Style

One Brooklyn boutique makes a showcase for the new everyday accessory

As winter wardrobes get packed away in favor of the lightweight fabrics of spring and summer, layers remain heavy laden on Gotham’s fingers. Catbird, a lovely boutique in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, has mainlined their custom-made stacking rings, and turned a trend into a fashion movement. Fashionistas all over, including Eva Chen, Kelly Framel and Emily Weiss, have applied the “arm party” philosophy to their fingers with these dainty bands that create a surprisingly striking visual statement during any season.

Offered in a variety of thread thin, alphabet adorned and gemstone inlaid designs, Catbird’s trinkets are reinventing customizable jewelry. Their specialty inventory includes classic metal bands, unisex and first knuckle rings, and designer collaborations. Through combining styles, applying en masse, and interchanging among fingers, looks can be curated to suit any sartorial taste.

Catbird owner Rony Vardi says she discovered the appeal and versatility of a first knuckle ring in the ’90s, when she decided to wear a toe ring she bought in the East Village on her finger instead of her toe. Much later on, when she opened Catbird and started the shop’s house line, the Classic Hammered First Knuckle Ring was born. 

“The inspiration for stacks really came from people—myself and everyone at Catbird—starting to buy and pile them on,” says Vardi. “People add them for milestones, or just because they’d like a new one. It’s a great way to create your own personal style over time, without investing a ton of money into one ring—although certainly many people do that as well!”

Catbird soon began referring to the first knuckle rings as “Memory Rings,” a term now widely used to describe them—“the idea being that you would take a pinky ring and put it on your first knuckle to remind you that you had to do something.” With pricing for the simpler styles starting at an affordable $20, you may wear one to remind yourself to buy another.

Catbird Twisted Stacker Rings

Catbird is located at 219 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn.