The Engraved Bracelet That’ll Take the Words Right Out of Your Mouth

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Athens, Georgia, is home to many things — the Dawgs, the birthplace of R.E.M., at least a handful of stumbling-drunk 19-year-olds at any given time, and a very unique little fashion scene, the heart of which lives in a boutique called Community.

Community is, for the most part, a vintage shop, but before a lot of those pieces hit the sales floor, the in-house seamstresses will rework them, modernizing the fit and style. On top of that, the store hosts sewing classes, does alterations, and sells the work of local and student designers and jewelry makers. So whenever I’m in town, I try to swing by, which is how I ended up with this cuff that hasn’t left my wrist since.

My dad and I were Christmas shopping for his girlfriend when he spotted the display of “Rings That Say Things” by Rhys May. Rhys makes everything from spiky drop earrings to opal and diamond rings, but I immediately loved the lightheartedness of the rings stamped with messages like “Barf,” “Ugh,” and “Merde,” — French for “shit,” so, like, it’s a little bit fancier than regular “shit.” When my eyes landed on the cuff that said “Fuck Yeah,” I was instantly sold. And at only $48, it wasn’t too unreasonable for a pre-Christmas impulse buy.

The rings ($42) and cuffs ($48), which are both completely adjustable, can be customized with any message on Rhys’s Etsy shop. (For both these reasons, they’d make a great gift, too.) So you could go with something standard, like your initials, or maybe you have a catchphrase you’re hoping to #brand yourself with, although I highly recommend sticking with some kind of profanity.

It tickles me to no end to occasionally see the F word on my wrist throughout the day without the commitment and mom-shaming that would come from an obscene tattoo. Plus, it’s the appropriate phrase in nearly all situations. For example, it’s a great motivator: “‘Fuck yeah’ finish those emails, Stephanie!” And a serious warning: “If you’re reading this ‘fuck yeah,’ you’re standing too close to me, random subway person!” Clearly, you really can’t go wrong here.