Personal Statements

Looking around today, it seems everyone is into self expression.  Style is more about who you are than what you have.  I actually love this idea.  In fact,  I remember when I first joined corporate America rolling my eyes at the executives who eschewed pantyhose and skirts for women, suits and ties for men.  Conformity seemed to be a key to success.  I remember thinking it should be more about what you did than what you wore or how you looked.  Of course, I also thought it was radical to wear jeans and boots to the office then.  I bring this up because  I was having dinner recently with friends from multiple generations and the subject of tattoos arose...so funny that a little artwork can arouse such ardent opinions.  Clearly some find them appalling, others find them appealing.  I started thinking about it.

First...like anything else you wear, what you choose to be tattooed says something about you...like a great pair of eccentric or vintage shoes, I think the statement you make should be classic and timeless, not careless and tasteless.

Furthermore, placement counts.  While I'm in full agreement with the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," when it comes to tattoos, I'm not a fan of the public display of them (across your forehead, on your knuckles...)  Like so many other things, understatement is often highly undervalued.  However, after careful consideration, I've decided that what a tattoo says and where it is placed can reveal a lot about a person. And like anything else, done well, discovering one is a little like learning a secret about someone -- extremely appealing, even sexy.

So for my next dinner party, the topic of conversation is going to be, "What would you tattoo where?"   Wanna come?

Ciao,
Jules