“My Son, The Prince of Fashion” by Michael Chabon

The article “My Son, The Prince of Fashion” by Michael Chabon is about a 13-year-old boy and his early passion for fashion. Abe’s Father knew he was into fashion because “At 3 he had been firmly of the opinion that a bright-yellow-and-sky-blue Wolverine costume was appropriate attire for any occasion” which wasn’t normal for people in his preschool. Later on, his sense of style matured and he would go to school “dressed up as a man—a stylish man.” With this fashion statement came some criticism from Abe’s peers. He would deal with “teasing; one of his two little snap-brims would get snatched off his head now and then, and tossed around the playground” just because the kids in his grade didn’t know how to accept people who are different. I believe that clothes can be a great way to physically express your personality. For example, some billionaires like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs like to wear plain or ordinary clothing during important events because they are money savers and like to put emphasis on their million-dollar creations. In Abe’s situation, he was the last child of 4 and had to find his calling quickly because all of his siblings had already found a path in life. Abe was given the chance to visit Paris during the Men’s Fashion Week. During this time he went to many shows but the one stood out to him the most was Virgil Abloh. At Virgil Abloh’s fashion show Abe realized that fashion to him is really gathering “all the bits and pieces from here and there” that you like and feel comfortable in that shows the ” history of the guy who had put them on.” This fashion show taught Abe that clothing is a form of self-expression and that he should be proud of and comfortable wearing no matter if it is “normal” or not.

“Does My Childs Name Erase My Identity?” by Jami Nakamura Lin

The article “Does My Childs Name Erase My Identity?” by Jami Nakamura Lin, is asking a question about if a name can bring honor to a culture. Lin, the author, is struggling with naming her child because her, “eyes are bluish-gray, her hair is light brown” which doesn’t show any Japanese-Taiwanese characteristics. Lin feels like her cultural identity is disappearing in the next generation she is creating. The author believes that names “cannot explain all of our experiences, but they can gesture toward the community.” I agree to this statement to a point. I think that names can show one side of your heratiage but they don’t nessicarliy display one’s personality traits. At the end of the article Lin then questions her initial question by asking “Should we change her name is the question, Can we control who she becomes?” All in all a name can’t define the kind of person you turn into and how you want to live your life.