Hot Pants Part II

The Look Goes As Follows:

Silence + Noise jacket

Silence + Noise sleeveless shirt

H&M v-neck sweater

BDG pants

Deena & Ozzy heels

UO messenger bag

The monster, I mean mane.

I'm currently writing a paper on the beauty ideals in Western culture and the standard which is white, slender, upper class and young. It's so interesting to think how a standard like this doesn't apply to most people though we have really held tight to it. I'm also focusing on black women and their relationship with their hair. To straighten or not to straighten? This is a decision that unfortunately has many implications in the black community and how people of other races see us. As a Gender and Sexuality Studies Minor I'm completely fascinated by this topic because race, gender class etc are all connected; plus I decided not to chemically straighten my hair anymore almost 2 years ago and I've never loved my hair more.

So I just wanted to say a big thanks to all those who have commented on my hair and had nice things to say; it was very sweet of you. Though the decision for me to go natural wasn't more than a desire for me to embrace the hair that actually grows out of my head, for many it isn't a risk they are willing to take (if they are indeed considering it) because they don't want to be judged. I think whether you decide to rock your natural hair or relax it, at the end of the day it's just hair and hair is simply an accessory that shouldn't imply anything.

Here's a great article from the NY Times about it if you're interested: Black Hair, Still Tangled in Politics