Rompers are the perfectly fashionable adult onsies for summer! Why? Because they are easy to dress up or dress down. Comfortable, keep you cool on hot days + sexy. Very popular in the 1950s as leisure/beachwear for women, these have definitely made a comeback in the last few years.
Since I just chopped all my hair off, I figured a new get-up was in order. I’m always up for easy + sophisticated looks and since I am seriously DETERMINED to not just collect sewing patterns, I busted out my Simplicity pattern #2374, bought some cheap light-weight dark denim and elastic + got to work!
I didn’t add the optional neck strap or the pockets, which would’ve been really cute as well, I just constructed the basic romper/jumper.
I must say, this is my best sewing work to date. Meaning, I’m not afraid that if I put this in the washer all the seams won’t unravel or something. I didn’t take any pictures of the inside of the garment, but the work is close to PERFECTION.
Here I added a woven red belt I bought from Forever 21 for 4 bucks, a necklace I bought long ago from Express + pearlized pumps I got last year from DSW.
I’m really excited how this turned out! I’m motivated to dust off another pattern soon! ^_^
Maybe a flower grows because it suffocates under ground.
Whether or not she is always noticed, beauty must become.
She doesn’t look for an eye.
She doesn’t listen for a voice.
She just becomes,
For Freedom Not For Beauty
- Chrisette Michelle
This is a poem excerpted from singer/songwriter Chrisette Michelle on her decision to cut all of her chemically processed hair off and go natural, which
*sigh*
I think is even a RIDICULOUS subject to approach, or even give much airtime to. No other culture/race/nationality thinks twice about wearing their hair ‘au natural‘ but somehow it weighs differently with black folk. Not in all cases, but in many. If you don’t believe me, google ‘hair solange knowles’ for example.
Silly right? Right.
But really, I’m not trying to be ‘pro’ anything or a freaking revolutionary *kicks over soap-box* I think people should do their own thing, wear their hair or clothes how they want + how they see fit. Like my girl Jesa stated – Be yourself, everyone else is taken.
I have always chemically straightened (permed) my hair. When I was working, I used to visit the beauty shop every other Friday on my half-days like clockwork for either a wash + style or a perm. That Monday, I would come into work with it slicked back in a tight bun thing. Sometimes higher or sometimes lower towards the nape of the neck, but that was the only variation. I have just NEVER felt completely comfortable with my hair. Although I admired + wanted straight hair, it just didn’t ‘move’ right for me despite the chemical process. AND it was soooooooooo ridiculously tedious to take care of (hence my pulled-back bun I continually sentenced my hair to). OH, and then all the things that came with having the ‘privilege’ of straight hair -
- Avoidance of water at ALL costs – Just say NO to rain or humidity. That also means if you want to swim, that’s a hassle. That’s why many of us don’t.
- Or even going to the gym is an ordeal. No one wants to ’sweat out’ their perm (i.e. when you sweat, you create moisture, hence ruining your perm)
- The damn UPKEEP. Not only is it costly, but every 6 weeks putting that bastard chemical into your hair which literally BURNS if left on your scalp too long. I have a scar or two as proof! Wrapping your hair every night (which I never did) to keep your hair looking fresher longer. Puh-leeze.
Also, I guess I was worried how ‘people’ would take it OR if guys I were attracted to wouldn’t accept it.
But you know what? WHO GIVES A *EXPLETIVE* Imma just rock my stuff – I’m doing this for me!!
I decided I had had my last perm end of December 2009. (Observe my usual low ponytail. Hey look – I added some falling strands for variety! haha)
It was pretty easy to mask the new growth of my ‘real’ hair texture for a while. But I’ve been having perms since I was 8? Had NO idea the extent of what my hair was actually like, but I put these twists at night to ‘tame the mane’. I also added a color.
And in the morning it could look like this -
And here’s more recent. That straight v.s. coily (nappy) was becoming a losing battle. I re-colored, but only the virgin hair was taking it! It was on fire!
And this was my usual solution. My ‘gym-time’ look…….well ‘all-the-time-look’ really.
The next day I went to Sally’s Beauty Supply and got a rinse in a different color to help put out the fire. It helped ok.
Here’s just about 5 days ago. I thought this was going to be my last day before my ‘Big Chop’ so I was taking my hair out shopping. I chickened out when I got home though.
Just me, all of my hair, and the open road!
But on Mother’s Day I did the damn thing. And you know what?? I don’t care if anyone likes it – I love it!! I’m free!!
And you know what else? My hair LOVES water. I can’t wait til it just keeps growing!
