Everyone always asks me if my fashion sense runs in my family; if you’d have seen my Dad circa 1980 I’d sure hope not! (Sorry Dad but the socks and sandals are a no go for me). But fashion aside, there are loads of things that do. I have my Mother to thank for my pale skin, and my Dad to thank for those curls in my hair and (even my though I’m not much of a fan of them), my Grandmother for my sturdy ankles. Genetics are one of those things we either love or curse depending on what we win in the DNA lottery. But we still don’t know enough about them.
Jeans for Genes day on Friday August 5th, is a great initiative to help raise funds for much needed genetic research to help treat and prevent disease in children. By wearing denim and making a donation, your support goes towards helping us patch up the gaps and learn more about preventing genetic diseases in children. And yes even I, who is known for NOT wearing denim, is going to break out the best and fanciest denim look come Friday 5th August! Here’s something I wore earlier…
To get you you thinking about just how important the role genetics plays in our lives I have a special contest for you! Simply leave me a comment telling me about your favourite inherited genetic trait (can you roll your tongue like me?). The winner will be chosen by me for their creativity, on Thursday 4th August – Jeans for Genes Eve!
The prize pack up for grabs includes -
- $250 Jeanswest gift voucher
- Movie Tickets & a Jeans for Genes t-shirt, scarf, pens and badge
To learn more about Jeans for Genes day, head on over to the official J4G Facebook page where you can even create your own ‘denim’ Jeans for Genes patch for your Facebook page or blog. The Children’s Medical Research Institute is a not for profit organisation and relies on the community to support their research. Jeans for Genes Day.
What quirky genetic trait do you love?
Looking at me, there is absolutely no question who my father is. From my height to my hair, to my eyes and face structure, I’m daddy’s little girl all the way (although mercifully I didn’t inherit his full beard).
However my voice, that is all Mum. Particularly on the phone, we are apparently impossible to tell apart. When I lived at home, this led to numerous sticky situations as either her or my friends launched into conversation without checking who they were talking to first. On several occasions things were revealed that neither of us wished to know and we have learned to clearly state our names when we answer.
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Oh and I meant to say, good on you for promoting Jeans for Genes day. When I worked in a large company I was always a “geanie”. They do brilliant work. I will most certainly be denim clad come Friday.
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Well Hello!
I have these funny little earlobes, I think they are called attached earlobes, they are only just big enough to fit an earring onto!
My Aunty Pam has the same.
Kind regards
Having lost my dad at the rebellious and tender age of 19 I now at 35 am so grateful for genes. Every day I can look in the mirror and see a slightly crooked smile that is s lovely gentle reminder of him. Even better I can look into the angelic faces of my 2 littluns and see ever surprising elements of my dad pop out at me!!
Hi Candice,
The genetic trait I have been most grateful for – the ability to do quite complicated mental arithmetic – came from my maternal grandmother grandmother. She was a stiff-backed Scot, a mother of nine and a bit of a vestige of the Edwardian age with her high heeled lace up booties, ankle length skirts and large soft bun. She was given to long walks (which I also am partial to), health food shops (which might explain why she lived to 99) and was very efficient and thrifty.
When we went shopping when I was a little girl, she always impressed me by knowing what the bill at the grocer’s shop added up to right to the last cent. No bargain ever slipped past her and she wasn’t afraid to haggle a bit either to get the best item for the most reasonable price.
Thanks to Gran, I can always work out sale prices in a trice and can figure out which item is the best deal in a few seconds.
It’s an ability I use almost every day and, considering some of my friends who don’t have a clue about working things out, I’m very grateful to Gran!
Great competition idea for Jeans for genes.
I can raise the right side of my nose in an Elvis-esque sneer, but not the left side. My brother can sneer the left side of his nose but not the right. My sister can’t do either side.
It’s one of those strange things that I’ve inherited from my Dad I believe, but I always find it funny that my brother and I can only work the side that the other can’t!!
I am not entirely sure which gene I can honestly say I adore as it seems my luck, as per usual, wasn’t present when I was being moulded. It is quite apparent that I inherited the less favourable qualities from both sides.
However this competition isn’t about naming your least favourite trait (of which I have many) so after some deep thought, the only trait I see and like the look of is my legs. While they are not perfect, the hold me up straight, get me from a to b and even through my weight ups and downs my thighs have always managed to, somehow, stay cellulite free. I can thank my father for my legs and looking at photos of him his skinny legs definitely stand out with his round beer belly perched atop.
I got my fair “English” skin from my maternal grandmother (who was English), and even now, in my 50s, I still get complimented for my skin.
I also got my father’s heavy unibrow (which I have to keep plucked), and which looks much better on my adult son.
One of my genetic traits I am most recognised for is my *ahem* ample bosom but my favourite is my eyes. I am very lucky to have large blue eyes and I am always being complimented on them. Given they say the eyes are the window to the soul, I love that mine are large, clear, bright, open and dare I say pretty. I hope they reflect my soul.
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Hi Candice,
I moved from the U.S. to Melbourne, Australia and have not seen my family in years now. I look nearly identical to my mother, whom I think of every day. I have everything from her long hair and legs to her bone structure. It makes me thankful that I can be reminded of her even when I can’t have her hold me.
I also have the middle name of a beloved grandmother that recently passed, but that of course is not genetic
.
My favourite genetic trait is probably my eyesight: my mum is short-sighted and my dad is long-sighted… and apparently my genes couldn’t choose between them because I ended up with one short-sighted eye and one long-sighted. Plus, this means I get to wear glasses – pretty much the ultimate accessory!
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http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/galleries/
Southbank Vintage Festival in pictures
01 August 2011
London’s Southbank Centre is played host to fashion designer Wayne Hemingway’s retro-inspired, mud-free festival.
Such a great cause!
The favourite trait I’ve inherited from my mother is a deep-seeded love of tiaras.
When she was 19 – in 1968 – my mother was crowned the local beauty queen. You could see from the photos her obvious thrill the moment that crown touched her bouffant hair-do.
And like her, I feel that same frisson of excitement when I’m within spitting distance of a tiara. I’ve heeded her advice and wear a tiara any chance I get.
Did I wear one at my wedding? Of course!
Did I wear one while watching Kate Middleton’s recent nuptials? You betcha!
Would I wear one grocery shopping? If I wasn’t afraid of the men in white coats coming to get me, then yes. Hell yes I would!
Again, what a great cause. It is so important for us to be able to unlock the mysteries of disease.
This is weird, but I can totally wiggle my ears up and down. I have no idea where I get it from, but like tongue rolling and earlobe shapes, I think it’s genetic. Neither of my parents or sisters can do it, but I assume someone, someone on the family tree can and it somehow trickled down into me!
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The biggest trait that I get from my family is my curly hair. I remember when I was younger, I used to hate my mum making me wear it out all curly and all I ever wanted was for it to be straight and pretty, not poofy and out there frizz!!
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That would be my petite size and my super thick hair
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The best thing that I’ve inherited is my father’s metabolism. That man packs away a barrel load of food each day, and stays as slender as a string bean. I seem to have gained this from him. I seem to be able to eat pretty much whatever I want, and never have to worry about my weight too much.
From my mum, I inherited my diminutive size. I’m pleased with this, because I think it’s a lot of fun being short.
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My fantastic “period genes.”
Back when I was younger and had just come into womanhood via menstrual cycle, I noticed that I was not ailed with the crippling cramps my sister had.
My sister commented that she was jealous that I “got all the good period genes” when my father walked in and told my sister to go buy some of her own *JEANS* and to stop complaining about what my mother bought for us! The look of confusion on my father’s face as my sister and I laughed was priceless.
I love that I inherited my Dads eyebrows. Thick and bushy. Once I felt this was a curse. But I am the eyebrow beauticians dream and they can be shaped beautifully. I thank my genes that I will never need to draw on my brows, oh and I give good cranky.
From a very young age, my grandmother taught me how to bake from scratch. And when I say scratch, I mean, SCRATCH. Nothing was prepackaged, and nothing was measured using measuring cups or spoons. We used to measure flour and the like by scooping it into our hands until it was the correct proportion, which for baking, is quite a feat!
That being said, I am very thankful that now that I’m grown I have the same sized hands as her–exactly. No one else in my family does, and whenever they try to replicate her recipes (which read things like, “a handful flour”), they never quite come out right. We can bake together as often as we’d like and it’s something very special that I share with my her because she passed on this wonderful trait to me. I’ll always be able to have her recipes because I have her hands.
I love that I’ve inherited my parents unusual eyes. Rather than being simply blue, green or brown, I have green eyes with a pinwheel of brown circling them. Apparently my nan, who sadly passed when I was 4, also had them and it still surprises my mum when she sees them. It makes me wonder what my children will have (I’m a scientist and I love working out the genetics of simple traits like eye colour and blood type =)
There are lots of different things about me, that come from both sides of the family that I love. But when it comes down to it, I don’t find any of them half as special as the genetic traits my son has inherited.
He has my mother’s eyes, which are brilliant blue and very kind. He has my grandfathers hair, which is full, fair and curly. My fathers hands, which have always been there to catch us when we fall, and my grandmothers spirit, which is vivacious and full of love.
(of course he also has traits from my husband and his side of the family, but he sees those, just as I see the traits from mine)
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My quirky generic trait is my loud sneezing! My partner always complained and I never thought it was that bad….until I was in the car one day with my Father and he sneezed and almost blew my eardrums apart! Now I see where I get it from and I owe you an apology dear….now I understand!
I can curl my tongue and touch my nose with my tongue but my favourite would have to be the Vulcan salute. My husband can’t do it and it drives him batty that I can
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Kirsty I have the same really light green eyes (warm green, not cool) with a ring of brown around the outside. And you’d be able to answer this better than I, but my mum has dark brown eyes and my dad has blue – So I don’t know where the colour of mine came from. Was it a war between mum’s dominant brown eyes or could someone further up the family tree have had them?
(I can’t tell you what my grandparents have because they live in Romania – too far for me to check!)
As for other genetics…I seem to have inherited my artistic talent from my father…he’s always been gifted with anything creative. My brother got his musical talent and I got the drawing
Its a weird thing to inherit as essentially it’s a skill that needs to be honed with practice…but it was there from the very beginning! Apparently from the day my parents brought me home from hospital, I couldn’t stop staring at the paintings on the walls. And then when I wasn’t quite 2 years old, I picked up the pencil and started drawing 
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What a great contest! My father is Maori and I have jet black hair, brown eyes and olive skin (ohh and a curvy body). When I was a little girl all I wanted to do was look like Agnetha from Abba. Well I’d have even taken Frida but the more I looked – the less I saw anything like my Waterloo. Mama Mia – I was so sad. Later on I wanted to look like one of Charlies Angels. Jill (Farrah Fawcett) or her “sister” Cheryl Ladd were the envy of all my friends. We all fought over who would be Jill, Kelly or Bree. I never got picked to be an Angel and would be relegated to being the baddie or something very unglamorous. Now I’m a grown woman, I thank my dear father every day (he’s since passed away) for my thick, lush black hair, my brown eyes, beautiful olive skin and a figure that most people say “wow I wish I had your figure”. Who needs to be Agnetha or Jill when it’s the best gig ever being me. Thanks dad…. Ohhh and my mum also helped a lot as well. You both are the best! xxx
[...] Kawaii Mama wore jeans this week for Jeans for Genes, a day for your to wear your jeans and donate funds to genetic research to help treat and prevent [...]
My favourite gene will always be Sonic Hedgehog (yes, there really is one named that). It plays a key role in directing cells and proteins to their target location during development. But I love it for the fact that it shows scientists don’t have to be stuffy and boring – we have fun too!