Ring cycle (mine)

This evening’s post was inspired by the book I bought and have been reading this evening, Women in Clothes by Sheila Heti, Heidi Julavits, Leanne Shapton & 639 others (yes, that’s what it says on the cover).

I have been reading “Ring Cycle” in which “Fifteen women in a newspaper office photocopy their hands and talk about their rings”. I don’t have access to a photocopier so I took a photo instead.

The ring on my middle finger is my current favourite, a recent acquisition from Etsy. The seller described it as a “Carnelian Vintage Art Nouveau Saddle Ring. Boho Bohemian Hippie Sterling Silver Ring”. I love the colour and the detail, and it fits my finger perfectly. I’m very fickle and eventually something else will take its spot as my favourite. I love the semi-precious stones, I love turquoise especially, and carnelian, jasper, lapis lazuli… Funny isn’t it, I don’t care for diamonds at all.

Next to the carnelian ring I am wearing two rings. The sterling silver ring was the first gift M ever gave me. I gave him a matching one. We actually went into a jeweller’s and bought each other a ring. We tried them on for size in the shop. It was the first time either of us had ever done such a thing for another person and we were a bit awkward about it with each other. (I think the jeweller thought we were sweet/silly.) The band above it is white gold and is my wedding ring. I don’t take these two rings off ever.

Oh and my jade bangle is in the picture. I bought it in Singapore on our way home from our honeymoon. I have been wearing it for ten years; I can’t easily take it off. I like the look of the bangle, and I love wearing it because it is a stereotypically old-fashioned, Chinese piece of jewellery. It’s got a chip in it – I think you can see it in the picture if you look closely – and I like that too because it’s imperfect.

I had to buy the Women in Clothes book because I started reading it in the shop and couldn’t stop. I don’t consider myself particularly fashion-conscious or stylish, but I still found it fascinating. Its website states: “A New York Times Bestseller. Through original interviews, conversations, surveys, projects and drawings from over six hundred contributors – including Miranda July, Cindy Sherman, Elif Batuman, Mac McClelland, Lena Dunham, Molly Ringwald, Tavi Gevinson, Rachel Kushner, Roxane Gay and Sarah Nicole Prickett – Women in Clothes explores the wide range of motives that inform how women present themselves through clothes, and what style really means.”

I’m surprised I didn’t hear about the book through any of my usual media. Just as well I was browsing this evening.