Nauer: Rings aren’t just for the Steelers this February

‘ ‘ ‘ Maybe it’s the drab, gray weather. Maybe it’s that I haven’t been shopping in awhile…. ‘ ‘ ‘ Maybe it’s the drab, gray weather. Maybe it’s that I haven’t been shopping in awhile. Whatever it is, around this time of the year my clothes always seem so boring.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ I’m sick of all my winter staples like boots and sweaters, but it’s too cold to wear any new spring styles. The easiest way I’ve found to jazz up any ensemble is to accessorize. And recently I’ve been particularly enamored with decorating my digits with large, interesting rings. These big baubles can be known as cocktail rings when there’s a gemstone or faux gemstone involved.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Cocktail rings gained popularity during the era of the cocktail party so ladies could look special while clutching their martinis. So why not update your look this weekend with a pretty ring so you can look extra fancy while grasping your, ahem, red plastic cup?’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Rings are also one of the most inexpensive ways to renew a dull wardrobe. Forever 21 is definitely the best bet on a budget. I had a gold ring with multiple rhinestones from F21 that once garnered compliments from a sales associate at an upscale boutique in Shadyside. ‘ ‘ ‘ Luckily, she couldn’t see that it had turned my finger green underneath. Hey, what do you expect for six bucks? Sadly, I lost it over winter break and recently ventured out to find a replacement. I found two! For only $3.80 each, I got a large cream-colored plastic rose (sounds way tackier than it actually is) and a pearl creation with tiny (fake) turquoise stones surrounding it set in gold.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ And rings all over the place have been catching my eye lately. Two rings by J.Crew and Marc by Marc Jacobs caught my eye in the February InStyle and actually set off my quest to find my ring replacement. And with such affordability (The Marc by Marc Jacobs was only $17!), I was extra eager to begin searching. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ As the caption underneath the two bejeweled trinkets said, cocktail rings are ‘a tiny accessory that defines your whole look.’ While I couldn’t find either of the rings featured in the magazine on their Web sites, I found plenty of other sites brimming with fabulous creations.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ If you direct yourself to pixiemarket.com, which hails itself as a fashion supermarket, you can find the ‘lovers triple ring’ by Daydream Nation. It’s a triple connected knuckle ring in gold brass featuring cutouts of the silhouette of a girl and a boy facing each other with a heart in between. OK, so it’s not exactly a cocktail ring, but it’s pretty fierce looking and definitely an interesting piece to add to your jewelry box. Equally sweet is Daydream Nation’s bow tie ring set in brass rose gold. ‘ ‘ ‘ While not as sweet, the Olsen twins’ clothing line Elizabeth and James features a snake wrap ring and a gothic cross ring to help bring out your darker side. Both are available on eluxury.com.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ But the best ring discovery I’ve made lately happened while flipping through the pages of NYLON. October Anniversary has by far the most statement-making rings I have ever seen.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Upon inspection of its Web site, which is scattered with pictures of impossibly cool looking people partying while flaunting their October Anniversary rings, I was immediately lusting after these decorative pieces. The two designers behind this New York operation were struck with the idea while sitting in a Sbarro Pizza, and the brand was launched in February 2008.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Inspired by nature, the designs feature items like conch shells, fish skeletons, coral that wraps around many fingers, entire beach scenes that cover a good portion of your hand and various animals like elephants, panthers and birds. And as an added bonus, it crafts the creations using recycled materials from eco-friendly factories. Plus, it donates 10 percent of its profits to a charity called Happy Hearts Fund, which helps to improve children’s lives in disaster areas. This brand is charitable, conscientious and chic ‘mdash; a hard combination to come by. ‘ ‘ ‘ So try on a ring. Everyone should score a new one this season, and hopefully the Steelers will return home from Tampa with a sixth to add to their collection.’