I don’t own many bracelets…  or any, for that matter.  I have been known to keep on the neon orange wristband from a show for a couple of days from the pure laziness of not wanting to tear it off, but no pieces have really made it into my jewelry collection.  Recently, I’ve been loosely fashioning the Bulova watch my brother got as a best man on my wrist to add some wit to my wardrobe, but I very well may turn to bracelets this season because the dainty bangles are in, and so are textured cuffs.

 The retro-respect that has been revived is awesome.  I’ve always been a hint of vintage in my taste, so the beautiful aquamarine cuffs with the dark wrinkles from my mother’s 60′s jewelry box has made its way back out again.  The wrist adornment is definitely underrated and can give a slender look to a wrist, or be the key accessory to those long empire waist dress you’ve been eyeing in the window.

Hip hop is not only music, it is a style.  A common misconception is that hip hop is all bling and the clothing is a bulletin board for designer labels.  Not so!  The roots of hip hop came from the streets of the Bronx, where cats were breakin’ in their kicks and fitted sweat suits.  You had emcees freestylin’ under slick caps, but you saw no Cristal on tap.  From those early looks branched out a plethora of stylin’ that put the hop in hip.

 Accessories are always key.  Big hoop earrings, Nikes in bright colors…  but then there’s the all-important handbag.  What kind of tote would a b-girl want to strap on her shoulder?

A big mistake many people make with this look is going too trendy.  Stay away from quilted materials, powder pink shades, large gold charms, or vinyl with a design that will be played out in a couple of months.  While you can catch a few glances in the moment jumping a bandwagon, it’s the truly stylish who will leave a lasting impression.  Here are a few suggestions for what the most down girl would go for:

1.)  Make it roomy.  B-girls have lots to tote because they are women on the go.  Something large with none or minimal pockets on the outside is essential.  Think totes, duffels, large shoulderbags, and weekenders.  Clutches are definitely cute, but they aren’t going to handle key accessories:  big Sony headphones and an extra pair of shoes.

2.)  Try the old school route.  Like Common said, “It’s kinda fresh you listen to more than hip-hop, and I can catch you in the mix from beauty to thrift shop.”  Vintage, vintage, vintage…  it’s a great way to save money and get the unique look.  A good suggestion is a vintage record tote for day wear.  Stick some wax in there (maybe some of your favorite break beats), a journal to write in (because hip hop heads are creative souls), and you’re ready to rock.  If you want something more dressy, think slouch and rouche as opposed to quilting — it’s a younger look.

3.)  Go for quality leather in an eye-catching color.  Black is to basic for the b-girl.  You have places to go, things to do.  Good leather will hold up with your lifestyle with the right care.  Instead of black, go for a plum purple, sea blue, chocolate brown, or a sweet cognac.  To really make a statement, go for red or white.  Avoid pink.

4.)  If you’re more fashion forward, support a fresh desginers.  Sure, you could go the Baby Phat or Louis Vuitton route, but it’ll be too cookie cutter for a woman on the edge of style.  Hip hop evolves just like you.  Try a local boutique or shop online and scout some new blood.

What’s awesome about hip hop is that it’s so versatile, yet distinct.  The woman who has it down manages to be funky rather than flashy, and more vivacious than classic — she’s definitely the one who gets stopped on the street because she has the confidence to pull off something edgy.

Photo courtesy shopbop.com.

I will admit I feel a bit haphazard in my identity as a mother.  Part of me feels like I’ve reverted back to high school and I have to figure out which cafeteria table of moms I have to sit with.  And that is ridiculous because it reflects an obvious insecurity and lack of maturity which I should have since I have a baby…

 is what people who are judgmental would say.

The thing is, I was really thrown into this.  I got pregnant while on birth control.  I had a 10oz grand marnier martini the day before I took my pregnancy test.  I was not walking the path to motherhood, in fact I was only dating J’s father for three months!  But now that I am a mother, I love being a mother, but I am also having a severe identity crisis because I feel like I don’t have a posse.  I don’t have my Samantha Jones to talk to about sex or Miranda Hobbes to talk to about having a son.  Most of my friends are five years younger than me and single, but I’m definitely the only parent.  My cell phone used to ring off the hook, but now I’ve been put aside like last season’s Louboutins.  You really recognize who your real friends are after you have a baby.

So here is the community of “mom bloggers”.  I am a mom, and I am blogging.  So does that make me a mom blogger?  Yes.  But after googling “mom blog” (which, by the way, has a really ugly aesthetic ring to it), I found a plethora of sites I wanted to join…  but I don’t quite… fit… in?  However, I am a mom!  So how does that make sense?

It brings up something that I’ve been thinking about ever since I was pregnant.  Society definitely smears this outfit onto women when they have children.  There’s the MILF fantasy, or mothers are pear shaped and non-sexual, we are also put under microscopes, having their every action judged as to whether it was a good decision in its effect towards baby.

I don’t want to pigeonhole myself as a mom blogger, although I think it’s important to point out that I am a mother.  I am a mother and I still like fashion as I always have.  I still love writing as I always have ever since I was in kindergarten and stapled my own newsprint books together.  I was even chosen to read my first one on Michigan NPR back in ’86.  These things are just me and who I am.

When I write about fashion, I’m a woman who also happens to be a mother, writing about fashion.  Sometimes it will pertain specifically to mother-esque things:  like ditching a diaper bag for instance.  But sometimes I’ll write about a pair of shoes and you will not see the mention of the word “baby” in the article.  And that’s that.  It doesn’t mean I’m not a mother in that moment.