70s VIBIN'

by Jamila Pierre


Let's talk about timelines real quick (knowing me...it won't be quick at all).

The first thing I'd like to talk about is the time in which I was born. Though I feel I grew up in a GREAT time (especially seeing what the current state of things are), I often times feel a magnetic pull into a much earlier timeline. I feel so drawn to the 20s, 50s, 60s, & 70s.  I love all of music and fashion of that time (even though politically and when it came to things like race, etc...I am not and would not be here for, there were so many things that, I'll admit, I romanticized about the decades mentioned). I always had this feeling like I was either born/ grew up in the wrong decade, or that I at the very least lived many lives. Moral of that story....I almost never feel comfortable in the now and my existential issues are at an all time high, at all times.

I pull inspiration from the past and sometimes I pull from  the potential of the future (distant future)....but I, like most, have a hard time just existing and enjoying all that is the NOW. I'm working on it, don't judge me....actually judge away if ya wanna, don't care.

When it comes to timelines, I can't help but think about, not just in which I exist and what suits me best as far as that goes, but I think about it in ways that I feel can be detrimental to my mind, body, and soul. When there are so very many things you want for your life, so many things you want to accomplish, and so little time, you tend to go crazy (hence where living in the now can really come in handy...but I've never spent much time there to fully validate whether I'd be better off existing there). Compound that with having a full on debilitating disability/illness of any sort, especially chronic widespread pain, and having all of your aspirations come tumbling down or passing you by, while you whither and "die" (essentially)....it wreaks havoc on every vital part of the you that makes up the "you" in "you".

Hope that makes sense.

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It's amazing how chaotic it can be trying sift through all of the voices and expectations of others and the world (existence), to find your own voice...to then sometimes find that you too are judging you. Sometimes you have to just throw the whole damn thing away. Start from scratch, be kind to you (while still holding yourself accountable) and try with all your might to not only move on...but to press on (push through).

The other thing that comes to mind when I think of timelines, is this whole IG (Instagram) algorithm fuckery. Here we have a social media service that is supposed to be for the people....yet the voice of the people isn't being heard. I don't understand. I'm curious as to how we got to this point, who asked for the initial change, why CAN'T things be chronological exactly? Why are they making things more difficult to grow a business and to find like minds? I find it funny how people actually believe the BS coming out of their mouths, the whole "It's just IG.", "It's just numbers...they don't matter.", "You're not getting paid.".....PEOPLE! Get a clue! Use your God given common sense, followers means support, eyes that can see the hard work you put out and can get you noticed by the movers and shakers of whatever community you're seeking to be apart of. Support means that when you have projects or sponsorship's, people will see it and support, this generates revenue, THIS brings about more opportunities outside of social media. THIS is just the fundamentals. 

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Imagine now that you're a company, looking for someone to invest in, and the perfect candidate is out there....but you can't find them due to all the mucky muck. One of the biggest reasons a company chooses to work with a content creator is because of their reach, this new algorithm is fucking with that entirely, THIS fucks with people's marketability, it fucks with the way brands look at the content creator and their ability to engage with their supporters (follower/readership). Most if not all, of the content creators I know personally (or even know of) put in literal hours/days of hard work to produce quality content....all to not reach the masses until weeks later if at all. HOW does this serve the people, HOW does this make sense, WHY are they doing this? I'd say it's due to net neutrality.....but it's been going on for quite some time. How do they not see all of the ways they are fucking up businesses that were built using said application for what it was? THIS (at least to me) is all just common sense. STOP trying to thwart our progression, our entrepreneurship, our means of putting food on the table and keeping roofs over our heads. NOW, if it's all just because you want a piece of the pie....then just say so. Keep everything the way it was and charge a small fee for use (not that I'd want to use it if I had to pay a crazy amount), there's a way to make everyone happy and the way their going about it is NOT the way. Quit making things harder for us entrepreneurs, quick cutting us off at the knees, quit fucking up our timelines. This goes for Instagram AND the cosmic line of existence, please and thank you.

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As for the outfit; I decided to play with some 70s inspired color-blocking. This fur stole is from TELCO, the glasses were from a street vendor, the belt and the dress was from Charlotterusse (which the dress only comes in olive green now....but I want that one too, and it'd look awesome in this mustard orange's place, and the belt is also no longer available...but I provided some great alternatives below), the boots are hella old from who even remembers where, the bag was a x-mas gift from the madukes, and the knee/thigh highs are from One Stop Plus (which is now Fullbeauty.com). I took some colorful plus-size tights and cut them into thigh-highs, and before you knew it, I was 70s vibin.

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Doesn't the image below give you "Sin City" feels...? I think it's the glare in the sunnies that does it.

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Let's take a moment to also appreciate not only the junk in the trunk in the image below...you know... the "I don't think you're ready or all this jelly." *Beyonce voice*, but the wild gaze in my eyes....LMFAO, where was I going...and who do I think I am?!

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What I'm Wearing:

  1. Sunnies from a street vendor at 14th street Union Sq.. $5 (Same ones HERE)

  2. Fur stole from TELCO. $7 (Alternative HERE, and HERE)

  3. Necklace from H&M. $12

  4. Dress from Charlotterusse.com. $10 (On sale, no longer avail., alt. HERE, HERE, and HERE)

  5. Belt from Charlotterrusse.com. $5 (On sale, no longer avail., alt. HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE)

  6. Bracelets from street fairs, and Burlington Coat Factory. $2-$7

  7. Tights from Fullbeauty.com. $???

  8. Boots from Mandee...I think...$??? (Alternative HERE, HERE, and HERE)


MER-BONES.

by Jamila Pierre


So every year, Boohoo comes out with some primo affordable shit for the Halloween months, I say months because that's how long it lasts for me. For the average  person, the way I dress can sometimes give the impression that I'm "too jovial", too "Halloween 365", to that I say.....well....yea, but no.

I want y'all to know how difficult is was for me not to showcase all of my skeleton outfits (thanks, Boohoo.com), it's seriously all I want to wear for a good long while.
I have an absolute weakness for all things bone. Give me a skull or a skeleton anything, and I am here for it, I want it, I need it!

AND, apparently, back in the 1300s, folks sometimes decorated their homes with skulls as a reminder to celebrate life, so cheers to that!

WAIT, wait, wait, wait......not every skull is created equal...I think I've mentioned this before. just know that the love is real and though there are limitations, boundaries, qualifications, it doesn't take much for me to fall head over heels for skull/skeleton paraphernalia. Now you take that mindset and apply it to things like...unicorns, flamingos, mermaids, you get the point, I am seriously all over it, in there like swimwear. 

Saw what i did there? Mermaids...swimwear...? No? Stop lyin', I know you saw it. 

 

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My style is truely a beautiful and wild splash of textured paint on a pristine sheet of canvas, I am seriously everywhere with it, but the common thread is that I WILL in fact incorporate a stud (hence this bracelet you see in nearly all posts), a skull, a skeleton-ish type of something, every chance i get. it's who I am implicitly.

I grew up in the Lower East Side, in New York, during a time when (at least in my opinion) the alternative scene, and all of its subcultures, were EVERYTHING. I sometimes wish I grew up there, in the village, in the 70s or 8os. I'm sure it would've had some more amazing, crazy moments and adventures. Nowadays, the East Village is NOT what it used to be.

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I say all of this to say, as much as I've grown and evolved into the woman I am today, I still have all of who I was, providing the light/fire in my soul, it guides me, it shines through every time I put a lewk together. And, I can't tell you what to do....but I implore you, you should try and do the same. No matter the changes, remain you.

As for the specs of this look:

  • The duster is incredibly stretchy and may fit you if you go down a size or two from your normal size.
  • The bag is no longer available at Forever21.com (where I bought mine)...but, there's some other options bellow. 
  • The boots or on super sale right now on Torrid.com, and they fit my big ole ankles and lower calves, so run...don't walk.
  • And lastly, the dress is reeeeeaaaalllly stretchy, I'm a true 3x (22/24), I get a 20 in everything Boohoo, but I ended up getting this dress in a 16 due to it lacking sizes by the time I was able to purchase it. So make of that what you will. Now, I've included some options that can give you similar vibes with either a little imagination, and/or a willingness to slightly veer of the road of mermaid....although I know that's what most of you came here for. 

What I'm Wearing:

  1. Crown from Charlotterusse. $7
  2. Sunnies from Hottopic. $5 (No longer avail., alternative HERE)
  3. Necklace from Forever21. $6 (No longer avail.)
  4. Velvet duster from Boohoo.com. $10  (On sale, alternative HERE, and HERE)
  5. Bag from Forever21.com. $19.90 (No longer avail. altern. HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE)
  6. Dress from Boohoo.com. $10 (No longer avail. in plus, I'm wearing a size 16 and I'm a true 22/24. Alternatives HERE, HERE, HERE, HEREHERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE, .... oh and this exact one only comes in a size 4 and 6 now *Crying face emoji*)
  7. Boots from Torrid.com. $52 (On sale, I'm mad because it's on sale now for even less!)