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Style and beauty

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Original poster

Gold signet rings the upper middle class wear on their little finger

139 replies

HanneHolm · 16/12/2013 11:06

why? where from what for?
and has no one pointed out they are one step away from a MOM signet ring from Lizzy duke?

OP posts:

AthelstaneTheUnreadyFucker · 16/12/2013 21:13

No tartan though [sad face].

But given we bloody bankrolled your last attempt at freedom, I think we're due an honorary one?

TheCurseOfTinsel · 16/12/2013 21:14

no one special!

Agree with you re: amount of people who claim to have a family crest. that's what I was (very badly) saying earlier when I mentioned heraldry/genealogy - it is all very specific, and there are a million little pointers to flag up those who feel the need for a family crest, and turn it into a 'new' tradition.

joanofarchitrave · 16/12/2013 21:17

DH has one, but it has his initials on it. According to Jilly Cooper this places him in the middle middle class, or in fact me, as I bought it for him.

My secret (and I fully accept, evil) aim was to stop him routinely wearing the signet ring he got from his grandfather aged 21. He never wore it when i first knew him, then I think got a bit 'genealogical' when ds was born and it suddenly started being worn regularly. I would never, ever tell him this but I LOATHE IT. it is a massive great chunk of tiger's eye and looks like a bird shat on his hand. I hope I will adjust to it by the time ds is 21 as dh will inevitably want to give it to him for his 21st birthday and will NOTICE if he doesn't wear it. Hope ds is braver than me if he doesn't like it.

TheWomanTheyCallJayne · 16/12/2013 21:19

My dh's side of the family all have them. Dh wears his all the time. They were each given them when they turned eighteen.
It's small, subtle and has his initials on it.

And he's never owned a pair of red trousers (except maybe as a toddler)

LRDtheFeministDragon · 16/12/2013 21:20

See now, Jilly Cooper on family crests I would believe.

curse - I am irritated about it because my uncle and both his sons wear signet rings with 'family crests'. That side of my family are descended from illiterate Welsh coalminers.

I have no problem with him wanting to be proud of family heritage but I'd love to know what's not good enough about Welsh coalminers that he has to invent this stuff!

MissBeehiving · 16/12/2013 21:26

dexter a jazzy waistcoat in that stripe so you

TheCurseOfTinsel · 16/12/2013 21:26

oh, agree absolutely.

I am descended from illiterate yorkshire miners. apparently (according to my father) you can trace our heritage right back to the beginnings of a village which shares our name (c1400). not a distinguished person amongst them, but all just fine in their own right.

I ws at a previous boyfriend who got very close to ordering me a 'family crest' because I was 'always banging on about' family history (as in, had mentioned once or twiceI was interested, and might one day get around to seeing if my dad's claim was true).

I didn't need a crest to validate my feelings about my family. I totally understand why dh wears his though - completely different kettle of fish.

LRDtheFeministDragon · 16/12/2013 21:29

Illiterate miners .... always a good background!

TheCurseOfTinsel · 16/12/2013 21:31

absolutely

although they are probably all spinning in their graves right now, as I have gone to the 'dark side' (ie South )

VworpVworp · 16/12/2013 21:31

I think, Hanne, you are just well jel, because I doubt v much you could find a crest for your current surname!

My father has one. He would be described as umc I suppose.

dexter73 · 16/12/2013 21:33

I'm going for the maxi skirt. Great for hogmanay New Year!

MissBeehiving · 16/12/2013 21:41

Larvely, but apparently it's impossible to wear shoes with and the men in that picture appear to have to sit with their legs splayed. Inadvisable in a kilt.

LaFataTurchina · 16/12/2013 21:54

I know 2 RL people who wear them, one is a traditional UMC man in his early 20s. He's lovely but a bit of a walking stereotype.

The other is a very posh girl who wears one a little gold chain (no boys in the family!) I think it's quite sweet really.

MooncupGoddess · 16/12/2013 22:01

Oh Christ I have one. My granny had them made for my brother and male cousins so I had a massive feminist strop and she had one made for me too.

Worst of all, when I asked my father about the history of the crest he told me that we have no official right to wear it at all, our family come from humble stock but when they started going up in the world in the 18th century they pinched the crest from an unrelated much grander family of the same name

Original poster

HanneHolm · 16/12/2013 22:07

Oh god. Bin it. It's as bad as a pandora.

OP posts:

Original poster

HanneHolm · 16/12/2013 22:08

Vwlrop I bet. Rl surname is bastardisation to hide turn of the century war crimes apparently. IKR

OP posts:

dexter73 · 16/12/2013 22:09

Hanne - I'm not surprised you don't like crests as yours is a bit lairy!

dexter73 · 16/12/2013 22:12

Fide sed cui vide - Trust but watch whom you trust

A good motto!

Sleepwhenidie · 16/12/2013 22:16

yah Wig - but they're not all aristocracy innit.

FWIW pretty much every man I've met (quite a few) that wore a signet ring was an emotional retard probably arrested emotional development thanks to being sent to boarding school at the age of 6. They are best avoided IMHO .

lurkingaround · 16/12/2013 22:28

I see Richard E Grant on Liberty, channel4, sporting a signet ring, left hand.

gwenniebee · 16/12/2013 22:30

Wow. Some serious attitudes here.

Well, when mine is mended I shall continue to wear it in the same way as I wear my wedding and engagement rings (ie just normally and not "assumingly" (assuming that is the opposite of "unassuming")). My brother also wears my grandfather's ring. He's in the army and I'm a teacher (in the state sector, FWIW) so we're neither of us exactly rolling in it/entitled or any of the other massively wayward judgements made here.

MrsCakesPremonition · 16/12/2013 22:33

I thought pinkie rings were worn by old-school gangsters.
Just google Krays and pinkie rings.

minipie · 16/12/2013 22:39

I know a few quite posh people who wear them, including a woman or two (only when no sons to hand it down to mind you).

I don't like them. Can't quite articulate why, but it's similar to the old school tie - it smells of wanting to show you are a member of some sort of exclusive class based club to other members of that club. it's also very patriarchal - as if the only important thing about you, or at least the most important thing, is who your father was. No thanks.

Bunbaker · 16/12/2013 22:45

"My parents in law believe that it is a sign of homosexuality. No joke!"

I'm sure they do. That was a popularly held opinion in the 1970s.

During the Victorian era, both single men and women uninterested in pursuing marriage could wear a ring on the little finger of their left hand. And in the 1950s and 1950s these rings became a self-identifying symbol in the gay community.

squoosh · 16/12/2013 22:55

Pinky rings aren't posh enough for me. I'm not confident in my gentleman caller's posh credentials unless he has a Prince Albert with attached chain to keep his well bred member flush beneath his breeches. The sign of a true gentleman I'm sure you'll agree.

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