at first i wasn't sure what i'd find, but it only took a week in Seattle to realize that not only does the city have a thriving rat tail population, it even has its own distinct regional tail style! in Portland i see a lot of thick feathered tails and fat little tail curls, but Seattle has a whole different thing going on.
here are two primo examples of Seattle tails -- long and skinny, often braided (or dreaded, or BOTH!), and embodied by simplicity of style and attention to length:
Jessica James' Seattle Braid:
Angela's Midlength Seattle Braid:
most people are pretty stoked about having their rat tail photographed for a blog. i took the above pictures at show at the Holy Mountain (ex Booty Cave), where Bow & Arrow, Alaskas, Bad Dudes, and Purple Rhinestone Eagle were playing.
during the show i saw this guy who had a cool braided and doubled up side tail. when i asked if i could take a picture of it for my blog he said he didn't support blogs (which, uhh, whatever that's cool i guess), but when i countered that it was a RATTAIL BLOG and therefore inherently cooler than your average blog, he said that what he had was actually NOT a tail but a "sweat slick" or something totally crazy like that! i have no idea what he actually called it, but i think he had one on each side and maybe it was just some long hair braided into little pigtails but MAYBE it is a whole new hair style! so stay alert and let me know if you see this dude or anyone else with "sweat slicks"...
but, anyways:
Sam's Seattle Deluxe
points for incredible length, which shows obvious dedication to the rat tail lifestyle.
Elias' Rat Dread
points for remarkable blondness in comparison to the rest of his hair. bleach job or natural tail-light?
Ema's Portland-style duck tail:
speaking of Portland... i'm back in the city of roses for two weeks, bumming around and getting naked in people's backyards and taking pictures of rattails and stuff. last night i stopped by Vendetta (on Williams and Skidmore in the NE) and encountered these two fine tails:
Whispy Fan Tail
this guy's lackadaisical looking tail gets big points for nonchalant fanned out style and apparent silkiness! i'm generally a pretty big fan of the tightly tucked and curled tail, but this is a pretty convincing argument in favor of free-flowing-ness and neck whisps. a close second for tail of the week!
Classic Western Tail
points for overall spunkiness and classic-ness.
this morning i saw two really cute tails on Mississippi street, but missed the opportunity to photograph either of them. the first was a lady sitting on the sidewalk - i doubled back on my bike but she was talking on her cell phone and i wasn't THAT dedicated. the second was a sweet blond feathered tail on some guy at the waffle cart - i thought it was maybe just long hair that i was tricking myself into thinking was a tail, but as he was walking away i realized my awful mistake! noooo!
but, 10 tails is enough for one post, i suppose.
UPDATES
Kyle May's tail, previously featured as California's only saving grace, made a guest appearance in Seattle and has literally DOUBLED IN AWESOMENESS! nice braid work!
TAIL ALERTS!
tis the season to start growing a tail of your own. tail buds are still totally respectable, after all everyone has to start somewhere.
Kathryn's tail bud has a lot of potential, and a small braid or a few festively colored beads would really help accentuate it.
and finally...
HOLY SHIT, i don't know if this is a braid, a dread, or what but it actually looks like Naomi chopped off the tail of a beautiful animal and sewed it into her scalp. absolutely hands down TAIL OF THE WEEK!
