No need to shed a single tear

Re “A Lighter Shade of Paisley” [Jan. 20]: David A. Keeps and Adamo DiGregorio compare the paisley pattern to a teardrop, but paisley is more free-form than a teardrop.

The paisley pattern is literally created by the human hand. To see this, make a fist with the right or left hand, and the result is the human hand as paisley stamp.

To further illustrate the point, take some kind of pigment, in liquid form; apply it to the outside edge of the clenched fist, where the pinkie finger curls around, and, as if stamping, place the hand down on a printable surface.

The result is a paisley, unique as the individual. No tears were shed.

Mark D. Talgo

West Hollywood

Talgo is on the faculty of the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising.