Renaya (11) crept out of the bathroom with her head slightly cocked away from me. Then she turned toward me and asked,
I also knew that I had been picked on incessantly while in school, our clothes coming from Goodwill, The Salvation Army, and a little thrift store down the street, The Silver Angel, where we could pick up a pair of last decade's tennis shoes for twenty-five cents. People also dropped bags of clothes they didn't want anymore on our doorstep.
We thought we were rich, but found out quickly that the reason they tossed them our direction was because nobody wore clothes from the 1970's in the 1980's. Even so, I didn't much care. I wore whatever I wore anyway, sticking my chin out, caring not that I didn't "fit in," disqualifying myself, as a parent, to ever counsel my own children about what was stylish or not.
So, here was Renaya, asking me if a decades-old style looked good. I couldn't lie.
She blushed, gave me one of her toothy smiles, and left it in.
Ladies...the side ponytail is "in" now. Start wearing it.
Love,
I. C.
Daddy, does this look good?She was wearing a side ponytail, and it looked adorable. I was a product of the 80's and side ponytails were all the rage in those days, coupled with the scrunchy worn around the wrist. What would I know? I thought girls were gorgeous then.
I also knew that I had been picked on incessantly while in school, our clothes coming from Goodwill, The Salvation Army, and a little thrift store down the street, The Silver Angel, where we could pick up a pair of last decade's tennis shoes for twenty-five cents. People also dropped bags of clothes they didn't want anymore on our doorstep.
We thought we were rich, but found out quickly that the reason they tossed them our direction was because nobody wore clothes from the 1970's in the 1980's. Even so, I didn't much care. I wore whatever I wore anyway, sticking my chin out, caring not that I didn't "fit in," disqualifying myself, as a parent, to ever counsel my own children about what was stylish or not.
So, here was Renaya, asking me if a decades-old style looked good. I couldn't lie.
Yes! It looks freaking gorgeous Naya. But, keep in mind, I love ponytails anywhere. On the back, on the side...heck even in the front of your head or eighteen of them scattered around all over the place, including braided neck hair.
But Naya, you have two choices with fashion:
1. Figure out if a side ponytail is "in," wearing it if it is, or
2. Screw all fashions of the day, be a non-conformist, and just be you.
Because, Renaya...you look perfectly lovely.
She blushed, gave me one of her toothy smiles, and left it in.
Ladies...the side ponytail is "in" now. Start wearing it.
Love,
I. C.
The side ponytail was the first hairstyle I managed on my own. I was 9 years old, and I know this because the only reason I was left to my own devices with my hair is that my mother was in the hospital for the birth of my little sister. Otherwise I'm pretty sure I'd never have figured anything out (she was the teensiest bit controlling).
ReplyDeleteAnd rock on, JoeDad -- your advice was spot on :)
Love that, Dad.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is ten and has recently been rocking the side ponytail...it threw me for a loop the first time I saw it, but she is loving it!
ReplyDelete