DOPE: "Reed Between the Lines" & Natural Hair Acceptance...

Since I've been home on bed rest, I've had my share of old sitcoms. A few days ago, I saw an episode of "A Different World" that really made me recognize how far we have come. The episode, "Almost Working Girl", which aired during the show's fifth season in 1991, illustrates the attitude about natural hair back then.

When E.H. Wright needs a temporary receptionist, Freddie (played by Shero Cree Summer) is begrudgingly given the job by Jaleesa... but not after she chases Freddie around the room with a brush. For the remainder of the episode, Cree's trademark ringlets are replaced with a blow-out that resembles Farrah Fawcett's do'.

What made me raise an eyebrow is that in the episode, Ron Johnson observes Freddie (with her straightened locks) from behind and is instantly attracted to her. When Freddie reveals herself and leaves, Ron says as she exits, "Oooh.. what a little Dark and Lovely will do for a sistah!". In reflecting on the episodes of the show, Freddie's curls were repeatedly the butt of jokes, and her character was told on more than one occasion that she needed to "do something" about her unruly tresses. The irony is that despite the mockery, many naturals of my generation (I of course include myself in this) will say that it was Cree's curls that inspired them to go natural.

Fast forward to last night's episode of the new BET series "Reed Between the Lines", starring Tracee Ellis Ross and Malcolm Jamal Warner.

In the episode, teenage daughter Kaci (played by the cute as a button Zoe Soul), after landing the roll in the school play is asked to flat iron her hair for the part. She complies and is very vocal about the fact that she finds the act insulting and unnecessary... until the boy she's crushing on takes notice. Like Ron & Freddie, he suddenly is liking what he sees.

Kaci is suddenly not so in a hurry to bring back her curls, and when her Carla (Tracee Ellis Ross' character) approaches her about changing herself to please a boy, she stumbles across Kaci applying vaseline to her face in preparation for a relaxer.

I won't spoil the ending for those who missed it, but I will say that Tracee took us all to church, and I was fanning myself with an afro pick at the conclusion!!!! LOL

I'm grateful for "Reed...", not only for the episode itself, which was huge, but for creating characters with "Of course I wear my hair natural!!!!" attitudes, instead of some of the "My hair is natural.. .ain't that wacky?!?!" characters we've encountered in the past.

Did you catch last night's episode? What were your thoughts? Leave a comment and let's talk!

I Heart Her Hair: Tracee Ellis Ross...

This week's candidate for I Heart Her Hair is also a celeb I would LOVE to go shopping with!!! I also love the versatility of her natural hair: She switches from rollersets to wash-n-go's effortlessly... and without permanent damage!, which cannot be easy! She is also the queen of the curly up-do, and during these hot months in NYC, this girl loves herself a curly updo! LOL

:::drools::: Tracee Ellis Ross-style for Plus Size Fashionistas

Miss Moon's Musings is on vacation next week.... I will be going on my very first cruise!! I am all packed and ready to go!!! Whoo Hoooooooo!!!!

The first :::drools::: post of 2011 is a very special one, as I will be recreating it for my first day of traveling!!



To begin, I selected the Black and Cream Stripe Chiffon Tank Top ($38, Torrid)



My choice for jeans and jacket are strictly from my closet, but you can't go wrong with these beauties!!


Women's Plus Double-Weave Blazers ($39.50, Old Navy)


Divine Denim Skinny Jean ($39.50, Avenue)

Since I am traveling, I will probably finish this look up with some lovely hoop earrings and a pair of sneakers.. gotta be comfortable!!! I will be sure to be back with pictures!!! Bon Voyage!!!!!!

:::drools::: A BOUNTY of Blazers (Courtesy of Torrid!)

You might've missed my brief mention of loving all things blazers and me expressing (in passing of course!) that I've wanted to spice up my wardrobe... ::turns sarcasm meter off::

It looks like the good people at Torrid are more than willing to help me accomplish my goal for 2011, as they have some GORGEOUS blazers that would definitely be a great start to any ensemble. I've started with three that I have eagerly added to my Wish List and will be scooping up ASAP because I need them in my life YESTERDAY!! LOL



First Up is the Black Rolled Sleeve Girlfriend Blazer ($54.00) I like how versatile this blazer is... I could very easily see myself rocking this with slacks at work or with jeans (as shown on the model) on the weekend...or in the office, too! (Who am I kidding?!?)



Next on my Must Have List is the Blue and White Stripe Blazer ($54.00). I've been seeing these nautical themes all over the fashion mags and while perusing the net, but being au currant in all things fashion wasn't what bowled me over about this blazer. Blue and white are big-time power colors for me, so that was the first thing that attracted me. The second thing is the fact that by wearing this jacket, I will be silently telling anyone who may spot me, "Yeah, I'm fat and I'm wearing horizontal stripes, and I am rocking it... WHAT OF IT??!?" LOL

When I took one look at my last pick, I could hear the song"I Will Follow Him" in my head... and I pictured myself running across a field of wildflowers to a clothing rack full of this jacket... ALL IN MY SIZE. It was love at first sight! LOL



Ladies and Gentlemen... Friends, Family and Bloggy Buddies... I'd like you all to meet the Black Satin Lapel Tuxedo Jacket ($54.00). I could now begin to gush about all I would do with this blazer, but I would much rather show you. With this jacket.... I could FINALLY recreate one of my favorite looks from my style icon, Tracee Ellis Ross, using pieces all from Torrid:

So here's how I did it:



Top: Brooklyn Mint Biggie Juicy Crew Tee (Black) $28
Skirt: Black Benglaine Skirt $38
Shoes: Fergalicious By Fergie Jaded Black Heel (Medium Width) $50
Clutch: Black Bow Clutch Party Bag $18

So I think that this outfit will be my first new outfit purchased in 2011.... Is there an article of clothing/fashion trend you're thinking about trying for the new year (My other obsession is a nice plus size African Wax Print skirt.. à la Boxing Kitten... I am about to head up to Harlem and have one made!!!)? What are you digging?

I Wanna Go Shopping with... Tracee Ellis Ross

Those of you new to my blog (who haven't checked out my older posts) may not be aware of this... but I have a MAJOR girl-crush on Tracee Ellis Ross' style. It would only be fitting to select her for my next installment of I Wanna Go Shopping with... Enjoy!!


I love this look... from the dress, to the belt (?) all the way to the booties.


Casually Fly!!! I have to recreate this look one weekend!!


Love, love, love it!!!!!!


Basic Black is Beautiful!!!!


Blue's my favorite color, so you know I'm loving this!!!


I've been stalking this outfit for ages!!! I need to find a decent plus sized tuxedo jacket to pull this one off!!!

There you have it... Is there a celebrity you'd like to go on a dream shopping spree with? Leave a comment, and your favorite celeb may be featured in a future post!

:::drools::: Tracee Ellis Ross-style for Plus Size Fashionistas (Pt. 2!!)

I wasn't going to do another fashion post until next week, but when I spotted this picture of Tracee Ellis Ross at the recent Target opening in Harlem, I knew that I had to replicate this outfit (Despite the fact that I am still mad at Target!!)



I am loving this look SO MUCH!! I would have never thought to select a patterned bag with that dress! I think it's a brilliant choice, because there's a harmony with the combination.

Truth be told that was really the incentive to try to replicate this outfit... the challenge to think outside of my comfort zone and find a similar look. Here's what I came up with:



It's amazing what brilliant ideas come out of sleep deprivation. While I am somewhat proficient in MS Paint, it never dawned on me (despite reading countless fashion blogs and seeing this done) to do a collage! LOL

For the dress I chose the Green Floral Maxi Dress by Pink Apple ($48.00, Alight). It's not a total match, pattern-wise, but I really liked that the dress incorporated some of the colors in Tracee's dress.



The bag is the Hara Embroidered Tote ($29.50, Delia*s) Again, the pattern doesn't match the dress at all, but the colors go together and the harmony I was looking for I think I was able to recreate for this look as well!



I can't see what footwear Tracee is rocking with her dress, so I decided to go with the Ecote Braided T-Strap Sandal in Green ($24.00, Urban Outfitters)


So what do you think? Was I successful in recreating Tracee's harmonious ensemble?
If you have a suggestion for the next Celebrity Style for Plus Size Fashionistas, be sure to drop me a line!

:::drools::: Groovy Graphic Tees (and Blazers!)

I used to be the Graphic Tee Queen... I used to wear them all the time with jeans, trousers and skirts. Last year, when I decided to revamp my wardrobe, my graphic tees kind of ended up chilling in my closet for months without being worn. And frankly, I miss 'em.

I've been thinking that a great way to incorporate my old style with my new style is to pair a great graphic tee with a blazer.


Zoe Kravitz



And you know that if Tracee Ellis Ross is rocking the combo, I'm convinced! LOL


So my first objective is to scout for a really nice blazer! I have a few already, but it doesn't hurt to get some more. My first find the 3/4 sleeve jacket ($64.99, Lane Bryant)



Another pick (an admittedly expensive one at that!) is the Calvin Klein Plus Size Jacket, One Button Luxe Stretch ($109, Macy's)



I also really like the "Jennifer" Blazer ($69.99, Roaman's) ... in fact, her entire look pretty much sums up how I want to incorporate my tees with a blazer and jeans.. love the jewelry choices!



And now for my favorite part... the tees!!!!!!!!! The first one that caught my eye is the FREE ROCK 'N' ROLL Off-shoulder tee ($24.90 - $26.90, Alloy)



The next and last tee is the White Owl Textured-Knit Tee ($28., Torrid)



I would pair these with jeans or even a nice pair of slacks... I have the accoutrements to create an similarly inspired look (translation: I have a blazer and tee shirt! lol), that I will be attempting next week, so be on the look out... you might see a 'What I'm Rockin' post soon!

I SWEAR I'm not Obsessed (But I AM a Little Dorky) About....

I've admittedly been talking a lot about Miss Tracee Ellis Ross lately, and I assure you I'm no Stan (Just a Fan!). Like I mentioned in a previous blog, this year I've decided to revamp my personal style and adopted her as my icon. This involves me doing a lot of research, checking out photos of Tracee and noting outfits of hers that I really dug!

I am such a bag addict, and decided when I received my first paycheck that I would go out and get a new purse. One that was inexpensive, stylish and one that I can rock at work and hanging out on the weekends. So after searching all of my favorite websites, not to mention dragging Chris ALL UP AND DOWN Fulton Street...I could not find anything.

I thought to myself, "Maybe it's time to check out Tracee..." and see what handbags she's been spotted with. I immediately google'd pictures of Tracee Ellis Ross and spotted this one that I completely went cuckoo over. This bag is DOOOOOPE!

I seldom look on Lulus.com, primarily because they don't have plus sizes, but I thought to give them a little look-see, and was overjoyed to discover the Big City Handbag in Black.

From Lulu's: Our Big City Handbag in Black will even make your subway ride stylish! With its crinkly faux leather exterior and decorative silver knobs and belt buckles, this bag knows how make you look good. One zip pocket can be found on the front exterior while top of bag zips open to reveal one small zip pocket and two open compartments atop a simple beige lining. Large portfolio pocket with zipper divides the interior. Carry bag by its twin handles or clip on the shoulder strap before you hit the streets. Measures 16" wide, 10" tall, and approximately 4.5" deep. Handles measure 17" long. Man made materials. Imported.

And it was a great bargain @ $48.00 (I shudder to think what TER's bag cost!) so I GOT IT!!! WHOOO HOO! It's currently en route to me, and I will be sure to post pictures when I get it. But really... I SWEAR I'm not Obsessed (But I AM a Little Dorky) about it!!!

Peace from Brooklyn!!!

:::drools::: Tracee Ellis Ross' Closet!!

Called "the happy place with all the treasures" by Tracee, this closet is just...... ::deep sighs:: wonderful.

:::drools::: Tracee Ellis Ross-style for Plus Size Fashionistas

This November I am turning 32, and it was my New Year's Resolution to make my personal style a little more grown and sexy (emphasis on the grown!). Though I will always love bell bottoms, vintage tees and flip flops, I thought that my professional look could definitely use a makeover, especially since I am currently job searching.

I decided to use Tracee Ellis Ross (and her character Joan Clayton from "Girlfriends") as a style icon. I really like how she makes boho sexy and professional at the same time, and I set forth looking for ways to incorporate her style into my own.

The biggest hurdle has been my size. I've learned only recently was the best way to lose weight is to love who you are at any size. And it was adopting that attitude that has helped me drop 2 sizes in the past few years. And while my weight loss journey is only beginning, I shouldn't have to wait until I've reached my ultimate goal to get my Tracee Swagger on, you know?

So I've scanned the internet for photographs of T.E.R. looking fabulous as always. Then I searched my favorite online stores that are big-girl friendly for these two outfits inspired by Tracee's.

For this look, I pair the Show Boat Dress by Blue Plate (available for $49.00 at Alight) with the Saddlery Buckle Bag ($58 at Urban Outfitters).

I completed (I wish I could see what shoes she's wearing in this outfit because it doesn't feel finished without shoes) the ensemble with these earrings from Torrid ($8 - can't beat 'em!)

These earrings seem to be a go-to accessory for Tracee, as they can also be used for this outfit

I love this one! Wouldn't it be fantastic for a summer date? For this outfit, I found the Smock Top Maxi Dress by Fashion Love on Alight ($39). The Black Pinstriped Inset Crest Button Vest, Black Finella Gladiator Heel, and the Black and White Roccoco Print Bead Handle Hobo are all from Torrid!