kinky since 08'

so, there has been a lot of chatter in the blogosphere and beyond about 'going natural.'  it didn't really apply to me since i had been there, done that (and do it daily) so many times before.  as you may have already noticed, my standard of beauty is not quite so narrow or rigid.  therefore, i try to highlight as much as i can women who choose to embrace their natural beauty (ie. curls and naps). 
however, after visiting a blog (can't recall which one, sorry) a few weeks ago, i began reflecting on the natural experience, my natural experience.  the blogger posed (and then answered) the question, 'what made you decide to go natural?'

i can't remember exactly the moment for me.  what i do know is that right around the end of middle school and the beginning of high school, my sense of self and the world become more clear.  i was being shaped by events like the rodney king brutal beating, the malcolm x movie (among others), the news...in high school, i was reading nikki giovanni, toni morrison (well, outside of high school, actually) james baldwin...i was writing papers on apartheid in south africa, the black panther party and why rap music was so genius.  celebrating the kinky texture of my hair seemed to be a no-brainer.  unfortuanetly, talking the talk was much easier than walking the walk.  i would swing back and forth between relaxing my hair and going natural SEVERAL TIMES.  when it was straight, i wasn't really unhappy.  in fact, i worked hard to get it as straight and silky as possible. usually, my hair was pretty and healthy. but there would be this nagging guilt whispering in my ear that i knew better than this.  i was disappointing myself.  and i would be so envious of the girls with their lovely locs or fluffy twists when on occasion i'd see them.  i knew better but wasn't doing better.  on the flip side, when i was natural, all the hard work would get the best of me (trying to keep it cute), and i'd do what was easiest (laziest): get a perm!  this inner turmoil continued well into my twenties.  after having locs for three years, i realized it wasn't for me at this stage of my life. i cut it off and relaxed it again.  i don't regret that decision at all.  it was the right call at the time.  but one evening in 2008 while watching tyra's talk show, i had an epiphany.  the guest was mary j. blige.  tyra asked the r&b queen if there was anything she could have, what would she wish for.  mary responded that what she wanted most in the world, what she would get if she could...was long, indian hair!  when a shocked tyra tried to help mary out by suggesting she could get a weave, mary made it crystal clear.  no!  she wanted it to be her hair flowing down her back.  i thought that was really sad.   however, i didn't blame mary.  i understood exactly what she was saying and why.  i made up my mind then and there.  for my future daughter, sons...for my adorable little nieces, i would stop fighting against my kinks and celebrate them...show them off, adorn them.  and that's exactly what i've been doing since. 

besos jenna pearle*

war of the roses

axl

in the spirit of my heavy metal celebration, here's another tribute.  feast your eyes on axl!

besos jenna pearle*

words of wisdom from the ill na na

pics from hiphopsnaomicampbell.tumblr.com
check them out for more foxy

i know nicki minaj has been getting a lot of press lately (passionista place included) but ms. foxy brown has always been one of my favorite emcees (notice i didn't say female).  obviously she's drop dead gorgeous but beneath all that is raw talent (both are things she rarely gets credit for).  perhaps (a la naomi) she can get a bit...crazy.  but who among us doesn't have flaws?  anyway, this quote is truly why i love her.  it was clear to me that foxy (aka inga marchand) suffered from a bit of low self esteem in the beginning of her career.    like many other chocolate girls, she was made to feel she wasn't enough.  unlike (allegedly) many other female rappers and entertainment types in general, foxy seemed to overcome her insecurities.  instead of running to the nearest plastic surgeon, she remained the lil foxy we always knew and loved.  for that and the quote above, i applaud her. 

besos jenna pearle*

braids-don't call it a comeback!

bad chick from beautifulboulevard.tumblr.com  (love her)

ciara

rihanna, of course

it girl, va$htie

present day brandy w/ her signature braids

queen of the pack, patra

don't call it a comeback; braids have been here for years, (centuries is more like it).  but these days, you can find this hawt retro look on all the fashionable first ladies of cool.  braids have taken form in a number of stylish ways.  there's the fishtail that is oh so popular on the streets and catwalks.  french and cornbraids can be found crowning the heads of the sophisticated and/or sassy.  even the circa nineties poetic justice box braids have worked there way back into our hearts.  box braids use to be a favorite option of mine.  in fact, it was even a bonding exercise between me,my mom and sisters.  we would spend countless hours hooking each other up while catching up.  even after its heyday, i still rocked this look at my college graduation at the turn of the century (cuz thats just how i do).  so go ahead and channel your inner patra or brandy and get to braiding.  you know you wanna be down......
(ps-the numerous african braiding salons must be ecstatic!)
p.s  check out the posh brown boutique for clothing and accessories that work perfectly with those ballsy braids.{the posh brown boutique}

besos jenna pearle*

black n white edition...anais

 model anais mali looking gorge in this black n white shot.  i will be using this look for inspiration sometime next week.  it reminds me of george michael's freedom video from the 90's.  black beauty at its best. 

besos jenna pearle*

Michael Jackson, Keep It In The Closet...video voyeur

i came across a post about the top top 15 stylish music videos on coco and creme. and in true carrie bradshaw style, it got me to thinking...what beautiful music videos took my breath away over the years?  so, i've decided to share some selections i found visually stimulating once a week.  at the beginning of my blog, i shared with you 16 reasons why i love cool by gwen stefani.  this time, i chose one of my favorite michael jackson songs/videos "keep it in the closet" starring the one and only stunner, naomi campbell.  michael beefed up for this one, showing off his muscular tone in that wifebeater and black jeans.  he pulled back his signature curls into a ponytail and proceeded to give us sexy mike.  the sepia coloring give both them and the scenery a sensual aura.  there is really nothing to dislike about this art, as far as i'm concerned.  as usual, these talents do a superb job.
besos jenna pearle*

diggin the digable planets

i suppose i've always been a bit of an urban hipster, following the beat of my own drummer and all. despite trends, i wore whatever i wanted. i listened to whatever i wanted. that brings me to my point. you probably think of digable planets as one hit wonders. thats if you remember them at all. i think of digable planets as the cool cats that helped to shape my adolescence. digable planets were hipsters. they were poets. they were revolutionaries. they were mellow but with a meaningful message. they were me! butterfly, the unofficial leader of the trio, was effortlessly handsome with chiseled cheekbones and buttery brown skin. ladybug aka mecca provided the quiet yet forceful female voice. although she was gorgeous, it was refreshing that this was downplayed instead of being the sole marketing device. then there was doodlebug who had the demeanor of the cool guy friend you had in college.

dp was not just about being "cool like dat." they rapped about womens' right to choose, racism, self-acceptance and making the most of your circumstances. jazz was instrumental (ha ha, i slay me) in the digable sound. and so was the sixties and seventies for these retro cats. dp's first album "reachin" was the perfect antidote for my revolutionary, angst ridden teenage years (hey, it was the nineties). they were more than just a rap group. butterfly, ladybug and doodlebug were old friends with the same ideals.

how can you incorporate digable style into your life? it's easy:

• embrace plaid
• keep it baggy (at least your pants)
• camouflage and gortex are a must
• run dmc said it best...my adidas-stansmiths and shelltops
• natural hair (whatever your texture) is the bee's knees
• skullies never hurt nobody
• wear a witty revolutionary tee (maybe one that celebrates a legend)
  

and keep it groovy!

xoxo jenna pearle*

more than a woman

on august 25th, it was the beginning of the end. at least, it was for me. it was the day that the singer, aaliyah dana haughton, passed away in a plane crash. while that was significant by itself, just a few short weeks later the twin towers would also come crashing down and life (and death) would be forever changed. i won't use this blog as therapy and get too deep with this but i will say that august on was a severe turning point im my life. as for aaliyah, it seems that her good nature and warm heart is indisputable. obviously, her beauty wasn't worthy of words. she served her purpose here and left earth pretty quickly. catchy songs, exceptional dance moves and great personality, aaliyah most definitely rocked our boats.

xoxo jenna pearle*

allure of lauryn

lauryn hill was my hero when i was in high school. i'm sure i'm not alone in this. for me, she represented a beauty that wasn't recognized much up to that point. mahogany brown skin, african features, natural hair...this was NOT the beauty norm! yet, l-boog's beauty was undeniable. to top it all off, she was intelligent, talented and outspoken. aren't all these attributes the exact makings of a hero? i don't know what her future plans will include but i think she certainly deserves to be celebrated for what she gave me, what she gave us.

one of those gifts she graced us with was style. ecclectic, afrocentric, urban and all around chic, ms. hill rarely disappointed us in her heyday. it was quite influential to my wardrobe during my college life. i'm keeping my fingers crossed that one day soon she'll be back on the scene serving up provoking poetry with a side of sassy style.

xoxo jenna pearle*

coming soon (toatheatrenearu)

sex and the city the movie 2 is coming out soon and i'm eager to see it. honestly, i'm not expecting much. visiting these four nyers one more time is enough to get me to the theatre. the storyline doesn't have to be stellar. but, if it is, i'll be pleasantly surprised. i love surprises. anyway, look forward to a post dedicated to the ladies of satc the tv version really soon. until then, ciao!

xoxo jenna pearle*

notorious

we did it, brooklyn!!! a la biggie

xoxo ain't nothin' like a brooklyn girl, jenna pearle*

(pic courtesy of soulflwer.tumblr.com

love, courntney

hmm...courtney love. i don't think i'm into her music (can't recall any songs) but i do find her quite interesting.

xoxo jenna pearle*

pic courtesy of kittykittybangbang.tumblr.com

plaid fad

plaid has been my friend for quite some time. there was my green plaid dress that i wore the first day of fifth grade with a new white tee and topsiders. of course, i donned quite a few pair in the nineties high school grunge/west coast rap days. to this day, plaid still has a special place in my heart as well as my chest of drawers. plaid adds great flavor to an outfit. a bit of snoop dogg edge, a bit of i don't give a damn tomboy, i bit of sweet sex appeal (think private school uniform a la spears). above are a few different ways to incorporate the plaid fad into your personal look.

ice cube (rocking plaid) and chris tucker from friday.

xoxo jenna pearle*

reunited...and it feels so good!

my so-called life was MY show. here is a claire danes and jared leto at a recent event. so happy to see angela chase and jordan catalano reunited. i knew it would work out in the end!

jenna pearle*