Tattoo Twinning With My Dad

[View on the web]( [Visit our site!]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [What to Read Today If...](#) You had no idea that indigo was so harmful: [Our Jeans Are Ruining the Planet, but This Company Wants to Fix That]( You follow a bunch of vintage shops on Instagram: [The Birth of Vintage]( You need a new DIY project: [A Foolproof Guide to Making Denim Cut-Offs]( You've wondered where this medical uniform came from: [The Everyday Magic of Scrubs]( You're here for the ’70s style revival: [Bad Liar’s Costume Designer on Dressing Selena Gomez in ’70s Vintage]( [Insert alt text here] [Deal of the Day](#) The best part about [& Other Stories](, the H&M sister brand that debuted stateside in 2015, is that everything’s $20, maybe $25 less than what you’d expect it to be — so that makes its [end-of-season sale]( prices really, really good. Start with the [shoes](, like the simple [T-Strap Leather Sandals]( ($43) or the [Suede Knee Boots]( (only $89! from $295!!) before moving onto accessories ([straw hats for $20](, anyone?) and then finally [the clothes](, where you’ll find both pieces to wear right now, like [off-shoulder tops]( and [breezy maxis](, and to save for cooler months, like [velvet culottes]( and [wool sweaters](. [Insert alt text here] Ad from our sponsor Essays My Dad and I Have a Friendship Tattoo [Insert alt text here] When you meet my dad, the first thing you'll notice is that he's a big Italian dude — the kind of guy who prided himself on scaring away all my potential boyfriends in high school. And while you won’t immediately be able to tell that, despite this tough exterior, he once hand-sewed a pair of overalls for the family dog and owns the first Adele CD, you will without a doubt notice the spider tattoo on his neck. Which, I should add, he got in his late fifties. He also has “Dave” tattooed on his bicep (surprise, his name is Dave), which, the story goes, he did himself when he was 14 years old with a needle, thread, and Indian ink. These are two great tattoos, but my favorite is the one I also have: a snake wrestling a panther. His is so old that it’s turned a color of green that only happens to tattoos that were done at least three or four decades ago, but mine is relatively new. When I asked him recently for the story about why he got it, he responded via text: “I’m the Panther. Your mother is the snake trying to choke me. LOL.” The real reason is that he just liked it. I got this tattoo when I was in my mid-20s, years and years after my father got his. I already had a handful of others, but I had wanted this one for a while — maybe even before I got my first tattoo at 17. (He was the legal guardian that I brought along to sign the paperwork, but also because bringing your dad who’s okay with it along to a tattoo shop felt, well, kind of awesome. While my other friends were sneaking [tramp stamps](, I was [conspicuously] sneaking cigarettes from my dad, who, if you haven’t guessed by now, is a heavy smoker — all part of his charm.) I wanted it on my upper arm — the same spot as his — but it didn’t fit, so I got it on my thigh instead. I think when I showed it to him, he said “pretty cool,” and not much more. Making the decision to get the same tattoo as my dad is something that feels like it never officially happened, in the same way that couples who have been together forever — like my parents — don’t actually decide they’re going to get married; they just set a date. There was always a part of me growing up that knew I would eventually get this tattoo, it was just a matter of when. Technically, we have two tattoos in common: The spider on his neck is a reference to me. When I was a kid, I was dorkily skinny. I played basketball, and when I was on the court, I would flail my arms and legs (it’s called DEFENSE, Dad) so much so that I resembled a frantic insect. He’s called me Spider ever since. And I actually don’t call him Dad — I call him Chubby (he is saved in my phone as such) because when I was a kid, his most distinct feature to me was his big, round belly. I debated getting “Chubby” in the same font as his “Dave” one, but if you’re going to get the same tattoo as your father, it should be the one of the snake wrestling a panther, if that’s an option. My dad and I joke around a lot, and though we say “love you” whenever we text, talk on the phone, or see each other in person, we’re not super emotional with each other in the way that comes naturally with my mom. Him and I are both similar in that we’re only mushy when provoked. We prefer to watch TV on the couch when we’re together, and sometimes talk to the dog — not the overalls one, who went to live on a farm in the sky — more than we talk to each other. So getting this tattoo was a way for me to say a lot of the things I usually don’t. The stuff that’s implied but not often articulated. Like, I love you, a lot — enough to commit to this crazy tattoo and tell this story to strangers forever. —[Tiffany Yannetta](, shopping director Shopping The Father’s Day Present You Should Steal Back in a Decade [Insert alt text here]( [Champion]( is one of the many brands seeing a revival these days, thanks to Vetements [making it fashion]( and Urban Outfitters hitting on the [nostalgia notes](. But to me, Champion’s always going to be a Dad Brand thanks to [that one gray sweatshirt]( that my mom added to my dad’s wardrobe probably in the early ’90s, and that I added to my wardrobe on Christmas Eve Eve in 2010. I remember the date because Christmas Eve Eve (that’s December 23rd) is the day my family drives from New York to New Hampshire to spend the holidays with my mom’s family every year. And I acquired it in the way that most personal items from your loved ones are acquired: I stole it. My dad runs hot and removed it at a stoplight about four minutes into the trip, tossing it next to me in the backseat; I run cold and put it on. And that was it. It was mine. It’s lost some of its best qualities over the past six and a half years. For starters, it doesn’t smell like him anymore, and the combination of detergent and the shitty washing machines of the New York City buildings I’ve rented in has made it a bit stiff. But that doesn’t change its origin, and it doesn’t change the person I’ll always associate Champion with. So this Father’s Day, get your dad a Champion sweatshirt ([a classic one](, of course, in [the best color ever](), and then set a reminder in your phone for 10 years from now to take it back from him. If he’s anything like my dad, he might not even know that it’s gone — or how much it means to you. —[Laura Gurfein](, deputy managing editor Did a friend forward you this email? [Sign up for the Racked newsletter](. Ad from our sponsor From Our Partners A selection from the editors at Racked [Men in shorts]( [It’s Time to Stop Hating on Men in Shorts]( What's a guy to do? [Read more]( [Spain]( [Win the Ultimate Trip to Spain]( Enter our sweepstakes! [Read more]( Ad from our sponsor [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Manage your [email preferences]( or [unsubscribe]( to stop receiving emails from Racked. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.