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Princella Talley

Think Before You Ink

A Sensible Approach To Tattoos

Miami Ink. LA Ink. Tattoo models. Tattoo magazines. Tattoos on me. Tattoos on you. Tattoos on your friends. Tattoos on Grandma.  Once looked down upon and considered taboo in some regions, they have definitely made their way into the mainstream and with good reasons. Skin art is a beautiful form of self-expression, but like everything else, the practice should be approached with caution.

With tattoos now being one of the most common ways to show what we love, we forget about other options that exist. Your love of Marilyn Monroe could serve just as well in a beautifully framed picture. Your favorite band could be shown in all types of memorabilia. It doesn’t necessarily have to be on your skin, especially if you run the risk of losing some interest in it one day.

Today, you may want that tattoo of the evil ripped up teddy bear smoking a cigar, but in the future, how will you feel about it, and how will it affect your standing with potential employers?

Many establishments still feel that tattoos should be hidden as part of the dress code, but such ideas are beginning to change. With this counterculture phenomenon, it’s becoming increasingly difficult, even in the corporate world, to dismiss someone’s skills and abilities based on body art. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for every career field yet. So, before you move forward with the naked pin-up girl tattoo on your forearm (and I have seen some beautiful ones, so I say that with no disrespect), here are some things to consider.

Before the job prospects, before what your friends think, and before what is trending in pop culture, consider YOURSELF. Speaking from experience, I have gotten more than one tattoo before college that I wasn’t so fond of and I had to opt for cover ups. What led to my regrets was the fact that I didn’t take the time to think it all through and ask myself some important questions. Questions like these:

What do you believe in and what will your ink mean to you? Why do you want this tattoo so badly? Will you be proud to look at it and show it to others for many years to come? These are important questions to ask because they can save some regret in the future. Sure, there are always the options of cover ups and laser removals but cover ups can have their complications, and laser removal is not the best feeling in the world and can still leave ink behind. Also, both options are ultimately more expensive, so why not try to get it right the first time?

Some of the worst tattoo motivations are those of humor and a current emotional state. Sure, your tat may be the funniest thing ever, but there may come a time where the joke is on you when you no longer find the permanent ink so humorous. With the emotions of love, anger, and frustration, you may feel super strongly now, but what about if or when those feelings subside? You don’t want to be stuck with the mark of a bad memory.

Now, depending on your career goals for the future, think about where your tattoos will place you amongst your competitors and within your field. If you think there may be negative consequences, it doesn’t mean that you can’t get the tattoo you want, but it does mean that you should be cautious of where you put it. Avoid the neck, hands, and any other areas that will be easily noticed at the workplace. This way, no matter what you decide to have tattooed on your body, it will be no one’s business but your own and you can avoid unfair judgments and job rejections, which unfortunately, do still exist.

At this point, some of us already have tattoos and if not, we are planning on getting one or more. In the end, it is all a matter of personal choice and some of us do best to learn by trial and error or just life experience in general. So, ink as you please – just think about it first. Really, think about it.
 

Petitioning against the Kardashians

Is it really necessary?

So on one end of our current news, we have people occupying Wall Street. On the other end, we have people petitioning against the Kardashians. Maybe it’s just me, but one of these movements seem to have a bit more purpose than the other.

On a personal note, I am not a fan of the Kardashians. Sure, they are beautiful people, but they are just not interesting to me and do nothing special to receive all the attention they get. But then again, neither do any of the reality housewives and wives of athletes, or many other of the individuals that are famous for no good reason other than having a camera follow them around and having arguments.

So, what keeps such things on the major networks? Well, we do. We all know about those shows that get cancelled after a season or two, and most of us know that it stopped airing because it wasn’t getting enough attention. Enough people were not tuning in and there was no hype surrounding the show, leading the network to drop it and move on to other things.

Let’s now apply this concept to the Kardashians. The reasons for the popularity of the young Kardashians, besides their well-known father, and current stepfather, is that some people love them, some people hate them, and others are just tuned in to see what they are doing. Whatever the reason may be, these factors keep them on television and magazine covers alike.

With a petition that has about 100,000 signatures so far to have the Kardashians (and especially Kim) cancelled, this action seems a little counterintuitive. Maybe it will work, and the show will be cancelled, or maybe this controversy will only make them even more popular because controversy typically sells, and it sells a lot. The best way to boycott the show, or anything on television for that matter, is simply by no longer watching it. Change the channel, stop buying the magazine issues that feature them, stop ranting about them on the Internet and making them trend on Twitter if you want their celebrity presence to disappear.

What’s worse about this method that people are using to go against the Kardashians is that it has to be hurtful. These people are celebrities, but they are still human beings. Could you imagine going on campus one day and seeing that tons of people are making it important in their lives to petition against you for whatever the reason?

At the end of the day, whether or not you sign the petition is up to you, but be sure to enforce your own efforts by simply changing the channel and changing the subject.

Rihanna showcases diverse fashion staples in ‘We Found Love’ music video

Get the look without making a fashion blunder

There are quite a few people who disagree with Rihanna’s concept for her new video “We Found Love.” Others are defending it, deeming it powerfully emotional and artistic, but these differing opinions and analyzations are a completely different story. In the midst of Rihanna’s sexily twisted love story, the fashionista in someone can easily be awakened while spotting some of great styles throughout the video. We all know that Rihanna is extremely beautiful and could pull off just about any look.  Still, some of the fashions in this video aren’t really a big risk for us “normal people,” and can be done quite easily.

The most apparent in the wardrobe pieces was the light denim. Faded denim jackets. Stone washed denim skirts. It was a denim madhouse. Then there were thigh highs and garters. There is also a glimpse of combat roots as Rihanna is in the bathtub, and her beau is sporting skinny suspenders with jeans. Vintage and somewhat 80’s appeal was in high gear, especially with Rihanna’s hair (which was sleek at some moments and big at others), along with the high-waisted skirts and the striped undergarment that she wore with fishnets. 

So how do you take these styles and alter them to fit your everyday lifestyle? Let’s begin with the denim.

Demin can accentuate many ensembles very well, so long as you don’t go into denim overload by doing things like sporting denim from top to bottom. A great place to shop for all denim hunters is, of course, the Levi’s store and there is a great directory for denim here.

Now, on to the hair. Curly, classy, and always beautiful, vintage hairstyles compliment just about any facial shape, and for those that are not quite skilled enough to perfect some of the diverse looks without the help of a hairdresser, they can look to this site for help, or purchase the how-to book Vintage Hairstyling.

Here is where things get a bit tricky. When it comes time to wear garters, thigh highs, and fishnets, one must tread the waters carefully, because there is a fine line between using them to add spice to an outfit and looking a little too…”spicy.” Garter belts typically are added for sex appeal, so save them for the bedroom or the club, but adhering to the rules of proper fashion etiquette when it comes to fishnets and thigh highs should keep you in the safe zone.

Finally, if you haven’t quite noticed, high waisted bottom pieces have been maintaining their popularity long before this video, and with good reason. Once you overcome that fear of looking like someone that pulled their shorts up too high, you will come to love the statement of high waisted gear and appreciate how flattering it can be to the legs, derriere, and midsection. One could rave on about the joys of this style forever, but you have to try it on for yourself to be made a believer.

See Rihanna’s video with Calvin Harris.