You may have already seen or heard about the new trend which is all about self appreciation and self-love. If not, then the trend is the self-love ring. Some women are even taking it as far as marrying themselves and others are in a relationship referred to as ‘sologamy’. Angelic Diamonds, retailers of engagement rings have also seen the rise in the new trend and how women are showing off their independence.
Where did it originate from?
The popularity of a self-love ring began to soar in 2016, as many women turned to jewellery stores to make a commitment to themselves. It’s not known exactly what drove the trend, as women have been preaching self-appreciation for many years! But it could be down to a combination of these things:
The rise of social media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram has encouraged women to love themselves. Although seeing filtered beach bodies on our news feed isn’t always great, there have been many women who have posted photos of their natural selves too and persuaded others to do the same. For example, there was a trend which involved ‘No Make-up Selfies’ — a photo of yourself without makeup. Many celebrities took part in this and encouraged women to love their natural selves and show your natural no-makeup self more often.
The influence of celebrities has encouraged women to love themselves too. Many famous figures have talked about their tough times growing up and how they’ve learnt to appreciate themselves. Just last week one of my favourite YouTubers Louise Pentland put a video up on her channel and talked about how she said Yes to herself - she described it as the ultimate act of self-care and self-love.
Celebrities have also been encouraging magazines and photographers to not edit their photos so that women can see that their bodies are not in fact flawless. There has also been a rise in participants of meditation and mindfulness — taking time out of the day to be present within yourself. Research has shown that it can reduce stress, depression and anxiety and experts encourage people to take time out of their day to focus on Meditation interlinks with self-love as it focuses on taking time out of the day to concentrate on yourself.
The self-love rings
Some people are referring to them as anti-engagement rings, but that’s not what they’re all about. They are meant to represent your commitment to yourself and that you will always put yourself first and look after own well-being no matter what. They are technically meant be worn on your little finger - to represent a "pinky promise" to yourself. Some jewellers are even offering specific pinky rings but you can just buy a smaller regular engagement ring which will fit you little finger.
Those who do practice self-love have said that when you love yourself, you change the way that you act and this can positively affect your relationship as you no longer rely on your partner to make you happy.
Marrying yourself
Some women have taken the concept even further, 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 (you can’t divorce yourself, claim legal fees and your marital status won’t change), instead, it is simply a celebration, although vows can be made. It appears as though it is more women who are taking part in this than men, possibly as a protest against the pressures that they often feel to be in a relationship.
When asked why women married themselves some comments were:
The ceremony was a deep act of self-acceptance, saying your commitments out loud in front of friends and family solidified them. It was a celebration of the commitment to the health, well-being, and happiness of oneself.
It’s not just for the single woman either. Some women who have gone through the ceremony have partners and husbands, but this day was all about them!
Demonstrating to yourself that you’re confident and empowered doesn’t have to come in the form of a ring. There are other ways to show your love for yourself — treat yourself to some new clothes or makeup that you’ve been lusting after for a while, book a spa day or even a mini weekend break somewhere you've been wanting to visit.
I'm all for self-love and self-care, especially if I'm having a bad day, week or even month. I don't feel an ounce of guilt giving myself some time-out and focusing on me. I definitely "get" the trend, I don't think I'd go as far as marrying myself but the idea of having a self-love ring just seems like a nice thing to have, it could also be pretty handy if you're on a night out and some creep tries to chat you up too lol.
*this post is sponsored by Angelic Diamonds
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