Rob Cantrell
Amst 205
November 14, 1995

Project 3: Artifact of Appearance


Fred Davis, in his book Fashion, Culture, and Identity, argues the idea that what we wear communicates who we are. He further states that through fashion, we create an image that we want to display, along with our beliefs, values, and status. Reflecting on this position, I had great difficulty citing examples in my own case. What I wear has almost nothing to do with who I am. Since my wife buys all my clothes, I simply wear what I find in my closet. I guess I could say that my appearance is a reflection of what my wife sees in me. In other words, I am "fashion indifferent". This is a term that Davis uses to define those individuals who simply do not care about fashion. That is me...what I wear has no predetermined meaning. On an average day, I wear a shirt or sweater, blue jeans, and tennis shoes. Not to project a certain image or status, but simply because they are comfortable. I style my hair in a way to keep it out of my eyes. I don't have tatoos. I don't wear jewelry. And, I have a beard for the simple fact that I don't like to shave.

However, there is one item that I wear that has special meaning...my wedding ring. Pictured below is my ring...


Through simple analysis, one can see that this is a 14 karat gold, diamond cut, wedding ring. Since it is relatively new, it happens to be in rather good shape. Made in a size eight, it fits my left ring finger perfectly. It cost roughly two hundred dollars when it was purchased almost two years ago. The function of this ring is that it serves as an indication that I am married. Rings, in general, are worn for various purposes: to indicate marital status, to beautify, to show pride in an accomplishment (eg., super bowl ring), to show an affiliation, and, as Davis points out, to "flaunt" status.

Though my ring is not as fancy or as expensive as other male wedding rings, it serves its function well. I am proud to wear it and to allow other people to see me wearing it, for it helps to portray an image of a "family" man.

Since the beginning of time, jewelry, specifically rings, have been around. Though, traditionally, jewelry was worn by the elite, through what Davis terms "The Trickle-Down Theory", jewelry became more accessible for the middle and lower classes. In America, with the technological advances in the manufacture of jewelry, it is not uncommon to find people of all classes adorning rings. Generally speaking, the types and quantity of rings worn by Americans is gender specific...men will typically wear one or two, if any; women will wear anywhere from none to one on each finger, sometimes even more than that. Additionally, mens rings tend to be more conservative and less flashy than womens rings. While I understand that there are obvious exceptions to this, I do feel that this is a general observation.

Davis points out in his book that there is a lot of ambiguity in the meaning of clothes and other fashion accessories. Excepting that rings are a part of fashion, it is clear then that there should be a lot of ambiguities in the meaning of rings. This is clearly evident, for example, when we see that even though a wedding ring generally means a person is "attached" and unavailable, they may still be approached by someone who feels marriage and the wearing of a wedding ring doesn't signify commitment. Similarly, while one person may wear a ring for religious reasons, another person may wear the same ring simply because it looks good. Consequently, it is hard to determine exactly why a specific person wears a specific ring; and, the meaning to that person may be entirely different than what another person may perceive. However, when talking about wedding rings, it can be generally inferred that the wearer is signifying a commitment and love to a spouse.

Through analysis using Davis' guidelines, it is clear that what I wear, namely my wedding ring, communicates a part of myself. Being married to someone that you love and admire is really special. The meaning goes a little deeper, though. Before I married my present wife, I had been married to another woman for three years. However, my ex-wife did not share the same commitment as I, and, consequently, our marriage was destroyed. Though it was a painful experience, I learned a lot from it. One of the hardest parts of that ordeal was removing my old ring, never to wear it again. With my present wife, I wear my ring proudly. It constantly reminds me that, after the toughest of times, the happiest of times will soon follow.

Thank You for reading Project 3: Artifact of Appearance