Monday, June 15, 2009

"Ill"ustrated World


Today I am shedding some "lyte" on trends.  I had family in town over the past week, and we went down to the infamous Las Vegas Strip.  Such a trip is almost mandatory when you live here, and is practically the only time I go down to the Strip.  I am an avid people watcher and truly there is no better place to get my fix.

It is also a great place to spot trends in fashion.  I have noticed a marked increase in the number of tattoos, especially on women.  And I saw a lot of piercings in noses and spikes in ears and also those large rings in men's ears as well.

I find it amusing that so many white, middle-class youth are emulating African natives and going totally tribal.  These markings also hallmark a classic trait of the young, the inability to picture oneself growing old.

My cardinal rule of tattoos is pick your spot and your image wisely.  Since tattoos are permanent, it is important to place them in or on a body part that ages well.  That leaves your feet.  Everything else will sag or droop or migrate.  Plus, you need to consider if your tastes at 22 will be the same at 44.  An image that sings to your youthful soul may mutter, "What the hell were you thinking?" in your middle age.  

Now piercings are another matter.  Punching a hole in your nose, tongue or labia isn't a lifelong mutilation, these holes could theoretically close if left alone.  But those rings of every-increasing size in your earlobes?  Not so much.  I had the opportunity to be assisted at a video store by a young man who chose to leave his rings out of his lobes.  Yuck.  His earlobes reminded me of dripping wax.  

I am convinced that in a decade or so, there will be a boom in reconstructive surgeries and tattoo removal.  You know what they say, "Illustrate in haste, repent at leisure."  

1 comment:

  1. I agree with everything you just said. As I always say some people never look to the future. Most of us live in the trill of today.

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