u/iridessencex

Curious on if anyone here has seen this reel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DaF2wlyx1yZ/?igsh=NmZzZ3E0ank1MWhm

… and read through the comments/discussion. If there’s already a post on it, lemme know.

A lot of people are really struck by the admission of this woman (or whoever they think she speaks/stands for) not believing African-Americans when we talk about the conditions over here. I’m curious what y’all‘s thoughts are, either as African-Americans or as other Black people who have been taught whatever you’ve been taught about us.

I’m African-American, descended from northern city black people who came from great migrators who came from Southerners who came from enslaved people. And while my experiences are influenced by my upbringing and education (still lower to medium income but striving for upward mobility/education), what problems that plague the black community in at least Chicago (disenfranchising, red-lining, over policing, poverty, etc) that I have not been affected by directly, I have seen in either my family or community.

I do know that there are a number of black Americans who espouse anti-African beliefs and make awful comments, and when I started to realize how messed up it was (and also that we are essentially making fun of ourselves when doing so), I started to call it out when I see it. I think we’re all stronger together when we get our acts together (on any and all side of the diaspora) to commune and support, but it is kind of frustrating to hear that this is an idea that people have. I knew that other cultures in the diaspora sometimes think we don’t have any culture or taste and that we’re all ghetto hoes and drug dealers etc., but I didn’t know there was an idea that we are exaggerating when we talk about the anti-blackness that permeates litcherally every millimeter of this country. Have you heard or thought anything like this?

Just tagged here as vent about racism because I don’t really know what other tag is appropriate to use as there isn’t a discussion one. Black Africans don’t have the systemic power at least in the US to enact racist violence against black Americans. On y’all‘s own turf, I guess that would be xenophobia? Idk

the trifting market has become a lot more picked over and it’s getting harder and harder to find good things. A lot of reasons contribute to that, and most of them suck.

That being said, it is not impossible to find things here and there, if dedicated. I thrifted this jacket for around $7-10 last summer. I love it, and even though orange is not my favorite color, I do enjoy it and especially in this context. Apparently my brain was then tuned into spot orange at shops, because in January I found this hat for $6 which would match the jacket. I actually shared a look with the two of them in the group here.

But about a month ago I found the dress under the jacket online for $16 in including shipping, in a close enough shade to match and give dimension, though I could sun fade it or wash it a few times to see what that does… but from the same brand as the jacket no less— Ashley Stewart of all places. I can’t believe I manifested the dress!!! And that’s a $32 outfit!

Might not be sixty-some years old but it looks like it and it fits great and I don’t have to be absolutely precious about it. Not pictured because it was the end of the night are the lilac gloves gifted to me by a friend which also matched my eyeshadow, but I promise it was as cool looking as it sounds. The glasses are from an old Vixen Collab and the jewelry found over the years might bring the outfit total up another $30 or $40. My brown flats were $7.

I feel like a million bucks!

**It was the end of the night and I did a lot of things (naughty and nice) in this outfit. I will not entertain any comments about steaming/ironing. I steamed before I left home and life happened lol.

Found this on Pinterest but it was no info on it, I assumed from the hair and swimsuit styles, that it was the late 50s. Finally reverse Google image searched and was right, from Miss Paradise Park, 1958. I’ve actually been looking at a lot of photos for African-American hair references lately to brush up (ha ha) on my mental library and I remember thinking how these mini Afros look really cute and seem to be like a textured take on the “Italian cut” or otherwise very short and tousled fifties hair. People think Afros are 60s/70s but they’re so much more versatile!

Wore my hair like this yesterday and felt like an old photo in a good way. While I do love a statement/flashy hairstyle and outfit, I also love an understated elegant moment that might turn heads but doesn’t necessarily cause spectacle. I felt beautiful and comfortable.

I do think that my parts feel very visible but I’m not sure if there’s anything to be done. When it’s neatly parted, it’s even more noticeable in my opinion. Not sure if it just looks jarring in the photo and not in person.

Kudos to the parents here who maintain the hair routine, for themselves and their kids. I don’t have kids but in the long time I sat around sectioning, and prepping to dry each section, I was just thinking about a friend of mine who had her second child recently, and she’s already got a three year-old. I would be baldheaded if I had children because the time it takes to get through this high density high volume foolishness to do anything other than detangle and put in four or five twists… chile 😮‍💨 Or maybe it’s not kids for some but it’s a 60 hours a week job or something. Whatever y’all got, sending my LOVE if you have/want long hair and you have an abundance of follicles.

spent the better part and I mean the better part of the day getting to this point blow drying on cool. But when it’s done, I’m crazy about it. And this is why I don’t blow dry all the time because of the work it takes to get this stretched. Always makes me appreciate my braids when I go back!

Classic car photo in a 4X dress from Vixen by Micheline Pitt (which is or isn’t going out of business idk, but it was on sale so I grabbed it) and it’s a nice medium weìght cotton. Worn here with a scarf and a basket I thrifted and decorated. I’m in between their sizing but this had no stretch so I went with 4X. Definitely have extra room in the chest though, I probably could have sized down but I’m not sure how tight the underbust would have been.

I went to Paris for a couple of weeks and I still have so many great photos in my phone to share, I thought of doing one big drop but I want to share individually so that I can share multiple photos/angles of the look. Anyhow this is a blouse and skirt that were so close in color that together they look like a dress. Styled with a true vintage hat, I wore this to a vintage glam brunch with some old and new friends, it was perfect for the hot weather forced upon us. I switched to a satin hat to wear in the evening to go see a show at the Moulin Rouge. I felt fabulous all day!

The historical costuming group I am a part of had this event less than two days after I got back in town from a trip, so I quickly pulled together this ensemble from the petticoat I wore with my wedding gown and a modern blouse I had in my closet. I put them over an Edwardian corset and additional petticoats, and added some decorative details/accessories. I rather hastily made cuffs that I just tacked on but I need to officially sew them soon. Very happy with how the look came together. I want to revisit the belt situation more officially in the future, namely how it ties in the back but otherwise I’m quite happy with what I was able to manage on such short notice.

I organized a capsule wardrobe for a trip to Paris and this is one of the looks. Putting together separates is already a large part of how I approach my style at home with access to the entirety of my closet, in this case on a much smaller scale and more specific emphasis on pieces that evoke the mid thirties to the late forties, and I’m so glad at how the components came together. Accessories and my liking clothes in specific colors really made me feel like I had so much to wear these past couple weeks, with five bottoms and five tops that could each interchange. Unfortunately weather conditions ruled out some of them for multiple days but I still felt beautiful and glamorous and received many compliments from the French public. I will be sharing other looks!