Would You Take Fashion Advice from These Folks?

I know what to wear at the dojo: my gi with black belt and no shoes. In the garden and barnyard I wear jeans, T-shirt and cheap canvas tennies or workboots. I have difficulty dressing for any other environment. Teaching is a great challenge, because I have to try not to wear the same outfit every class. I'm trying to get some shoes or sandals to wear for teaching in June; I thought I'd found a pair: black, rubbery, comfy. I put them on after kobudo class and Kristina (who has just returned from France) said, "no." Josh, who has a special room in his house just for his shoes said, "are they comfortable?" Eric says, "They can't decide what kind of shoes they want to be. Sporty or elegant or summery. But I like them," he said. I will return the shoes to Meijers and try to formulate a new plan.

At the bar after working out, I pitched around the table for general fashion advice. Kristina advises wearing "anything leopard print." She was wearing a knee-length tight-bodice sleeveless leopard-print dress, leopard-print earrings and barrettes, and a pair of medium-heel, pointy-toed leopard-print pumps. Her sister Tori Grace said, "Filipinas are shoe whores." (The sisters have that in common with Imelda Marcos.) Jamie Blake suggested, "Short people should wear pointy-toed shoes." Tori Grace suggests that bandanas are always a good fashion accessory, but you need to research gang signs before you get too creative. Most days, Tori says she wears a long tank top, a short tank top and two belts. Eric, who is talking about buying knee-high converse tennis shoes, says, "T-shirts and jeans work for every occasion. For formal wear, add a denim jacket." Phil, who is holding hands with Kristina says, "Black. Everything goes with black, especially black." Shihan Wayne Kroll says he just tries to remember to put on his pants.