Solange at Paris Fashion Week

Here's one of my fave looks from this week:

Solange is SNATCHED!!!

I LOVE EVERYTHING about this look!!!

Solange on the Cover of Fader

By Tenisha Mercer
www.HairNista.Blogspot.com

Our favorite curly Solange is busy as ever, this time lending her curls and fab fashion sense as a model on the cover of Fader magazine. She's quite the model these days, appearing in spreads for Polyvore and Madewell.

Here's a vid if you'd like to take a peek backstage.

                                          Source: YouTube

Solange Knowles in A Retro Dress

By Tenisha Mercer

90s retro is red-hot, and none other than fashionista Solange Knowles recently stepped out in a thigh-high, double split dress.

Knowles looked fab in the dress, which was a peachy undertone that looked great against her skin. She wore a straightish textured wig, and topped the look off with strappy sandals and a little clutch.

Perfect! So elegant.

I love how 90s fashions are making a comeback!

Would you wear fashions from the 1990s?

Solange And Straight Hair

By Tenisha Mercer

Solange with straightened hair: Source: Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images

Fashionista Solange Knowles is usually known for her natural hair -- natural afros, wigs, and pieces -- but she wore a straight look to the American Ballet Theatre Co. opening night event in NYC.

This doesn't look like a wig, but more like she straightened her tresses into shiny locks. Folks tend to dump on natural hair Solange when she wears a natural fro because her hair doesn't appear as shiny as it is when it's straightened. It's always good to change things up every once in a while -- and you know she will change her hairstyle in a NY minute and make her hair do what it do!

Still, Solange is closely identified with natural hair, and she definitely beats to her own drum. She looks COMPLETELY different with straight natural hair, IMO. While her straight hair looks good, her natural hair is DOPE!

My take: Girl, get yo' curls back! 

What do you think of Solange's straight hair?

HairTroversy: Is There A Right Way to Wear Natural Hair?

Solange wearing a fro at NYC Fashion Week  -- Source

Natural hair go-to girl Solange Knowles has ended her relationship with Carol's Daughter.

Knowles told Lurve Magazine that the relationship ended after they couldn't agree about messaging; Solange appeared alongside R&B singer and model Cassidy and supermodel Selita Eubanks. Carole's Daughter was criticized for featuring only light-skinned models in its advertising -- and Solange was the only model with kinky hair.

"I was constantly fighting for the right message to be heard. The message that the way we wear our hair is a personal choice, there’s no right or wrong way.”

Very interesting, especially considering all the criticism that she  has faced in recent months from a vocal minority in the natural community. Knowles, who is quite the fashionista, is frequently criticized for her natural hairstyles.


What Folks Really Want To Say About Solange's Hair

In short, Solange can't win -- not even on her own Instagram account, where folks criticized her hair, said it was "dry and unkempt," unlike other type 4 hair, said she needed a twist out, needed a comb, and even accused her of not getting a big chop a while back. Solange fired back to her critics on Twitter, saying she wasn't the "natural hair representative."

Even last week, at NY Fashion Week, folks talked about Solanged hair for being "dry." In other pictures, her hair appeared not to be dry, but who cares?

Which is all really interesting. Who is ANYONE to tell someone how to wear THEIR hair? And why are we all up in Solange's head, anyway? I'm going to say this: We are SOOOO critical of each other's hair. In one mouth, we'll suggest products, then give you the side eye when you wear non-curly styles like fros, as if the only "acceptable" way to wear our hair is with curls or curl manipulation.

It's real; I've experienced it myself when I wear styles such as shrunken fros or twist outs, as compared to wearing curls -- as if curls are somehow always better in naturals' eyes. This is why so many of us are obsessed with curls, and have a get a curl at any price mentality, even if our hair won't curl.

The Right and Wrong Natural Hair

Clearly, in many naturals' minds, there is a "right" way and a "wrong" way to wear our hair. Nice,  neat contained styles -- like the short, cropped TWA Solange once had? That's OK. But a fro with nary a curl, with a tighter curl patten, without much sheen (not to mention that certain hair types lack natural sheen")?

Nah, boo boo! Totally unacceptable, according to the natural hair police. But don't we want our relaxed sisters to not criticize our hair choices, but we are perfectly OK with doing the very same thing to other naturals?  I'm so not into hair typing, but we'll "ooh" and "aah" over pics of  type 3 curls all day long, but a Type 4?

Chile, BYE! Barely a comment.

Sounds a bit hypocritical, much?

All of this doesn't faze Knowles.

She told Lurve: “I really, truly was not even aware that there was a natural hair system in place to measure the texture of your hair. At that point I thought to myself, ‘This is really crazy. That these people know more about my hair than the human that even carries it!’ I went to my Twitter and sort of impulsively expressed that. I don’t regret it one bit, but sometimes trying to put how you feel in an one-hundred forty character structure is not really successful. [...] I’m actually really trying to navigate my feelings on the entire hair issue and it’s tough doing that publicly.”

Can we please call a hair moratorium? Stop telling folks how to wear THEIR hair, that it's dry or that you don't like THEIR hair style. Mind your own hair business! Pay attention to your own hair.

What do you think about how naturals criticize other naturals? Is it too much?

Solange Knowles For Elle

Solange Knowles on a photo shoot for Elle

Solange Is The New Spokesmodel for Madewell



Solange in Madewell

 One of our favorite curlies, Solange Knowles, is the new face of Madewell -- the cool, hip sister brand of iconic retailer J. Crew.

Solange sports her trademark voluminous curly fro in the retailer's fall ad campaign. She also dons the retailer's funky yet casual chic clothing -- a seemingly perfect pairing for Knowles, who is known for her funky, trendsetting fashions and hair.

                                      Source: YouTube

Natural Hair Celeb: Solange Knowles

Our fave natural --whose big sis, Beyonce, is sporting a similar look right now  -- is pretty in pink and wearing thigh-length braids while on vacay in Nashawena Island, Mass.

Solange Knowles wearing long braids

What do you think of Solange's look?

Beyonce Wears Box Braids in a Top Knot With Baby Blue Ivy

Beyonce wearing braided top knot with Baby Blue -Source

Beyonce in box braids - Source

Beyonce rocks a new look --  box braids in a top knot, as she cradles daughter Blue Ivy Carter in NYC.

I am loving the look.

Looks like Solange -- who has sported the exact same look in the past -- is rubbing off on Beyonce.

Solange wears a similar look while DJing -- Source

This isn't the first time Beyonce has rocked braids -- she made her debut as a fresh-faced teenager in microbraids with Destiny's Child -- but it has been a while. Perhaps motherhood is changing how she styles her hair. Maybe she'll follow in Solange's footsteps and ditch the weave and wear her natural hair out? Reportedly, she's natural underneath her weaves.

Both sisters are truly unique, with their own sense of style. But you can bet any hairstyle Bey rocks will be a trendsetter.



What do you think of Beyonce's braids?