American Beauty

Happy July 1st Dolls!

So let’s get real for a minute, I hate wearing swimsuits. Honestly, I don’t think I like seeing my body at all. It’s an insecurity that I’ve always had. Even at my skinniest, I didn’t feel like I looked good enough. So I hid in clothes too large and told myself I wanted to be comfortable. And when I got married, people just assumed I was hiding some baby bump….that got annoying real fast. Once I turned 30, I started having to tell myself, “I’m fine. My body is fine. It’s all in my mind.” Am I at the place I want to be? No. Could I do better? Yes. Should I hate myself for it or compare myself to other people? Hell no.

So with Fourth of July rolling around, I wanted to step outside of my confront zone and wear one, pin up style. My swimsuit came from Amazon and my shoes are old from TopShop. I pulled inspiration from black 1950’s pinups that I saw in vintage Ebony/Jet Magazine. Someone who really inspired me was Dorothea Towles Church, the first successful black model to work in Paris during the 1950’s. She was born in Texas in 1922, and began her career as a teacher. SN: She graduated from Wiley College (my mom went there for a while…not the same time though, duh!) She graduated with two degrees in biology and pre-med. She was smart and a beauty!

While accompanying her musician sister in Europe, she decided to try out for a modeling agency in Paris. And you know who signed her??? Mr. Christian Dior (one of my favorite fashion houses btw…). Overnight Ms. Towles became an international hit. She would stay in Paris for five years, modeling for some of Paris’ most famous designers. Once she returned to the US (with trunks and trunks of haute couture fashion designs), she toured the country putting on fashion shows. Her fashion and style served as inspiration for many black women during that time and even now.

Ms. Dorthea Towles Church on the cover of Ebony magazine

xoxo