This blog is about self-improvement not criticizing Black women's behaviour. It's about improving myself so that I become a better woman. It's about becoming the highest-quality woman, despite my upbringing or lineage, and attracting good, successful men of any race.
I found a few videos of African model photo shoots. I think the clothing is so beautiful and feminine. They have the same skin as Western Black women. Of course these are models so they are unusually tall and thin and there are African women who are overweight. I don't think these models are as emaciated as Western high fashion models though (which is good because curves are feminine) Do you think people would treat us better if we looked like this?
Is a lot of the criticism thrown at Black women because of our weight? We definitely don't want to develop eating disorders, go on unhealthy yo-yo diets, or take dangerous pills but we should not purposefully try to look 'thick' either. We need to be healthier and physically active and find a balance while avoiding the extremes. I think EBWs really need to embrace healthy lifestyles, focus less on getting pleasure from fatty or sugary foods, and stop worrying about ruining our hair if we get sweaty. I exercise regularly and try to eat healthy as much as possible. I'm not perfect but it's always a priority for me...is a healthy lifestyle a priority for you? Would you want to look like one of these models or do you think that would be impossible? Is it dangerous to even look at models when discussing healthy lifestyles?
This also made me think about who Black women look up to as role models. My parents are from the Caribbean, but I don't pay much attention to that culture. Would Western Black women and EBWs be better off looking at African and Caribbean women as models of femininity? They are Black after all. There is a whole film industry in Nigeria with plenty of Black actresses but I have no idea if the women portrayed would be good role models or not. Does it matter if the women live in a different culture or is it good enough that they look like us? I'm going to look more into the feminine mannerisms of African and Caribbean women and I'll write about what I find :)
What do you think of you you hear the words "pin up girl"? I'm not talking pornographic centerfold, I'm talking about pin-up girls of the 40s and 50s (and they were mostly White). Pin up girl makes me think of whimsical photos of curvy, rosy cheeked women in provocative and playful poses. Pin up girls are sexy because of their poses and form fitting clothing (no nudity), but they also appear innocent because of their big smiles. They don't appear to know they are sexy and they are definitely not trying to be sexy. There is an innocent nymph quality to the photos. This video can tell you a bit about the origins of the pin up art genre and why they are different from centerfolds and many modeling photos today. The video below is full of cute, feminine pinup art.
Do you notice the difference between the pin up model and the two models in the photos below?
It's the attitude! The pin up model is smiling and just being pleasant and feminine, and any sexiness is inadvertent. On the other hand, the other models (Christina Millian and Nikki Minaj) are not smiling, and they look like they are hungry for sex and want everyone to know it. You can like sex, but being sexually aggressive and advertising that is very masculine. Feminine sexuality is more subtle. The pin up girl looks friendly, playful, and approachable. But Nikki and Christina could scare off some men with their sexual aggression or attract the wrong kind of men. I'm not naive, I know that women will be thought of as sex objects by most men, the difference is that men will ONLY look for sex from women who pose like Nikki and Christina. Take a look at these Google images from King Magazine (images). Barely any of the models are smiling! Who took these photos? Men complain that Black women look mean but they take these photos and buy magazines full of women who look like this! Everyone should get some tips from Angelique Noire, a modern day pin up girl, who happens to be Black and beautiful. Her smile and playfulness is very reminiscent of the 1940s pin ups and she has great natural hair too! (Thanks for the link Black Girl int he City :)
The pin up style is great for Black women who have curves and even plus sized women. You can work some elements of the style into your current wardrobe. The key is that the clothes are feminine and fit your curves, but they don't have to be short or revealing. My favorite pin up style item is the pencil skirt (video and see photo below). They are appropriate for work, dates, or a night on the town. They make your backside pop and give you a sexy wiggle when you walk. I love to wear mine high on the waist because it makes my waist look narrower, my thighs look thinner, and they look great with feminine tops. Key elements of this style are kitten heels, curly hair, red lips, nylons with garters, and sheer undergarments. There are many videos on YouTube about pin up hairstyles and make up (by black women), as well as clothing options. This is a style befitting any EBW.
Many of you have probably seen modern pin up models. For some reason people thought that new pin up models needed some sort of "edge" so now they have tattoos and piercings and aren't often smiling in their photos (I prefer the old style). There is also a store called Pin Up Girl Clothing that sells this style of clothing exclusively (notice the tattoos and almost no one is smiling).
Videos Ashanti - Good Good (showing modern pin up style on a Black woman, love this song)
