Why Women Are Wearing Pinky Rings—and the Powerful Message Behind the Trend

For generations, a ring on a woman’s hand—especially the left one—has almost always pointed to the same conclusion: she’s married or engaged. But a new movement is reshaping that old assumption. More women are choosing to wear rings on their pinky fingers, not to signal a relationship, but to declare something far more personal: self-love. Unlike traditional jewelry meant to symbolize commitment to another person, the pinky ring trend speaks to the idea of choosing oneself first.

The movement gained traction thanks to Fred + Far, a jewelry brand co-founded by Melody Godfred. She created the “Self-Love Pinky Ring” after realizing she’d spent years prioritizing everything and everyone except herself. She chose the pinky specifically because it’s often overlooked—much like how women can overlook their own needs. The ring, often designed with an inverted triangle meant to honor the “divine feminine,” became a wearable promise: This time, I choose me.

Of course, not every pinky ring is a declaration. Many women wear them simply because they like the style. Still, for those who embrace the movement, the message is powerful. Godfred has said that wearing both her engagement ring and her self-love ring feels right—one symbolizes her bond with her partner, the other her bond with herself. And the two aren’t in competition; if anything, honoring herself has made her more capable of loving others.

Interestingly, pinky rings have a much older history. In the Victorian era, women sometimes wore them on the left pinky to show they were single—and intentionally staying that way. Today’s version carries a different nuance: it’s less about rejecting marriage and more about embracing personal worth, independence, and emotional wholeness. So next time you see a woman with a ring on her smallest finger, there’s a chance it’s more than jewelry—it might be a quiet but powerful declaration of who she’s chosen to honor first: herself.