My kids think it’s so funny when I tell them stories about “my times” of growing up. It’s definitely a hoot for me to think back to how different things were back in the day.

So, let’s talk for a minute about the duck tail hair cuts. I can remember standing on the playground of Hammonton High School in New Jersey swooning over Frankie Avalon as he would walk on by the chain-link fence and talk to us. Okay, maybe he didn’t always talk, but he did wave at us as we girls gripped the fence in hopes that Frankie would walk over and touch one of our hands. No, trust me, he never touched mine. If he had, I would never have washed my hand again!

Frankie had a duck tail which was the absolute most studly fashion statement for guys’ hair in the 5o’s. This awesome style was the dream-child of barber Joe Cirella (Italian, I’m sure) and this fashion became the craze when television and movie stars began waltzing the streets with their ducktails, also known as the Duck’s Butt, or the D.A., but we’ll keep it polite here and stick with ducktail. You can actually look at the tail of a duck and see how Barber Cirella came up with this idea!

I remember my father ranting and raving about how awful that was! He had plenty to say about the ducktails! Truth-be-known, if he hadn’t been in his 30’s at the time or had a head of kinky waves that wouldn’t comb straight, he would have strutted a duck tail, too.

What’s all this have to do with us today? I guess I just think fashion raves are just that…..they come and go like the waves of the sea, and sometimes we get so hung up on what people wear, how they style their hair, or better yet, what color they put in their hair, that often we miss out on the heart of the person.

Ducktails in the 50’s. The disco punk in the 60’s and 70’s. Long hair for guys. Short spikes for girls. Vice versa. Who cares? What really matters is what the person is made up of on the inside. The outside is nothing more than a signature fashion statement of the era in which we live. It’s been that way for time evermore, and fashion statements will continue to change like the tide until the end of time.

I’m sure you’re wondering if I had a ducktail? No way! That was for the guys. Me? Beehive all the way!

Love,

Clara

PS I sure do wish the ducktail would come back, guys! Why don’t you work on that?