Because being the loudest wasn't always the easiest

Spring 2019 Fashion Trends

This post is for my black girls from the projects to the million dollar estates that aren't quite comfortable their identity and stereotypes. You are amazing however you are.


Black Fashion Blogger in 2019

Doing a shoot in front of the Omni on 2nd Street downtown was quite the idea. It was buzzing  during happy hour causing plenty of stops for people to walk past. But there were plenty of compliments to accompany the pauses. My vivid asymmetrical neon green dress caught the eye of many because you literally could not miss me. Neon green or lime is my favorite color and if anyone knows me, they know that fact alone describes me well. Loud. And since turning 24, I have made this term my own thing and began to embrace it.

Being loud and a black girl is not the mix anyone wants to be. You're automatically ghetto or in new terms: rachet. You didn't wanna be the girl in class that everyone noticed because she couldn't control her volume. You didn't want to do anything out of a "normal" because then you'd be attention seeking. No one wanted to be the loud black girl.

Bloggers in ASOS

I remember I was in middle school and I went to the mall with my friends. We were walking past the stores and I'd thought something was funny so I laughed. But my laugh was so loud it echoed and an open restaurant with guests sitting looked over. My friend tapped me and said "Damn girl you are loud." And I rolled my eyes at the people who were looking at me, and I said "So what?" We weren't the only teens in the mall and I didn't think I was any louder than anyone else. But I questioned "Oh my god, am I the loud black girl?" I had always gotten in trouble in class for talking too much or laughing at the class clown. We had to wear uniforms in middle school and I got in trouble for over accessorizing and wearing other blues than navy. Was I the attention seeking girl? Or did I just have a very expressive personality?

When Cardi B's song "Bodak Yellow" entered the Billboard charts she became the subject for critics and the Internet. Originally everyone loved Cardi B for her raunchiness and wild mouth on Vine and Instagram. Some were inspired by her "glow up" but after her transition from Love & Hip Hop to the actual Hip-Hop Top 100, her personality suddenly became a problem. "She's too ghetto," "She needs to calm down," and "Her antics are too much." All the statements really made me wonder what was so wrong? People expected her to change or become quiet? Some people wondered why was a ghetto woman being praised when normally we as a society bash them? It was a good question but she only inspired me. I'm loud and had been raised in such diverse settings that I don't quite remember meeting too many girls like myself. Although it is not what we applaud or rave on the daily, Cardi B's presence was representation. Representation of girls like myself.

Black girl with feed in braids at gala formal event

City Girls and Meg the Stallion are a part of the wave of women rappers who represent what loud means to me: multi-talented, opinionated, expressive vocally and visually, with a general "It's me!" aura. From the craziest Twerk video of 2018, to outlandish red carpet outfits, these women feel relatable and remind me of the traits I love most about myself.

My laugh is still as loud as middle school me. The brighter the colors I wear, I now wear unapologetically with a Naomi walk. I dance freely and as wild as I want because it's me and I love it. My loudness may turn heads but it's praised with a "YASSSSS" by people who love and support me. It wasn't always easy being loud but now I'm loud and proud. Ghetto and rachet are words I embody and there is no shame in it because there is nothing wrong with it to me. And that is what matters.

Crystal Handbag Trend

DRESS ASOS Design satin maxi dress with scarf neck and extreme sleeve from ASOS (similar here)
SHOES  Basic Barely There Heels by Missguided (similar here, here, and here)
EARRINGS Square rhinestone earrings from Forever 21 (similiar here, here, and here)
HANGBAG Silver Tassel Party Bag from AliExpress (yes you read that right) (similiar here and here)

2019 Fashion Trends