July Flava

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Surfing the net, I came across these images of beautiful women with flava. THESE ARE SOME STYLES YOU MAY want to TRY in JULY. I love to give style alternatives because so many women whom I come across think that style is wearing the tightest clothing you can find. That is so wrong! Women look most regal and respectable when they wear clothing that flows. Now, I am not saying that some things cannot be form-fitting, but you have to be careful because it is a fine line between form-fitting and clothing that is for attention whores! You have to keep your mind pure and know your body. If you have hips and curves it is not OK to show everyone what you got all the time. Honestly, sometimes it gets hot, but we women have to be careful what we show. I have made mistakes and worn things that I wish I hadn’t in all innocence, but quickly found out that some men simply cannot handle that and I did not want or need the attention … yeah.

Designed by Michael Kors. I would love to have this.

Hair accessories… great!

Suit… very nice. africafashionguide.com

Lovely attire.

Nigerian garb. This is awesome! They come to America and stop dressing like this! I wish they didn’t! Lol.

I really love the simplicity of this pic. Fashion should be simple. Got this pic browsing one of my fav websites: afropunk.com

This is a nice laid back outfit. Dressing down can be cool.

Headwraps are just the greatest ! I am going to try this!

Nigerian mulit-colored braids. Love this! Duafe earrings… nice.

Got this picture from lipstickalley.com. This sister is from Mozambique. Such a lovely cut!

This is great! More women should dress like this instead of wearing inappropriate tight clothes!

Peace and love,

Queen Duafe for AfricanEssence

P.S. Looking for some chill music? Sade’s band Sweetback’s CD never gets old. It’s very smooth and actually good on days when you just want to sit back and listen to your thoughts…

Check it out from your local library or purchase it on Amazon. I give it a 5 star review.

The Shoe That Would Change My Life!

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Honestly, I have been obsessed with lace up the front cognac/brown tall leather boots for some time now. However, I have yet to get some because I cannot afford them. … but mark my words, I will one day, really soon! I shouldn’t say “obsessed,” but I have done tons of Google searches trying to find a cheaper pair and when I am thrift-ing, I always have my eye open, hoping to find a vintage pair!

WAIT! WAIT!

B4 YOU CLICK ON THE PIC, ANSWER THE QUESTION IN THE POLL ABOVE. Thanks!

This is that one shoe in life, I would splurge on and I would wear these boots year round! If I got these, there would be NO need for me to ever buy another shoe in life (just kidding)! Lol!

What do you think?

Peace and Love,

Queen Duafe for African Essence

P.S. Check out Warriors’ Pulse by Ali.

Love These Outfits!

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I would love to see men walking around wearing this everyday!

… and women wearing this!

Queen Duafe for African Essence

P.S. Looking forward to reading this book:

How to Start a Creative Business: The Jargon-Free Guide for Creative Entrepreneurs

I Love the Sun! Thrifted Ensemble…

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Wondering how to wear your NON-FANCY thrift store finds? Check it out. … and if you haven’t ever visited this blog, be sure to check out the ABOUT page aka Details tab at the top.

I love when the sun is out! I live in Midwestern United States where it is cold at least 9 months out of the year. So, when the sun decides to show its face, I am like, here I am, shine down on me! I have to be careful because last year I got my very first sun burn and it wasn’t fun at all! So remember everyone if you are going to be in the sun, for even just a few minutes, rub shea butter on your skin because it is a sun block. You may even want to use something else along with the shea.

My first day in the sun… I bought this outfit from second hand stores.

Clip-on earrings $1.99 from Icing by Claires

Shirt- light-weight sweater material- $4 from Platos Closet

Shirt- Amnerican Eagle Outfitters from Platos Closet $4

Bone bracelets $25- Festival vendor

This denim skirt is from the thrift store for $3. It is a brand I only see at Target. I think it’s cool that it has pockets.

Claires sales ankh rings!

Ankh ring- Claires (clearance price $3.75)

I love this ring, but it’s cheap!

The bone ring on my right hand is from City Buddha of Cleveland Heights. It was $3.95.

I am not sure if you can tell, but this is Revlon black nail polish which I really like. To give it a matte look I used China Glaze matte top coat. It was on sale at Sally’s for $2.50. I got 2 bottles. I am impressed. It is a good top coat. I went without chipped polish for at least two whole days. I’m rough on my hands!

Let me say, I just cut my hair, yet again! I love short hair. It is auburn-colored. I am going to stop using chemical dyes soon and switch to henna dye which is now sold at Whole Foods. I got a cheap $4 dye from Sally’s Beauty (who is Sally?, lol).

SHIRT by American Eagle Outfitters via Plato’s Closet. It is blue and a light-weight sweater material – $4

SKIRT by Mossimo which is a brand only sold at Target via Thrift Store – denim with pockets $3

SANDALS by Kohls – $10

FEATHER EARRINGS from Icing by Claire’s – $1.99

BONE BRACELETS- African street festival – $25

BONE RING- City Buddha in Cleveland Heights, Ohio – $3.95

ANKH RING- Claire’s (in the mall) – $3.75

FINGER NAIL POLISH- Revlon Knockout Color 731 from Walgreen’s – $4; top coat is Matte Magic by China Glaze from Sally’s Beauty Supply – $2.50 on clearance

… these little details won’t matter to the men, but women ask, so there it is!

Peace and Love,

Queen Duafe for African Essence

P.S. Need a good book to read? Check it out…

The crazy cats around me love the sun too!

Bibi is my tabby cat

This cat is so cool! My neighbors cat

Scaling the side…

Perched, distracted by a bird

How I Wear My Skinny Jeans

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Welcome to African Essence. If you haven’t ever visited this blog be sure to check out the Details page.

Today’s style idea is: HOW TO WEAR SKINNY JEANS! I have trouble with this type of jean simply because I prefer a certain cut: straight leg and my favorite is bootcut. However, I bought a few pairs of skinny’s to test out the look and let me tell you, I struggled! I’ve had them for about a year and I just could not get with the look. I thought they made my feet look like boats! I also do not like the way they feel on my skin. I tend to like clothes that I can move around in more. So this is how they looked on me…

This flare shirt is amazing! Got it from Dillards for $14.

This pic looks a bit funny to me!

Jeans sold at Kohls $10

Nine West Sandals- real leather

So I tried. All in all, I think that they are ok, but I definitely have to be in a playful mood to wear skinny jeans! I have found that wearing them with tunics or longer sweaters is a MUST for me! Any other way, I cannot tolerate them. Here are some other cuts of jeans.

Peace and love,

Queen Duafe for African Essence

Head Wrapping

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I often wear cool hats on top of my head wraps

Multi Color Fabric- sort of a sweater material. I use this as the outer layer of fabric in the next pic. I purchased the fabric from JoAnn’s.

Two fabrics, wrapped into a crown… the brown you see on top is NOT my hair. It is a brown fabric.

You can try something like this if you want to wrap a fabric around your long hair

Solange (vocal artist) used a turban-style wrap If you ever see a fabric like this, buy it! It is beautiful.

A bit lighter, if it helps you to see better…

Head wrapping is becoming increasingly popular. I say go for it! I love to wrap my hair and no, it has nothing to do with a bad hair day! Depending upon what city you are in, people may look at you weird, but who cares! Wear that wrap! I wear them to work and for play. I can make them look classy or fun! If you are out and you see a cool fabric on sale, buy it! Your wrap does not have to necessarily match what you have on. I like to tastefully mix patterns. It adds life to any outfit. Keep in mind, I have shorter hair, so NO, you do not have to have long hair in order to wear a wrap.

Peace and love,

Queen Duafe for African Essence

Thrift Store Shopping

Posted on June 2, 2013 by Shila Iris

I think my thrift store outfit turned out pretty good! It was priced at $8.00 but I had a 50% off coupon, so for $4, I got this beautiful suit. The skirt is connected to the shirt. The zipper runs up the back and the skirt has a slit which is also in the back. The suit is a vintage item. The label says K.C. Spencer by Chelsea Rousso who was a pretty popular designer in the 90s. Her designs seemed to be more commercial than boutique exclusive. The label says dry clean only, but I actually hand-washed and ironed it myself. I think it held up pretty well. However, I noticed that a lot of black and red dye came out when I washed it. This did not damage the suit. I assume that it had not been washed in water before. Well, I think it looks nice… although next time, I won’t wear that bracelet. The earrings are actually pretty cool (from Icing by Claire’s). I’ve had those shoes for a while but I’m thinking, I probably got them from Marshall’s. Next time, I would wear a solid black sandal.

Peace and love,

Queen Duafe for African Essence

Spring Things for Queens: Fringe

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Shila Iris

Although I am dying on the allergy side, I still love Spring! I can barely go outside without breaking out in hives! I need an herbal remedy ya’ll! … any who…

This is my STYLE idea for the day. I love FRINGE! In fashion, fringe is defined as : An ornamental border of threads left loose or formed into tassels or twists, used to edge clothing or material. Like this…

or this…

I wear fringe a lot! It’s reminiscent of the 70s, but has been used for centuries in clothing, mostly in pre-American tribes especially those traveling from the motherlands.

CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO ENLARGE

THE STYLE: I got my red fringe boots online from UrbanOg. They are no longer offered. If you Google red fringe boots, you will be able to find them. They are not Minnetonka boots. I prefer to pay less. The quality is descent enough. The shirt is from Dillard’s. It was only $10 on sale by a brand named Angie. The skirt was maybe $8 at Forever21.

Peace and love,

Queen Duafe for African Essence

Looking for some conscious music? Do you like Bob Marley? I am not referring to the “Bob Marley bandwagon hoppers that wear t-shirts and ACT all down-to-earth!” I mean do you really like Bob Marley’s music? It’s full of conscious messages about mankind. The song of the day: Who the Cap Fit… This music inspired the mood that I am in today. Let me know your thoughts.

Smile.

Spring Fashion on a Budget

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Hello! Jambo! (Swahili welcoming)

This year, I am exploring longer (maxi) skirts for the Spring. I like them in this weather because they protect me from the changing elements that come with the season. For example, where I live, the mornings can be a bit chilly. Then by 1 pm, the weather will warm up. Wearing a lengthier skirt allows you to be prepared for all weather as well as various social situations such as work, lunch dates, or after work shopping. They are more versatile than shorter skirts because they are widely accepted and normally help women to appear more elegant.

Maxi skirts look beautiful as they have the tendency to scream maturity and feminine softness. You should try them!

floral maxi skirt from a local boutique; clearance $10

This nail polish is one of my favorites: Spanish Moss by Revlon

Leather bracelets from City Buddha

Sandals from Marshalls for $20

This is a faux leather wedge sandal that actually feels really good. Got them maybe 3 years ago… they were cheap. They are by Guess… I believe the line was G by Guess

I normally don’t dig floral designs, but this skirt stood out for me. I like it a lot and have been wearing it since 2009. It flows in the wind, making it very “queen-like.” You will love it! I encourage people to spend as less money as possible on clothes. You can have a nice wardrobe for cheap. If you like challenges, try dressing for less. Save your money and buy a passport or passports if you have a family, and travel the world.

Queen Duafe for African Essence

P.S. Need some music? Check out my QueenPlayList for Saturday…

Heartbeat by Nneka, Valley by Nneka, Fellowship by Me’Shell Ndegeocello, Neon Valley Street by Janelle Monae, Do You Like the Way by Santana f/ Lauryn Hill and CeeLo, and How Many People by Ayo.

Other artists to explore…

*Note: Depending on the speed of your browser, the photos may appear different. Also, I really appreciate you visiting African Essence! People are asking why they can’t comment and/or like the posts: the thing is, this is a wordpress hosted blog which in this case means that you can comment and like posts if you are logged in to your wordpress account. However, you can comment and follow the blog using your email address. Please do! You can also share the posts on Facebook and Twitter by clicking on those icons at the bottom of each article. I could always use the support.

Peace and love

You Can Listen to That, but I’mma Listen to This: Q.U.E.E.N. Music

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Shila Iris

Ladies and gents, will you sleep or will you preach? Pass this music on.

Janelle Monae and Badoula Oblongata launch project Q.U.E.E.N. – A 21st century musical weapons program a.k.a. the Freedom Movement: disguised as songs, emotion pictures and works of art. Can you dig?!

“even if it makes others uncomfortable, I will love who I am”

Why is this song so great? The LYRICS and the ARTISTIC ANGLE! These two ladies continue to raise the level of CONSCIOUSNESS. Most won’t accept, but many will. I am not surprised to see them together because they both seem to refuse to sell out!

SOME OF THE AWESOME MESSAGES IN THE SONG

It’s hard to stop rebels that time travel.

I can’t believe all of the things they say about me
Walk in the room they throwin’ shade left to right
They be like ooh, she’s servin’ face
And I just tell em, cut me up, and get down

Hey brother can you save my soul from the devil?
Say is it weird to like the way she wear her tights?
And is it rude to wear my shades?
Am I a freak because I love watching Mary? (Maybe)

Hey sister am I good enough for your heaven?
Say will your God accept me in my black and white?
Will he approve the way I’m made?
Or should I reprogram the programming and get down?

… Badu’s verse and Monae’s ending rap is great! The whole song is so wonderful and uplifting… “here comes the FREEDOM SONG! Testify!” Monae said “give me back my pyramid!”

I asked a question like this
“Are we a lost generation of our people?”
Add us to equations but they’ll never make us equal.
She who writes the movie owns the script and the sequel.
So why ain’t the stealing of my rights made illegal?
They keep us underground working hard for the greedy,
But when it’s time pay they turn around and call us needy.
My crown too heavy like the Queen Nefertiti
Gimme back my pyramid, I’m trying to free Kansas City.

Queen Duafe for African Essence

P.S. The booty don’t lie!

Baby It’s Spring & It Might Rain Outfits!

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It’s still a little cold in the Midwest, but it’s getting warmer! Hopefully the stockings season will be over soon! Enough with the April showers! This week, it should reach the upper 60s and believe me, we are all soooo happy! Tune in later this week for my style ideas for our warmer weather.

The last of the stockings…

THE STYLE: The stockings are from Target’s clearance bin.They were only about $5 for 2 pairs; the skirt is from Forever21 because I love their cheap skirts; $6; the shirt is from TJMaxx for $10; the legwarmers are from Claire’s for $7; the boots are from Kohl’s and have been featured on my blog several times for $21; the earrings are from Glitter for of course $1; the hat is from Spencer’s for maybe $15; the jacket was from Sears on an out-of-season sale and hopefully we won’t need that anymore! It was $10.

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Long dresses that are made of a light-weight fabric are great for the Spring. You can lighten up dark colors with bolder colors. Check it out.

THE STYLE: The headwrap fabric is from JoAnns (like $3 by the yard); the leggings which were just back up because the dress is s bit see-through were $10 at Kohls; the dress is from H&M on clearance it was $7; the necklace– I was getting my hair twisted and a guy came in the salon selling jewelry! Yes, I gave him $15 for it (lol); the belt is from the Body Shop for $10; the sweater is from TJMaxx for $11.

Queen Duafe for African Essence

P.S. Need a book to read? Check this out: Egyptian Yoga Volume 1: The Philosophy of Enlightenment by Muata Ashby

Wait a minute! Need some music? Sade liberated me this afternoon with music from her 2011 tour!

The 60 Degree Spring Queen – Identity Solutions

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Blog of the Day – revolucionno.wordpress.com

Jambo! Welcome. I am Queen & I come to you in the spirit of DUAFE, an african adinkra symbol that symbolizes beauty, cleanliness & desirable feminine qualities. I represent the women of the world who fight to control their own destinies and avoid being characterized as VICTIMS. We are not victims. We are the Mothers of Civilization who hold WISDOM and TRUTH.

I intend to reach into the past to reclaim visual images and rhetoric of revolution. I am here to raise the consciousness and reject attempts to control the powerful identity of woman through stereotypes. WE are more than what you see. I take the past for guidance because it allows me to take a closer look at feminism and female empowerment. We are living in a time where the identity of the woman has become highly-sexualized. Women really believe that they do not look “good” unless their bodies are exposed. Self-esteem is at an all time low, and large companies are making so much money off of bringing the image of the WOMAN down.

Women seem to gladly give away their money to purchase hair, make-up, and name-brand BS that just makes them blend in. I am not opposed to any of these things when bought and used in moderation. Sometimes you might see something that you just love and it just so happens it is name brand. A little make-up is cool, but a lot is not. You have to understand that you should not RELY on these superficial elements. They should ONLY be used as ADORNMENT.

Sometimes it seems like everyone is trying to be someone else. The light women want the brown girl features and the brown girls want the light girl features. Why can’t we just be happy as we are? We can love each other and be friends without wanting to be the other woman. I am trying to break the notion that we have to be exposed to look good; and that we have to lighten or exaggerate our features to be accepted. You do not have to be this way because, guess what? You are beautiful without all the glam. So check this out…

It’s springtime in the Midwest and we can expect varying temperatures. Dressing for the weather is important. Don’t get caught standing in the shade freezing or standing in the sun burning up! It may not be the best idea to pull out the shorts just yet, so try some colorful jeans and light weight fabrics that will give you just enough protection to enjoy the weather. Since it is still Spring, 60 degrees means that you still need to carry a jacket with you. If it was 60 degrees in the Summer, you would not need the jacket, but Spring is fickle so stay on the safe side.

A colorful springtime idea…

THE STYLE:

Earrings, $2, on sale at Icing by Claire’s

Shirt, $4 end of season sale at Sears

Pants, $20 at Forever21

Red Wedge shoes, Payless BOGO $10 ( I do not suggest buying these shoes- they are cheaply made and make a noise when I walk. They do not feel great)

Red Wedge sandals, Nine West Outlet, $20 (these shoes are all leather upper and they feel great- bought at least 4 years ago)

Brown Fornili Shoe by Aldo, $95

Queen Duafe for African Essence

P.S. Don’t forget to follow my blog by clicking on the FOLLOW button up top! Let’s keep in touch and be sure to let me know, if you have a blog you want me to check out.

Don’t forget to check out this blog!

revolucionno.wordpress.com

Need a book to read? Iconic: Decoding Images of the Revolutionary Black Woman by Lakesia D. Johnson

Midwest Styles – Do You Remember Bell Bottoms?

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Shila Iris

I live in Midwestern United Sates where the weather changes day-to-day. Yesterday it was very nice out- sunny and warm. Today it is rainy and chilly! Here we go!

I think I’ll try bell bottoms today. Actually, many people are in to skinny pants, which are fine in some cases, but I am a flare-pant girl. I like my pants to fit on the top and flare at the bottom to compliment my shoes. Check it out. Click on the pictures to enlarge them. Haven’t quite decided on my shoes, but it will probably be the Aldo Fornili.

(Note: the photos may appear different depending on the browser speed you have)

I also like bell sleeve shirts and sweaters! They are great. This is not the greatest pic (the rugs from my car in the background), but I got this bell sleeve sweater from JCPenny’s and underneath, I am actually wearing a bell sleeve tunic/dress that I got from venus.com.

Those stockings are really cool now that I think about it! Look below.

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THE STYLE ABOVE:

(bell bottoms with mustard-colored shirt)

The shirt is made of viscose from Dillards, $17 on sale; The pants are from Forever21, I think they were $25 or cheaper; the Fornili shoe that I will wear is of course from Aldo, $95. Don’t spend that, though!

Queen Duafe for African Essence
P.S. Do you need a book to read? Check out: Writing the Black Revolutionary Diva: Women’s Subjectivity and the Decolonizing Text by Kimberly Nichele Brown

Living in the Midwest – Spring Queens

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I live in Midwestern United States where the weather can swing drastically, hitting above 100 in the summer and below zero in the winter. The Springs are cold and warm, and hot, and cold again! It’s nothing to fear, you just have to be prepared and accept the reality of varying temperatures.

Living in the Midwest allows me to get super cReaTiVe with my wardrobe. I can be laid back, conservative, athletic, but most of all JAZZY! My attire is most often referred to as Jazzy. People ask, “where did you get that?” If I can remember, I tell them, but I shop all over. Mostly in thrift stores and specialty-clothing boutiques. I do not discriminate! Anywhere I go from, TJMaxx to Steinmart, I can always find the most “jazzy-ethnic” attire they carry. That’s my thing, that’s my style. My favorite stores are thrift stores, but like I said, I go all over.

I love being able to create my own style!

Many people enjoy living in the Midwest, although it can be depressing sometimes! Nine months of cold weather can have you visiting a psychoanalyst! No need to complain, just get with the program. When its cold, love it, when it’s hot love it even more! Our seasons seem to be all over the place and are highly unpredictable at the present time.
So I keep my closet fully equipped with all types of light and heavy clothing. Every morning I put my foot out the door to see what the weather feels like and I go from there…

THE STYLE… The shirt I am wearing above is one of my favorite pieces. It is a very light fabric and I normally wear a camisole underneath it. I got it from an African Boutique years ago named SeneAfrique, $25. It closed down. The shirt has gold accents so I wore gold jewelry to match. It’s a gold cuff bracelet which you can get from anywhere these days. The necklace is a beaded brown and gold layered style and I have no idea where I got it (maybe Dillard’s on clearance years ago?). The earrings are a costume-like gold from Glitter (in malls), $1. The jeans are from Charlotte Russe, $10. I like flare jeans. The shoes are from Aldo, $95. They are leather inside and out, that is why they are pricier. They are called the Fornili shoe and date back at least two years. I won’t spend that much anymore, but there was something about these shoes that made them awesome. I like them a lot and they don’t hurt. Of course I wouldn’t do crazy amounts of walking in them either.

HOPE THIS HELPS YOU CHOOSE SOME COMFORTABLE ATTIRE THAT FITS YOU.

Peace and love,

Queen Duafe for African Essence

P.S. Need a book to read? Check this out…

Afrocentricity and the Academy: Essays on Theory and Practice edited by James L. Conyers, Jr.

Revisiting Chrisette Michele – Vocalist, Pianist

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Shila Iris

Chrisette Michele is looking pretty fly these days. I like that she explores hair color. I’m feeling colorful too!

I am not sure what happened with her music. I purchased her very first CD and it was really good. Ever since, I haven’t been able to get into her lyrics. Her voice is amazing, though. It’s mature and sophisticated. The songs she did with Jay Z and Nas were the best collaborations I heard from her. On her debut album, Love is You was my favorite song and Let’s Rock which had a Wu-Tang beat was nice as well.