Suavecita SoUldies

at the Golden Bull

 Upon arriving at 412 16^th street in Oakland, I was immediately struck by a crowd of people different that I. A crowd of people tatted and dolled up in Chicana vintage. The bar was a dark abyss with flashing red lights and people packed into every corner of the event moving to the beat of old school Cumbia and oldies but goodies.  There were two wide screen TV’s showcasing outdated women in the 70’s dancing and singing to songs I had never heard of.  And, on stage there were five women having their own private party while dj-ing for the masses.  I felt like I had been sucked into a different world, a world I had seen on TV’s and gotten a glimpse of on the streets but never entered. It was an event celebrating the world of the Chicana women.

The leader of the event happens to be a good friend of mine, named April and surprisingly I had never been to one of her events before. I was taken aback at the way she fit into this world with such ease and how I had always seen her as unique and different.  We crossed paths in the bathroom; she had been on stage dancing with the other co-hosts all night and was glistening with sweat but she looked radiant and happy.  The next day

 

 

 

I interviewed her about the meaning of her event. April  stated that the event was meaningful to her because, “ she grew up listening to her parents oldies and cumbia and she was really excited to have her friends be a part of it, to share her music with her community without the attachment of her parents and family and to host and show people a good old time”. Essentially she was building a community by sharing her experiences through song.

That night I interviewed a few people that had been at the party. The majority of the people  seemed to fit it, they came because they had a connection with the songs that were being played and a deep root in Chicano history and lifestyle, they came to share their experiences and have a familiar good time.  I also interviewed some males that seemed out of place. One named Arshad, was there with friends mostly to meet girls but was drawn in by the crowd; he didn’t expect such diversity. He stated the event was, “really interesting and he’d definitely go back.”

All in all, the event was an enriching experience and a reminder that America is a melting pot. I found myself wishing I had been more connected to my Latina roots and decided to make an effort to explore that part of myself and my culture a bit more. I would absolutely go back it was a great time with great friends, sharing a unique experience.  

 

It's a rainy day at Union Square. The weather is bleak and the rain is plummeting on everyone that dares to venture out. Taking coverage from the rain at DSW is where I find a fashionably dressed man. His name is William, the master color matcher. William is playing with a playful pink, mint green, and lavender purple, in addition to a gray, black, brown, and white. Basically the full spectrum of the rainbow. But it works because it's subtle and it's layered. The first layer has a dominant brown, tan, and black feel while the second layer has a pink, mint green, and white. Both layers are balanced with black. It's pretty detailed and unassuming yet powerful.

William is from London, but now resides in San Francisco, he was heading to a baby shower when I spotted him and he decided to try out this look because he wanted to be,"SF cool without trying to hard" which is how he describes his style, "laid back and random but keeping up with the times".  Of course when I asked him where he got his clothes he replied  with, "the streets of London."
Could you guess?

My Style 3 Ways

This photo shoot captured a bit of my style three ways, featuring a Monday morning look, a Saturday night look and Sunday morning attire.

 As I've stated before (hence blog name) my style is DARING. I like to play with different styles, patterns, materials, and silhouettes. Which, I believe is evident by the three looks I chose. The only similarity between my looks is that you know it will be... daring!

 

 Monday mornings are the drag to my racy life, see what I did there, very clever. Monday mornings mean work time at the office and the dire need of life, which is coffee. In lieu of work attire I'm wearing a lacey turtleneck underneath a gray drop waist dress with chiffon white frill hem and pastel accessories. The look works because gray and white matches with a similarly light colors, like pastels. The look conveys a playfully professional Avant-guard, with the ultimate accessory, coffee.

 

 

 

The second look is Saturday night. I generally go out with my 24-7 man crush on Saturday nights so this look is inspired by romance.  The outfit is a short black chiffon dress with floral print and my favorite shoes of the season, the thigh high boot. The black on black emphasizes the floral print and really pull together a fun flirty which keep the romance going strong.

 

 

The final look is Sunday morning. Sunday's are a time to get down to business. It's a time for inspiration and reflection. Most people go about inspiration by visiting picturesque gardens, however I go about it by dreaming about  Beyoncé's halftime show. Beyoncé's halftime time show was a tribute and powerful resurgence of black lives matter and the black panther movement. I am a  proponent of equality and I believe that racism still exists. Thus, this outfit gathers my activism and my desire to improve inequality in a powerful, black Panther inspired look.