The Cape Returns: What to Wear for Fall

By Tenisha Mercer

Capes are big this fall -- Source: H&M

Capes made a big splash last year -- and they're back again this fall, stronger than ever.

I didn't snag a cape last year (almost got one at TJ Maxx in the spring) but they're a must have on my shopping list this season. They're sexy, elegant and are the perfect cover up. They're also a great alternative to the trench coat.

They're great when it's chilly outside, yet it's not quite cold enough for a full-blown coat. Dress it up or down: Pair it with a pair of skinnies, leggings and riding boots for a chic, casual look, or glam it up with a pencil skirt. Just remember to pair a cape with a tighter-fitting bottom to balance the proportion of the looser coat on top.

Are capes on your shopping list this year?

Black Friday Sales on Natural Hair Products

By Tenisha Mercer

 

Natural hair care product lines are getting in on the Black Friday shopping bandwagon.

They're launching significant sales and discounts on the busiest shopping day of the year.

So, as you load your shopping carts up with flat screens, tablets, laptops and clothing specials, don't forget about natural hair care sales. Here is a comprehensive list of natural hair care product sales, thanks to Derby City Naturals. Make sure you go to the sites, read the fine print, and use the appropriate code to save. Also, make sure you note the dates and times the deals are available; not all deals expire on Friday.

Many popular homegrown brands are having sales, including Hydratherma Naturals, Afroveda, Anita Grant, JessiCurl, Darcy's Botanicals, Bee Mine, Oyin Handmade, Hairveda, and Sage Naturalceuticals.

Here are a few more that we found:

Miss Jessie's
BOGO, which began Nov. 18-Dec.15.

Urbanbella (Runs through New Year's)
Free steaming on Tuesdays and Thursdays (save $35)
20% off color services

Happy shopping!

Are you buying natural hair products on Black Friday?

What to Wear for Fall: Kirna Zabete for Target

By Tenisha Mercer

I've seen the Kirna Zabete for Target Look 6 collection for a bit now and I've got to say that it's one of the hottest collections at Target this fall.

The  Kirna Zabete line was started by best friends Sarah Easley and Beth Buccini, who have a shop in SoHo, NYC. Target got ahold of the line as part of The Shops at Target -- the retailer's mini boutique venture pairing high fashion designers and limited, hand-picked speciality items at its stores. It definitely ups Target's fashion game --- as if they needed help!

Back to Kirna Zabete. The line features nearly 100 items of bold patterns, prints and designs, as well as accessories.

 Many of its designs are graphic prints or are of the uber hot floral variety at a price point of $50 or less.

The line is on sale, presumably for the holidays, so stock up!

What do you think of the Kirna Zabete collection?





$31.48 at Target


 



$31.48 at Target



Kirna Zabete trench and accessories- Various pricing

3 Winter Hair Care Tips

By Tenisha Mercer



Winter natural hair care tips

Winter is finally here  -- the heat is cranked up, temperatures are much colder, and it's time to change up your natural hair care regimen.

Here are three tips to get you through the colder nights and days:

1. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! The cold air and temperatures can take a beating on your curls. Make sure that you up your moisturising game, and pull out the big guns -- thicker, heavier moisturizers that work better during colder temperatures. Now is also a great time for humectants like glycerine.

2. Don't wear wet hair. Wet hair and freezing temperatures can equal broken hair. Your hair can literally freeze off. Try to avoid going out with wet hair. If you wear a wash and go, try just misting your hair lightly and giving your hair some time to dry before heading out. Or, use the pineapple method (securing your hair atop your head with a ponytail holder) the  night before and fluff before you go. Try to experiment with other styles such as twist outs and braid outs.

3. Don't wear your hair down when wearing winter coats and hats. I know it's a pain, but the ends of your hair rubbing up against wool coats and wool hats is a no-no. The rubbing and pulling of your hair against wool  can damage it. Make sure you wear your hair up when wearing your coat or wear a scarf to protect your ends. Ditch the wool hat.

How are you protecting your hair this winter?

TSA Searches Solange Knowles Afro Wig At Miami Airport

By Tenisha Mercer

In case you thought TSA searching fros and natural hair was an afterthought, leave it to the TSA to bring it up again -- this time with fashion icon, model and DJ Solange Knowles. Fearing her afro wig was a security risk, a TSA agent at a Miami airport searched it, reportedly looking for banned items.

Knowles blasted the incident on Twitter, posting this on her Twitter page:

"Discrim-FRO-nation. My hair is not a storage drawer. Although, guess I couuld hide a joint up in here. *Blames "Romnesia" (my wigs name)."

TSA Plays Hide and Seek With Solange's Fro

Knowles made light of the incident while waiting for her flight, tweeting:

"Lets play a little game called: "What did TSA find in Solange's Fro"?

Her followers were creative, tweeting things such as "Romney's actual 5 point plan," "the good lord, Jesus of nazareth," and "the $50 that was missing from Juelz piggy bank." Knowles retweeted a lot of the tweets.

Although Knowles lampooned the matter online, TSA patdowns are no laughing matter: The U.S. House of Representatives criticized the TSA for its practices, citing Beyonce Knowles as someone that the TSA is wasting their time searching.

"There are certain people that are just so well-known that you've just got to use your common sense," Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), chairman of the House Homeland Security Transportation Subcommittee said. "Because if you start patting them down, people are going to say, 'They're patting down Beyonce.' I mean, she's not going to blow a plane up."

What do you think of TSA hair pat downs?

HairTroversy: It's Time to Bury "Good" Hair

By Tenisha Mercer

T-shirt spoofs on the term "good" hair

Although more women of color are embracing their natural hair, I think it's time to hold a funeral procession for the term "good hair" as it relates to hair texture.  It's a term that just won't go away, and I wish it would. We just need to bury "good hair" and pray that it won't resurrect itself.

Not to get all political, but "good" hair has had a long shelf life in the Black community and usually is related to how straight a person's hair texture is. The wording and meaning is clear: "Good" hair is straight hair; "bad" hair is kinky, "coarse" or highly textured hair.  The straighter (i.e. closer to Caucasian hair, the better. The thicker (i.e. closer to African hair, the worse).

And for generations, folks have used the term like a weapon. Having so-called "bad" hair wasn't ideal; "good" or straight hair was the ultimate standard for many.  If we couldn't press our hair to get it, we got perms to try our best to achieve it.

We carried that "good" hair mess like it was a badge of honor: Playground and schoolyard fights happene because of it; family members wielded it to crush self esteems of those who didn't have good hair, and put family members who had "good" hair on a hair pedestal.

We All Have "Good" Hair

Maybe I thought that with the growing amount of women going natural, that we'd stop using the term. But I've heard the words used a few times in conversation over the past few months, usually  usually when someone is referring to their own hair as in, "I got that good hair." Or something like that. I'm not the one to chastise folks on how they choose to categorize their hair. It's their hair, who cares?

But I swear, the next time I hear "good" and "hair" mentioned in a sentence, I'm going to go off! Every time it catches me by surprise, as in "I know she didn't just say "good hair." I liken it to hearing a racial slur or something that's racially offensive: You hear it and you may or may not know how to react.

For naturals, I'd say that "good" hair is a slur: It totally wipes out all of our efforts to appreciate our natural kinks and curls, no matter their texture. I'm done ignoring the word.  Let's define our  hair by our own terms -- we ALL have "good" hair.

Obviously, if it's 2012 and we're still having this discussion, the old "good" hair is something that continues, and we haven't gotten over it.

My Response

Next time, these two words come up, my response will be this:

"What did you say? Good hair. My great grandmother used to say that. Good hair is healthy hair. It doesn't mean texture. ALL healthy hair is good hair."

What do you think when you hear the term "good hair"?

When Your Natural Hair is the Topic of Discussion at Thanksgiving

By Tenisha Mercer

It's almost Thanksgiving ... time to spend family time at the dinner table with family and friends who may or may not love our natural hair. 

As a natural, it really can be a challenging time, especially if your hair is the subject of conversation at the dinner table. Thanksgiving can really leave us feeling some sort of way. That time when all of your family is gathered around, just waiting to give you their opinion about your hair. As if you asked!

And don't let you have done something major to your hair, such as a big chop, TWA or wearing your hair natural for the first time.

Handling Natural Hair Commentary

How family acts depends on a lot of things (if they are receptive to natural hair, if they are anti-natural or a combination, and whether your family feels compelled to tell YOU how they think YOU should should wear YOUR hair).

Humph!

I always find that if you turn the question back on folks, most back down. And I'm all about the snarky  -- not being rude, but getting your point across. They might be your elders, but they need to stay the hell out of your head!

And of course, turning the questions around to them and their (probably jacked up) hair practices always helps. That, and being positive about your curls always seems to deflate negative natural hair comments.

Don't let Grandma make you feel like your natural hair doesn't belong at the dinner table. But, recognize she may be from a different era  ... and now it's time to school her! But you know there are always some special cases that require special attention.

No matter what Big Momma and Aunt Edna have to say about yo' natural hair, here are a few good comebacks.

Aunt Edna: What did you do to all of that long, pretty hair?
You: It's still pretty, Aunt Edna. It's just shorter. Don't you just love it?

Aunt Edna: When are you going to perm your  hair? You really need it!
You: When you stop wearing your wig. I LOVE my Natural hair, that God gave me. I don't "need" a perm. I need my natural hair. Are you saying that God made a mistake with my hair?

Aunt Edna: I wish you would do something to your hair. It's so nappy! You used to have good hair!
You: I do something to my hair every day and my hair is nappy and happy. I love my naps. No one has hair just like me. Every coil and kink is different. There is no such thing as "good" hair. Good hair is healthy hair, and my hair is  healthy. But I see you have some thinning from relaxers. What are you going to do about it?

How do you think your natural hair will be perceived at Thanksgiving? What are your comeback?