Body Expressions
Tattoo art not just for young rebels; form of expression
By Sarah McClellan
skiff staff
Though her dad thought it improper for a lady, freshman premed major Diana Guio had a small butterfly tattooed above her shoulder blade during her senior year of high school.
“I (have) wanted (a tattoo) since I was little,” Guio said. “I was one of the first people in my school to get one — after me, other people started to.”
Tattoos, a quickly rising trend, can be traced back to scarring tattoos, which were part of African tribal ceremonies, said Janace Clarke, assistant professor of fashion merchandising and promotion.
“(African tribes) used to do a lot of scarring for decorative and ceremonial reasons,” Clarke said.
Nowadays, I think body piercing — any kind of body manipulation — and tattoos go hand in hand. I think it has a lot to do with this new generation and wanting to make their own statement.”
Mike Nicholson, owner of Tattoo Studio 2 on Camp Bowie agrees.
“It’s the baby boom,” Nicholson said. “That’s what makes tattoos so popular. It’ll last until about 2006.”
Nicholson also attributes the rising popularity of tattoos to movie stars and professional athletes who sport the permanent body decorations.
Mauro Monreal, tattoo artist at Tattoo Studio 2, said tattoos have become more popular because of bands and musical artists with tattoos and the influence they have on the public.
“A lot of bands from hip-hop to rock are tattooed up,” Monreal said. “People want to look like their favorite artist.”
Dewayne Stone, owner of Solar Tattoos and Body Piercing on West Berry Street, thinks the improvements in tattoo technology have contributed to their popularity.
“The artwork has improved,” Stone said. “The ability to do clean, nice work without fading and with better colors has improved. It’s one of those trends that has hit it big.”
Stone, who has 42 tattoos, likes them because they are “body art.”
Among the most popular types of tattoos, Stone said, are tribal art and Celtic knot work.
“Back in the day, the style was skulls and wizards,” Stone said. “Now it’s tribal and Celtic.”
Stone also gets many requests for tattoos of fraternity and sorority signs.
Clarke said the types of tattoos she sees the most are arm or ankle bands with designs ranging from floral to ribbon-like, and are more visible now then in the past.
“Tattoos used to be concealed by clothing, but now people are into sporting them,” Clarke said.
Thomas McTyer, senior kinesiology major, thinks tattoos are a means of self expression.
“It’s a way to represent stuff that you like,” said McTyer, who is also a point guard on the men’s basketball team. “I got my name tattooed because I always wanted a tattoo and didn’t know what to get. The others just represent things in my life.”
McTyer’s four tattoos include his name, his daughter’s name, a picture of a finger with a basketball spinning on it and a cross with Jesus on it with the words, “My Strength.”
Bingo Merriex, sophomore communications major, has a self-designed tattoo of a basketball held in a pair of hands with the words “God’s Gift.”
“I decided to get this tattoo because I like basketball and God gave me the gift to play it,” said Merriex, a sophomore guard on the men’s basketball team.
Nicholson said the tattoo trend has been popularized not only by Generation
X, but older adults as well.
“We’re starting to see a more conservative group get tattoos,”
Nicholson said. “We’ve seen doctors, lawyers, teachers, preachers,
nurses and so on, which has been good for business overall. Tattoos are
not just for the younger generation anymore.”
Clarke, however, thinks that the tattoo rage is dying down.
“I think we’re moving away from permanent tattoos because we’ve got temporary tattoos and stick on body jewels,” Clarke said. “You see it on Britney Spears and other teen groups. Heavy piercing and tattooing has hit its’ peak and now there are different types of body ornamentation.”
That doesn’t appear to matter to sophomore marketing major Andy
Rice, who plans to get a tattoo soon.
“It’s something I can keep on my body to always remind myself
what it stands for,” Rice said. “I can’t tell what I’m
getting — that’s what makes it special. I’m getting it
to remind me to always be what I want to be.”
Sarah McClellan
Sarahlmac@hotmail.com
Shoes take first step in fashion
Walking from showroom to showroom in the Dallas Galleria is amazing.
Fantasy store lights, the smell of fresh-baked bread and coffee — the scenery of the Galleria is impressive and rich.
People move from store to store. Salespeople entice me with handbags, perfume, shoes and clothes produced by top designers, from Gucci to Giorigio Armani. I was in a daze of fashion.
Whether trying on a suit, jeans or whatever, the outcome was the same — I needed a pair of shoes. The mental picture of my closet was droves of shoes worn once or twice, yet I still needed more.
The trend is set in today’s fashion accessory arena — customers have become particular about their shoes. Our shoes hold a lot of weight when trying on new clothes.
No one knows what to expect in the next web of shoe fashion, but a couple of things are clear; no one will loan you their pairs. Finding a matching outfit and shoes is no easy task.
From walking and hiking to dress and casual footwear, shoes are in. Shoes affect our style and culture, now and in the past, in daily life as well as in movies, TV, theater and art.
What surprises me most is that we trade clothing in and out of our closets, but people seem to be particular about their shoes. We will exchange hats, jewelry, clothing and sometimes even allow each other to borrow a pair of socks, but do not ask to borrow shoes. Something about shoes is personal and off-limits to anyone except the owner, regardless of whether they are in or out of style.
My personal dilemma in today’s shoe fetish was not the amount of shoes I loan out, but in finding the extra space for my new-found shoe fashions.
Then I discovered how to get the best out of my closet space for my extra shoes — get rid of the boxes. Boxes are extra clutter and give a “gift box” look to your closet. Shoe racks are globally tacky, confined and congested. You could try and save space by placing the rack on your door, but the shoes have a tendency to swing off and cause more clutter.
Nope, there is only one answer: more shelve space. If you measure your closet space, Home Depot will assist you in cutting dimensions, and in finding any other tools or screws you may need. It’s simple and could allow you to add an additional shelf — two feet above your floor — all around your wall closet.
Next, once the shelves are added, be smart and save space. Most people put their shoes in the same direction, however, if you alternate postitions you’ll be able to fit more shoes on each shelf.
This effort — the ingenious act of finding more closet space for shoes — leaves you an incredible reason to go shoe shopping.
When shopping for an outfit, people tend to spend the bulk of their money on the actual outfit, whereas accessories usually finalize your garment.
The first thing you should do when shopping for an outfit is look around department and specialty stores, inquiring about shoe sales. Find out how much a particular shoe is going to cost and budget the rest of your spending from there.
You will find the trend is set and important details such as shoes speak volumes to your outfit. Your final garment is what counts and shoes are an important part of the creation. After successful shopping, savings and new closet space, you should feel good about your final garment.
Comfortable shoes make you feel better about yourself. And matching shades, purse and belt give you that extra “umph” you’ve longed for.
Shoes are trendy and they count toward detail and hold as much weight as a good manicure.
There are two things that you should keep in mind about shoes: you’re gonna have to find some space, and they’ll add pep to your step and flair to your outfit.
Rachael Fisher is a senior fashion promotion major
from Shreveport, La.
She can be reached at (champleve@hotmail.com).