Fighting Style – Style Lesson #3

It’s Fashion Week in some little burg off on the East Coast so it’s Fashion Week in the center of the universe as well (that’s here in case you were wondering).

style divisions

My eldest daughter, Rebekah, once asked me a question. She was standing at the top of the stairs and my other 2 daughters were at the bottom of the stairs near me in the living room.  She asked, “Dad, is it ok if I get my belly button pierced?”

Hmmmm….this has got to be a trick question I think to myself.  If I say yes, then obviously the other two girls hear it and will then feel they also have permission to have that done when they are Beka’s age.  If I say no it sets up an argument about piercing and style that will likely go on for a long time in the household considering the 2 younger girls are only in middle school.  Hmmm…how to respond?

First, I thought about what I had preached to so many of my conservative church-going friends who were parents.  How often had I said, in response to them complaining about their kids’ styles, “Do NOT destroy the relationship with your child over style. They want to dye their hair purple? When are they EVER going to be able to do it if not in high school?  They want to wear what most everyone is wearing? It does NOT mean they are a slut. It just means they want to be a member of a tribe. Chill out and save big battles for big issues, not shoe styles.”

Then I thought about what I had told my own children many times.  I am fine with you wearing and accessorizing whatever you want. Any style is ok as long as it’s not permanent (i.e. tattoos, they can get those when they are over 18 and out of the house if they want), dangerous, harmful or hurtful to themselves or others, then I am fine with it.  IF, however, I find that your character and behavior goes south I reserve the right to investigate whether your style has anything to with it. If it does, then that style will have to go or be modified.

So, now was the moment of truth. Was I going to practice what I preached with Rebekah?  My response was, “Well, I think I would want to go to a doctor and ask what he or she thought of belly button piercings, I would research it, I would find out if there were big infection problems, etc.  If that all came back ok, then I would let you get your belly button pierced.”

She listened, turned and walked towards her room and said, “That’s cool. I don’t really want to get it pierced, I just wanted to see what you would say.”

That cracked me up.

Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman, who limits his piercing activity to using skewers for shish kebobs.

Quote by Peter McKay, who is either a Scottish Footballer, a Canadian politician or a humor writer. Pick one, you might be right.

Elegance is Refusal – Style Lesson #2

It’s Fashion Week in New York and Fashion Week here as well!

Elegance is Refusal

What does this quote mean?

I understand most every quote I come across.  I know what they mean to say and I understand why they are saying it. Not so with this quote. I saw it last week when I was planning out my style series and decided I would NOT do a napkin on it since I had no clue what Coco Chanel meant by it.  I still don’t completely. But, here is a funny thing.  Today I decided to just put the quote on the page, nothing else, then ask you what you thought it meant. I would then finish the drawing based on the feedback. But after I did the words on the page this idea of just a hand came to me, the ‘take to the hand’ hand.  So I thought I would just draw the hand in the middle of the page, but that led to the face and I drew the arm funny so that led it to being a landscape then that led to deciding what she was refusing and that lead to me thinking…ah, maybe I do understand it after all…

But I am still not sure so I want your feedback.

  • What does this quote mean?
  • Does it reflect itself in your life, or in those you know and admire perhaps?
  • How does elegance (and its definition in the quote) fit in with fashion and style?

Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman, who thinks fine dining is elegant.

Quote by Coco Chanel, 1883-1971, French fashion designer.


The Five I’s of the Style Equation – Style Lesson #1

The Style Equation

In my non-Napkin Dad life I also consult, design and develop websites and blogs at times.  I have recently been contracted to redesign and expand a style, fashion, and shopping blog and it has been great fun. It included a number of long conversations with the client about how to  get just the right mix of elements into the website.  That in turn got me thinking about what style really consists of and I came up with the Five I’s.  I think I will spend some time digressing about the I’s eventually but before I do I would love to hear your understanding of the I’s as they apply in your own and other’s styles in fashion and other areas.  Or add in new I’s or whatever other alphabet letter fits!

In addition, Let me know what you think style is, where it comes from, how you know it when you see it, and how it differs from fashion, trends, fads, etc.

Drawing, quote and commentary by Marty Coleman, who got 3 new hats this winter.