everything but don't yet know they need a candle. They are on my gift list, that’s for sure.

www.plumandashby.co.uk