Hot Bags For The Fall 2007

So Black Hair is an Issue...Well at least at Glamour Magazine!

So that's why it's so hard to break into the white world of publishing. Thanks Beauty Editor lady at Glamour, at least I have answers.

I'm not gonna get all teary eyed about this issue. My girls and I already knew the "hush, hush" views towards black girls and their hair styles from the corporate Caucasian sector. It's so lame that this has even come up, but it is reality. For some reason, I truly believed that my natural hair really didn't matter, especially in NYC. I've been going to interviews with top publishing firms feeling real confident about myself and it's sad to actually think that maybe I didn't get the job because some superficial loser overlooked my qualifications for my "political-powertothepeople" hair style. Damn, aint that a bitch!
Let me save up to buy a Chi so I can assimilate to white America! This same issue happened to my mother about 15 years a go. She was a sales exec at Fedex and they told her to take her ethnic braids out after she had already spent nearly $200. My mother was so tight! But what could she do? She had 2 kids to feed. Let me stop before I get upset...lets talk about it!! I expect some good posts about this topic.

The Story- So apparently the Junior Beauty Editor over at Glamour decided to give a group of lawyers including African American women advice on Corporate Fashion etiquette
Here's what the junior editor said to the law firm:

"First slide up: an African American woman sporting an Afro. A real no-no, announced the 'Glamour' editor to the 40 or so lawyers in the room. As for dreadlocks: How truly dreadful! The style maven said it was 'shocking' that some people still think it 'appropriate' to wear those hairstyles at the office. 'No offense,' she sniffed, but those 'political' hairstyles really have to go."

LMAO- she wanted to lose her job. I'm sure all 5 sista's at Conde Nast are calling for her resignation right now!

Faux Paux for Danny

I was gonna put this in the Debacles sidebar but I feel that D'Angelo should get some extra days of face time before I do another search of fashion faux pauxs. Danny was and still is one of my favorite America's Next Top model winners. I know she's on her paper chase and everything, but what in the Dress Barn Hell is going on in her world. With her new found celebrity and modeling skills, why would Wilhemenia allow her to do this? Yuck and Gross!! Speak up Girl! You got fans and shit!
I know we've been lax on the fashion post, but don't fret my pet, fashion week and the fall season is right around the corner and we will definitely be in attendance or stuntin from the sidelines. Hey! MAKE IT WORK!!

Ohhh the Pageantry!

This goes out to one of my close friends, Crystle Stewart, for having one of the best thank you speeches for a pageant and also standing strong in faith. I never gave her a deserved Congratulations! So I am going to make it known to all 10 people who read this blog. I also wanted to make fun of Miss Carolina. It's not right, because this was actually I hard question to answer, but she totally flunked this question. Poor Thing! But Crystle makes it look so easy. Love you girl! Mo City in the House! Next Miss USA!

Watch carefully for the "Thank You Jesus"

I totally felt that "Thank You Jesus", because I felt the same way when I...finally....got....a....job...yeah baby!. You know black folks will always thank the MAN!

But over in the Carolina's.....(Listen for the crickets)


And such as, South Africa, and the Asian countries.....such as...sit your ass down! Make sure you watch AC Slater's grin towards the end. He wanted to laugh...I know he did.

Market Value

Hey guys and gals! I know we have been lax in current post, but life has really kicked it up a notch for all of us and we are all now working on cool new endeavors. As you all know, I was recently a contributing style editor for this new online magazine, well now I've been upgraded to Editor at Large. Things are moving kind of slow at CAUGHT, but I just want to make sure that we are delivering the best work possible...so stay tuned for future issues. I knew I should have kept my big mouth shut with all my cool new ideas! Anyway, God has my steps ordered and I can actually get a feel for where my journey is going. You know how sometimes you want to do something in life so bad, but it just kind of never works out...or you get so close to what you thought was that "dream" position, but it didn't quite work out. And still for whatever reason, you have it in you to keep pushing. I guess you call it FAITH or wishful thinking.
Sometimes you just want something so bad and you want it now, but HE only gives you a taste in doses because you may not be entirely ready to digest the big meal HE has waiting for you. I think of it as a rationing of blessings. I know if I were presented with everything I wanted in life as far as a career and success all laid out on a table right now, I would probably go nuts and exhaust all my fruition from my labors. I might make irresponsible decisions due to my delusions of grandeur and in return not take advantage of the blessings given unto me.
My friend asked me this question...What are you worth? At first I didn't get it...like who really sits and thinks about what they're worth. Can you even ad value to your own self?
She further elaborated...."Remember reading about African slaves being put up for bids during the slave auctions?" This opened up a whole new dialog for me, therefore I want to share this with whoever is reading.
If you were big and strong you were worth this, If you were old and feeble you were worth that... The white folks and even some African "Bendedict Arnolds" thought blacks were worth $200 to over a $1,000 during slavery. If you think about your current salary and who you're working for, that same mentality has not changed.
If you're a black man with an Ivy League degree your worth this....and if you're a black woman with a master's you're worth that...If you didn't go to college your worth this...and so on...

I kind of got off task with this question but it just popped into my head at 10:55 am. What are you worth? Think about all your talents, strengths, and knowledge. If you were doing what you wanted to do as a career, what would you pay yourself, honestly? Are we really using our God given talents to our full capabilities? And if so, are we paying ourselves or Are we settling and just getting paid?

Getting paid and paying yourself are totally different!

Peace and Blessings,

Eddie Nicole