Leggings A'Go...???

Ahh spring is in the air! No more bubble coats, no more uggs, the sweaters under hoodies come off and good Gawd no more leggings under our jeans. Instead we get to wear trench coats, colorful dresses, cute flats, capri’s and everyone’s new favorite, leggings (insert sarcastic face).

Personally I feel there should be some strict requirements on who should be allowed to wear leggings, based on age, size, gender, shape and jiggle potential. Apparently not everyone agrees with me and that’s okay, but it is NOT okay how some of us are walking around. Yes I said that! So I’m going to give some tips, pointers or suggestions, whatever makes your heart happy.

Ladies, unless we are in workout mode there is no reason to wear sneakers with leggings. Sneakers with leggings gives off a juvenile / “teeny- bopper” look or today is just one of those “staying home to clean” looks and if that’s the case, just stay in YOUR home and clean up. Spring time is a happy time, a vibrant time, a blossoming time, a time where we want to feel fresh and look fresh and a pair of hot behind “Air Force 1’s” is the opposite of that. If you are going for the dress down look try a pair of flat shoes or thong sandals. The less “glitz” and shimmer the more casual they look, don’t be afraid to play around with color either. So does this now mean that you should throw on a licensed tee or a “wife beater” and call it a day? Nope. It means that you should find a shirt long enough and loose enough to fit over you “bootylicious” butt. I like tank tops with the long asymmetrical cardigans. You don’t look too dressed down or dressed up.

On the other hand if you want to dress it up a lil, plus be able to walk the dog, stand on the hectic lines at Target, take a stroll at the pier and take the kids to Chucky Cheese after school without wanting to cut off your feet at the end of the day, use the same tank and cardigan, add some sparkle to your flats, a belt around your waist and some flashier jewelry. To jazz it up a lil more for something like a nice day in the city, throw on a pair of boots or booties. Depending on your geographical location you can wear leather boots for at least another month of so. If you’re going for the “sexier” look the peep-toe boots are what you’re looking for. Tunics and Boyfriend blazers look great with both, closed and open toe boots.

You know your body better than anyone else, if you know that you have some jiggle action, do it right thing and wear something that controls the jiggle. Thicker tights, spanex, control top, girdles whatever works best for you. Also please, please, please wear the right panties/ thongs. Flowers, stripes, pooka-dots, stars are a no-no with leggings. Boy-shorts doesn’t seem to work either. Because boy- shorts don’t cover the whole “tush”, there’s either the line or even worst the indentation. Try the “No panty line” line by Hanes or even…… dare I say it, a thong.

Its usually more acceptable for thinner people to wear whatever they want, not so much for plus size women. We’re usually called fat and sloppy or associated with being lazy, so it doesn’t hurt to put a lil more umph when getting dress. Please take all my suggestions as just that, a suggestion. I’m a hair stylist not fashion stylist and these are only my opinions. But who know what God has in store for my life, my opinions my give me my own show on the Style network (cuz yall know I belong on television) ; )

Feel free to invite friends and family members to visit the blog, also take a look at my prior entries. Leave comments; let me know what you think.

Lift a sister up instead of bringing her down. Besos!

It's all love

Saludos!!! Welcome back to my blog! This entry is going to be a lil different from my previous entries; I do feel that it’s probably the most important and most relevant thus far. So please if you have not invited a sister, a friend, a co- worker do so and encourage them to invite a sister, an auntie, a niece!

As the Academy Awards approach this weekend you can’t help but hear the name Gabourey Sidibe. For most of us we can’t help but be extremely proud of this young lady, I mean she beat the odds. A black collage student, with no formal acting training, walks into an open casting call, gets the lead role and blows everyone’s mind with her Precious Jones performance. Do I say she beat the odds because she is a NYC collage student? No………. Because she’s black? Not at all!........... Because she came to an open call without formal training? Eh, partly but mainly because Gabby is a “plus –size” to some, “heavy set” to a few, “over weight” to most and “fat” to the insensitive, woman.

This young lady who has a larger than life personality beat the odds in Hollywood while being significantly larger than many other actresses.

I am proud that Gobourey, who is my same age, went into a situation where the odds were against her and came out victorious. I am proud that this young woman speaks with class and great diction. I am elated that even though she doesn’t look like most of the women in her industry, she doesn’t seem insecure. I love that fact that she says time and time again that she loves who she is. What I am not so proud of, elated or even in love with is, parading that she is happy with her size. I think it gives off the wrong message. That wrong message is: It’s alright to be over weight as long as you love yourself. Before ‘yall start blessin me out about how we should all love how God made us, or how dare I say something like that because I’m a big girl myself, hear me out. I am totally for us loving ourselves the way God made us. I’m all for you being your own #1 fan and I absolutely get that, we are not all supposed to be 120 lbs, which is the main reason I started the SistahtoSistah blog in the first place. We come in all shapes, sizes, heights and weight. So the reason I am against the celebration of “I’m over weight and I’m proud” movement is because it can be dangerous. This entry is NOT about Gabourey Sidibe. I don’t know what her health is or her weight, I just used her as an example. This is not meant to be insulting to anyone but to share awareness and my opinion.

Being over weight may lead to type2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, they find that 42% of breast and colon cancer are found in over weight individuals. High blood pressure and close to half of all gall bladder surgery is also related to being over weight. By no means am I saying that all over weight people have or are in jeopardy of poor health. There are plenty of “more to love” and “big boned” woman who are healthier than a lot of thin people. I’m just not sure how many of them are 350lbs. There is a difference between heavy and healthy and heavy and unhealthy.

A lot of times we try to get in shape or tone down because we don’t like how we look. I’m guilty of that myself, but how you look isn’t enough. I say it’s not enough because this past summer I was at my highest weight, a whopping 218lbs (5’2) and I “hated” how I looked. But because I have a cute face with pretty eyes, a beautiful smile, an awesome “rack”, I’m pretty smart and I have a great personality. How I thought I looked didn’t matter because men were still attracted to me.

It wasn’t until I walked up a hill that I walked up for years and not only did I get winded but my chest started to hurt, after a week of this I knew that I had to take action. In January I decided not lose weight or get sexy but to get healthy. According to www.healthdiscovery.net I should weigh 110-148lbs, I was about 100lbs over weight.

I want you to love yourself the way your are but I also want you to love yourself enough to do what’s right. I loved myself when I was 218lbs, I love myself now at 190lbs and when I get healthier I’m going to love myself a lot longer. I have a client who asked have I ever met a fat old person, I couldn’t answer her……….. Have you met many people over 75yrs who are over weight?

Please take everything that I said out of love.

Lift a sister up instead of bringing her down. Muah!

Diva de Glam

Happy New Year lovies! Before I get started I want to thank you guys for visiting and all the encouraging words that y’all had to say. So from the bottom of my heart I just want to say THANK YOU!.... And as always, please remember to tell a sistah to tell a friend to visit.

This particular blog was supposed to be a holiday edition, but as Cindy would say there were some "situations". Now even though this post was originally about holiday glitz and glam, there are a few sistahs that "do it up" on a day to day basis, so this one is for you!

First, who doesn't like a lil’ bling here or a sparkle or two there? I know I do! I also happen to like either really big hair or long, I somehow feel that it takes away from my round chubby face. A close fitted dress, a low cleavage cut shirt, dramatic eye make-up, the perfect M.A.C. Lip gloss, Acute lil’ flower in my hair, earrings, bracelets, necklaces,- I LOVE it all, but I can't wear it all at the same time and neither can you.

Let me tell you why. Full figured women get a lot of attention, from men as well as from other women. Picture this: a beautiful, shapely woman is walking to the street. She has very dramatic make-up on, a long and luxurious weave, false lashes, a sheer top, spandex bottoms, 4 inch heels with chandelier earrings, a cocktail ring, and a beautiful set of blingged out bangles. Hmmm.. What do you notice? You get one guess.

Ok. Let me tell you. You notice that she looks a HOTT MESS. Everything could have been put together very well, but because you don't know what to look at first it became a mess. Easily broken and easily fixed. Simply De-Glam yourself.

De-glam does not mean you can't have any style or you must look like a bag lady. Just tone something down. Picture this: the same full- figured shapely woman is walking down the street. This time she has a long weave with false lashes but her make- up is very light. She’s also wearing pearl earrings, with the matching necklace and bracelet. Instead of the sheer top she wore a hot pink button shirt along with a pencil skirt, and a pair of 4 inch pumps. Now does she look sophisticated, sexy or put together?

If any of those were your answer than you were right. She also could have worn her hair pulled back with the dramatic make-up, the sheer top with a nice pair of dark jeans or slacks. It’s not about looking like plain Jane, but it’s about getting the right attention. Always keep in mind that moderation is the key.

All attention is not good attention, so strive for the right attention being mindful that sometimes it might have to cause the Diva to De -Glam just a lil’ bit.

Lift a sister up instead of bringing her down. Muah! ; )