Self-appreciation and self-loving. These are the two things that matter more than ever to women today. And it’s very welcome indeed!
The self-love ring is pretty much the ultimate form of expression for many women. Some women are even taking it as far as marrying themselves. Others are in a relationship referred to as ‘sologams’. Together with Angelic Diamonds, retailers of engagement rings, let’s take a closer look at this trend and how women are showcasing their independence.
Where did it originate from?
The popularity of a self-love ring began to take off in 2016. Many women turned to jewellery stores to make a commitment to themselves. What exactly inspired the trend is unknown, even though women have been preaching self-appreciation for many years! It could be down to a combination of factors:
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- The rise of social media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram has encouraged women to love themselves. Seeing filtered beach bodies in the news isn’t always helpful. But plenty of women have also posted photos of their natural selves too and convinced others to do the same. For example, there was a recent trend which centred on ‘No Make-up Selfies’. Basically, it’s a photo of yourself without make-up. A host of celebrities took part in the campaign and told women to love their natural selves! The selfie culture as a general rule pushes women to appreciate their bodies, as they post photos of themselves and receive ‘likes’ and comments from friends and family.
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- Celebrity influence has encouraged women to love themselves too. Many famous people have talked about the hard times they faced growing up and how they’ve learnt to value themselves. Many others have encouraged magazines and photographers not to edit their photos so that women can see that their bodies are not actually perfect.
- There’s also been a big rise in participation in mindfulness and meditation. Essentially this is about taking time out of the day to be present within yourself. Research has shown that it can help with stress, anxiety and depression. And experts talk about the benefits of people taking time out of their day to focus particularly on meditation, as it interlinks beautifully with self-love.
The self-love rings
Many are referring to self-love rings as anti-engagement rings. But that’s definitely not what they’re all about!
Self-love rings are designed to represent one’s commitment to oneself. And moreover, that you’ll put yourself first and look after your own well-being. They’re meant to be worn on your little finger, to represent a ‘pinky promise’ to yourself. Some jewellers even offer specific ‘pinky’ rings, although they can be bought as a smaller regular engagement ring.
Those who swear by self-love say that when you love yourself, you really do change the way you act. Among other befits, this can have very positive effects on your relationship, more than anything because you no longer rely so heavily on your partner to make you happy.
Some females purchase a self-love ring with their best friends to focus on the importance of friendship and make a pledge that you’ll both love yourselves.
Marrying yourself
Some women have taken the concept even further by organising a ceremony of self-marriage. The first sologamous wedding was thought to be in 1993 when an American woman called Linda Barker married herself in front of her close friends.
Marrying yourself is not a legal process of course. For starters, you can’t divorce yourself, and your marital status won’t change. It’s simply a celebration, although vows can be made. It’s definitely the case that more women are marrying themselves than men, possibly as a protest against the pressures that they often feel are put on them to be in a relationship.
When asked why they married themselves, women said particularly meaningful things, such as :
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- The ceremony was a deep act of self-acceptance and saying your commitments aloud in front of friends and family solidified them.
- It was a celebration of the commitment to one’s happiness, health and well-being.
Marrying oneself isn’t just for the single woman either. Some women who have gone through the ceremony have partners and husbands, but the big day was all about celebrating themselves!
There’s actually now a company called ‘I Married Me’ which offers wedding supplies to one-person ceremonies!
Showing yourself that you’re confident and strong doesn’t have to come in the form of a self-love ring. There are many ways to show your love for yourself. If a ring’s not your thing, then treat yourself to some new clothes, have a spa day or just invest some quality time in yourself!
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