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The things we wear give cues to others about how to perceive us. If you’re dressed like a bum, in most cases you won’t be as well-respected as someone wearing a designer suit. Some people wear t-shirts that proclaim their political preference, or attitude, or favorite band, or past vacation destinations. When other people see these cues, they tend to make assumptions about us based on our choices.
Some things are meant to be obvious symbols, like proclaiming your marital status by wearing a wedding band on a certain finger. But what if you want to proclaim your status as a single person without wearing a tacky t-shirt that says "I'M SINGLE" in big, glaring letters? Well, now there’s a ring for you, too.
Singelringen is a Swedish company that started making a "ring for singles" just a few years ago. They’ve now sold over 250,000 rings on four continents. After their success with the ring, they expanded their line this year to include a necklace, bracelet, and mobile phone jewelry.
According to their website, each ring is marked with an individual registration number, and if you buy any of their products you receive access to the Singelringen online community. I’m not exactly sure what happens in this online community, as I don’t own one of these rings and as such was unable to register. (Hypotheses: a mini online dating site where people post personal ads? A place to talk about how much you love being single? Or maybe to plot against evil married people?)
Although 250,000 rings is an impressive number, it’s not so huge when you think about the number of people on our planet. Most people know the meaning of a wedding band, but a turquoise-colored ring made of sterling silver and acrylic, worn on your right hand? If you’re purposefully looking to let people know that you’re single, you might want to go ahead and have “I’m single and looking!” plastered across the front of your t-shirt.
I’m a little torn on my opinion of the Singelringen. On one hand, I don’t wear one particular ring on a regular basis. If I were to wear this ring, I’d wear it because I liked the look of it but I certainly wouldn’t wear it every day. If the rings got so popular that a lot of people would immediately know the meaning behind it, I’d have to put more thought into whether I wanted to advertise my single status when I went out in public. If people saw it as an open invitation to approach me, for instance, I’d leave it behind. (Can you imagine being approached by some undesirable guy equipped with the perfect pickup line: “Well, hello there, cutie. I see you’re wearing a Singelringen...?”)
Then again, I understand why this ring could be viewed as something harmless and fun -- a good conversation starter. Not only that, some people have applauded this ring as being a symbol for single empowerment. In other words, you’re single and you don’t care who knows it. A Swedish company might be profiting from your empowerment, but we buy things like this every day -- you could spend just as much money buying something that wouldn’t hold any meaning for you or anyone else.
Would you wear a Singelringen?
Related Reading:
Leah in Chicago likes her Singelringen.
The Singelringen is a ring for singles to wear on the right hand. It says, "I'm single and that's cool, in fact, I have a rather fabulous life with this being single thing." Yep, I have a code to get myself registered in the Singelringen online community...It's fun, it's pretty and different, and I think it's what they call a social object.
Vanessa Longman asks, “Who wouldn't want to be so strong, smart and single?”
Jason Chen: Singelringen Advertises Your Loneliness
Tired of looking for the negative space of an absent wedding ring when you go to clubs? Try the Singelringen, a gimmicky ring that advertises to others that you're free and willing to bump and grind. Each ring has a unique code, which you can use to register online and place your profile. This way, you can give other...single people the code instead of your phone number in order to look you up later. [...]
But it does make for a nice conversation starter. That's right ladies, this ring says I have tons of disposable income.
