ARTICLES
The Psychology of Rings
MA’AM THE RING STACK IS GIVING
Hailey Bieber’s ring stack
Lately, Psychology, But Make It Fashion's Instagram explore page has been covered in rings (not the doorbell...). I'm talking about engagement ring posts, wedding bands, fashion rings, jewellery ads where the models gaze at each other rather unnaturally, high-end luxury rings, manicure posts, those flower DIY rings with the beads... Lovely stuff.
I thought I'd make a little post taking a little look into the psychology of rings. When we think of rings, we think of the accessory that people wear on their fingers. (Yes, people can wear rings on their toes too). Rings can express our style, inform people of our relationship status, status in society, culture, values, where we like to shop, and how we'd like to be seen. Above all other jewellery, rings are most commonly associated with sentimental value - eternity, marriage, a promise to the self, can be passed down through generations, solidify our relationships, be one-of-a-kind, and hold (happy) memories. Here are a few academic journal articles that you might find interesting.
WHAT TYPE OF ENGAGEMENT RING DO YOU PREFER?
It's possible that women's preferences for engagement rings might be influenced by their perception of potential partners. Research carried out by Locke et al. (2020) suggests that when women believe they have a wider range of romantic options (mate abundance: many people that they'd think they can date), they tend to value larger and more expensive engagement rings. Why might this be the case though? This finding aligns with evolutionary psychology ideas about mate selection, where cues like ring size and cost might signal a man's commitment and ability to provide. This finding also highlights competition. Commonly seen in the animal kingdom, the potential mate who wins the fight, has the nicest feathers, nicest horn, is the tallest, has the sparkliest eyes, etc., usually wins. It's important to note that this is a single study, and factors like personal taste and cultural background obviously play a role in shaping these preferences. However, the findings offer a glimpse into how our perception of choice can influence personal decisions like engagement rings.
On the same note, many years ago, Griskevicius and colleagues (2012) explored how the ratio of men to women (called sex ratio) in a population influenced how men approached their finances. The researchers suggest that when men outweigh women, men tend to prioritise spending over saving. The evolutionary explanation for this behaviour is that when in situations where men face tougher competition for mates, they might be more inclined to spend on things that they think could enhance their attractiveness – Clothes, dinner, holidays, gifts... This focus on short-term gains (and maybe reckless decisions) comes at the expense of long-term financial planning. Our subconscious desires, like the drive to find a partner, can play a significant role in how we handle money.
RINGS MAY BOOST OUR SELF-ESTEEM.
Researchers in Japan, Yokoi et al. (2017) conducted a study to see if wearing rings could improve behavioural and psychological symptoms experienced by female dementia patients. Dementia is a a group of related symptoms associated with an ongoing decline of brain functioning.
The researchers observed how the patients responded to wearing rings and the compliments they received from caregivers about the rings. The researchers thought that the rings would give the patients a self-esteem boost by reminding them of their femininity and attractiveness, leading to a decrease in negative emotions (i.e., irritability and anxiety). The researchers observed some positive changes in mood associated with wearing rings and receiving compliments.
DO WEDDING RINGS MAKE MEN MORE ATTRACTIVE?
Many men (on Reddit) these days have shared that when they wear their wedding ring, they feel that they get a lot more interest from women than when they don't. When a man wears a wedding ring, it can suggest that he has desirable qualities. It must be said that many people who are married may choose to not wear a ring, and wearing a ring on your ring finger does not necessarily mean it's a wedding/an engagement ring. Back in 2003, researchers Uller and Johansson studied the interactions between women and men, with some men wearing wedding rings and others not. It was found that the presence or absence of a ring didn't influence the women's perception of the men's attractiveness or their potential as a partner. This study highlights the multifaceted nature of human mate selection, where factors beyond marital status and jewellery wearing exist. Considering that this study is 20+ years old, these findings may not be the case today.
DOES RING COST HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH HOW LONG A MARRIAGE LASTS?
Francis-Tan and Mialon (2015) investigated the relationship between wedding expenses and how long marriages last. The researchers found that spending a lot on weddings and engagement rings was linked to marriages that didn't last as long. There was no link between a less expensive wedding and a short marriage, but spending less than $1000 ≈ £745-760 on a ring was associated with an increase in divorces among women. The study suggests that focusing on the ceremony itself less and building a strong foundation for a marriage might be more important for long-term success.
Francis-Tan, A. & Mialon, H.M. (2015). A DIAMOND IS FOREVER AND OTHER FAIRY TALES: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WEDDING EXPENSES AND MARRIAGE DURATION. Econ Inq, 53, 1919-1930. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecin.12206
Griskevicius, V., Tybur, J. M., Ackerman, J. M., Delton, A. W., Robertson, T. E., & White, A. E. (2012). The financial consequences of too many men: Sex ratio effects on saving, borrowing, and spending. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 102(1), 69–80. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0024761
Locke, A., Desrochers, J., & Arnocky, S. (2020). Induced Mate Abundance Increases Women’s Expectations for Engagement Ring Size and Cost. Evolutionary Psychological Science 6, 188–194. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40806-019-00214-z
Uller, T. & Johansson, L. C. (2003). Human mate choice and the wedding ring effect : Are married men more attractive? Human nature, 14(3), 267–276. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12110-003-1006-0
Yokoi, T., Okamura, H., Yamamoto, T., Watanabe, K., Yokoi, S., Atae, H., Ueda, M., Kuwayama, T., Sakamoto, S., Tomino, S., Fujii, H., Honda, T., Morita, T., Yukawa, T., & Harada, N. (2017). Effect of wearing fingers rings on the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia: An exploratory study. SAGE open medicine, 5. https://doi.org/10.1177/2050312117726196
Benefits Of A Capsule Wardrobe
Seen or heard about capsule wardrobes but never bothered to look into them? Well, you should read this. It could change your life.
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE ESSENTIALS
A capsule wardrobe is a set number of clothing pieces that complement each other, are of good quality, durable, (typically) minimally designed, and intended to last (a long time). Many fashion bloggers, vloggers, stylists, influencers, the average consumer like ourselves, and a few independent fashion brands have focused their attention on sustainable fashion consumption, with interest in well-made, timeless clothing and accessories, as opposed to one-use, throwaway trend pieces, proving you can still be fashionable while consuming less.
It’s no secret that the fashion industry is among the top ten polluting industries. Fast fashion retailers churn out more (a lot more) items than what’s necessary, and consumers cop more items than what’s necessary. We have too much choice. And we’re encouraged to buy things. It’s not fair to put the blame on consumers; fast fashion might be the only option some people have.
Overproduction and overconsumption are ongoing problems associated mostly with fast fashion retailers such as SHE*N. When you really think about it... How is something like this actually acceptable? Well, we don’t really see or know what happens before our clothes reach our doorstep (e.g., where the materials came from, where the clothes were made, who made them and their working conditions, the whole journey it took to get to you, etc.) (see Stringer et al. 2020), nor what happens to them afterwards (e.g., shipped off to landfill in other countries). Retailers and businesses should be more transparent with their customers. Out of sight, out of mind. It’s that simple.
Not only that, it is suggested that materialism is related to lower levels of life satisfaction (Tsang et al., 2014).
So, why should you give a capsule wardrobe a go then?
Bardey et al. (2021) have carried out some sweet research on the impact of a capsule wardrobe on consumers. 👏🏼
The researchers studied ten female participants’ (who had an interest in fashion) lived experiences with a three week capsule wardrobe. Participants were to wear items only from their capsule wardrobe that consisted of around 37 items; clothing, shoes, bags, and other accessories (not including underwear, sleepwear, or sportswear). Participants were interviewed before and after in order to understand their consumption habits, style, and their attitude towards sustainability.
The results showed that a capsule wardrobe had a positive impact on participants. It was found that participants:
Were less stressed: Participants had no need to plan outfits because their clothes were all complementary, and they had less options to choose from. Also, participants shared that their outfits were decided on faster.
Were detached from fashion trends: Social media (i.e., mainly Instagram, TikTok, and maybe even YouTube) plays a large role in how we think we should dress ourselves. A part of human nature, we follow what others are doing. We follow trends. Before adopting the capsule wardrobe, participants initially felt pressured to follow trends and fit in. Afterwards, they felt more free and less pressured by the latest fashion trends.
Found joy in their own style: Participants were more interested in their own sense of style after the study than before. They shared that they paid more attention to how they styled their outfits (owned both before and after), including the use of makeup, leading them to explore the variety of outfits available to them.
Enhanced their awareness of conscious consumption: The experience of adopting a capsule wardrobe gave participants a chance to reflect on their consumption behaviours and their impact on the environment. They acknowledged the amount of clothes they owned and would consider obtaining better quality items. They discussed that they saved money by not purchasing clothing. How many clothes do you purchase within a month?! Not only that, participants shared that they would pay more attention to the way they treated their clothes.
Bardey, A., Booth, M., Heger, G., & Larsson, J. (2021). Finding yourself in your wardrobe: An exploratory study of lived experiences with a capsule wardrobe. International Journal of Market Research, 64(1), 113-131. https://doi.org/10.1177/1470785321993743
Stringer, T., Mortimer, G. & Payne, A. R. (2020). Do ethical concerns and personal values influence the purchase intention of fast-fashion clothing? Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 24(1), 99-120. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-01-2019-0011
Tsang, J. A., Carpenter, T. P., Roberts, J. A., Frisch, M. B., & Carlisle R. D. (2014). Why are materialists less happy? The role of gratitude and need satisfaction in the relationship between materialism and life satisfaction. Personality and Individual Differences, 64, 62-66.