6 Dope Ideas For An Unforgettable Girls' Night
It's golden hour on a Friday night and your girls night has once again turned into half-Netflixing and aimless texting. You go around the room, once, twice asking each of your girlfriends what they want to do and the conversation goes something like this:
"Do you want to see a movie?"
"Nope, not really."
"Face masks and wine night?"
"We did that last weekend…"
"Fine, do y'all want to order food?"
"Nah, I'm good."
"We can go out – head to the club?"
"Girl what? Absolutely not!"
"WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO??"
"Hmmm not sure."
Finding fun activities to do with your girls really shouldn't be that hard, and doesn't have to be. The first step is knowing how your friend group prefers to plan outings. Do they need a lot of notice? Are they open to trying new things? Are they on another restrictive budget? Depending on your city and friend group, the options can be endless. Tired of the same old, same old? Check out our guide below of 6 dope activities to do with your girls.
6 Fun Girls Night In Ideas
1.Take a Twerk Fitness or Cardio Pole Dancing Class
Trying to get that body right? Want to get active with your girls? I strongly recommend taking a dance fitness class, especially a twerk fitness class. Of all the group activities I've done with my friends, twerk cardio just might be near the top. You get all of the exercise benefits and music choices of going to the club without the fuss of getting ready and unpleasant social dynamics.
It's the best of both worlds.
2.Try a Paint & Sip Class
Also an underrated group activity, paint and sip classes can be both relaxing while structuring a set time for you to bond with your girls. It's even a great choice for your busy friend who prefers to do their own thing. Depending on the location, you can bring your own wine, select the painting, and even make music requests. Further, you don't need to have previous experience or be the next Van Gogh since the instructor guides everyone through the stages of making the painting a step at a time. With the right group of friends, from one friend to a large group, there is something for everyone to do.
3.Book a Staycation
You don't have to go far to "get away." Sometimes just getting out of your same environment – home, office, man's house – can help you recharge and reset. Grab a few of your girlfriends who you haven't seen in a while due to hectic schedules, and book a hotel room in your city for one or two days. Watch movies, order takeout, delve into some ~spicy~ conversations that you have been wanting to discuss for months. Have your own mini-getaway within your own city!
4.Start or Join a Bookclub
Courtesy of Instagram/@ReadBetweenTheWineClub
Be it a reoccurring book club or just making the commitment to all read a certain book together as a friend group, like Michelle Obama's, Becoming, intellectual discourse can be fun and refreshing. Sometimes the hardest part about reading is sitting down and finding the time, but once you get absorbed, it's impossible to stop.
I joined a book club of young, vibrant, professional black women when I first moved to NYC and it singlehandedly became my favorite part of the month. Finding safe spaces to discuss issues, build support networks, and make new friends are incredibly important, especially as a growing 20-something. Try finding or creating those spaces in a book club.
5.Take a Cooking or Bartending Class
Why order sushi when you can learn to make it? A fun and tasty girls' night option, search for one-time or reoccurring cooking and bartending classes in your city. It not only guarantees that your girls will find the time to come together, but will leave with a new skill! A lower maintenance option for those resistant to the idea of formal class is to go wine tasting at a local wine cellar. Both options guarantee that you will try something new.
6.Go to an Outdoor Movie Screening
Rather than opt for your typical movie theater, like Issa's birthday outing in Season 3 of Insecure, grab a bunch of friends, blankets, and snacks, and head to an outdoor movie screening. While city-specific and more of a spring/summer activity, it's a great twist on a traditional activity and still lets you bond with your girls.
Featured image by Getty Images.
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Lydia is a recent Ivy League graduate and lifestyle writer based out of NYC. Storytelling her way through her 20-somethings, her lens is all things career, self-care, and #BlackGirlMagic. Meet Lydia on Instagram @hello_lydia.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Sheila Rashid's Androgynous Approach To Unisex Clothing Is A Lesson In Embracing Individuality
The ItGirl 100 List is a celebration of 100 Black women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table.
For Sheila Rashid, it all started with some free-hand drawings and a few strokes of paint.
The Chicago-based clothing designer and creative director of Sheila Rashid Brand recalls using her spare time in high school to hand paint designs on t-shirts and distressed hoodies, distributing them to classmates as walking billboards for her art.
Rashid sought to pursue fashion design at Columbia College in Chicago but eventually took the self-taught route to build upon her knack for crafting one-of-a-kind, androgynous pieces.
Courtesy
Thanks to the mentorship of local designers taking her under their wings, Rashid was able to gain valuable experience in putting together collections and creating patterns; equipping her with them with the necessary skills to pursue her own collections.
After two years of living in New York, Rashid returned home to the Chi and uncovered the unique flair she could offer the city. “I moved to New York after that because I wanted to be in the fashion capital world,” she tells xoNecole. “That's when I really got a leg up. I found myself when I moved back to Chicago after moving to New York.”
For the Midwest native, inspiration comes from her time around creative peers and the city’s notorious winters — known to be a main character in many Chicagoans stories. “It's a different perspective and mindset when I'm making stuff because of the weather here,” she explains. “When we get summer, it’s ‘Summertime Chi’ — it's amazing. It's beautiful. Still, I find myself always making clothes that cater to the winter.”
"I moved to New York after that because I wanted to be in the fashion capital world. That's when I really got a leg up. I found myself when I moved back to Chicago after moving to New York.”
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Many designers have a signature aesthetic or theme in their creations. In Rashid’s design story, dancing between the lines of femininity and masculinity is how she’s been able to distinguish herself within the industry. Her androgynous clothing has garnered the eye of celebrities like Zendaya, Chance the Rapper, WNBA star Sydney Colson, and more — showing her range and approach to designs with inclusivity in mind.
“I think I do reflect my own style,” she says. “When I do make pieces, I'm very tomboyish, androgynous. My work is unisex because I feel like everybody can wear it. I cater to everybody and that's how I try to approach my clothes.” From denim to overalls, and color-drenched outerwear, Rashid has mastered the structure of statement pieces that tell a story.
“Each collection, I never know what's going to be the thing I'm going to focus on. I try to reflect my own style and have fun with the storytelling,” she shares. “I look at it more like it's my art in this small way of expressing myself, so it's not that calculated.”
"My work is unisex because I feel like everybody can wear it. I cater to everybody and that's how I try to approach my clothes."
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Still, if you were able to add up all the moments within Rashid’s 20-year career in design, one theme that has multiplied her into becoming an “ItGirl” is her confidence to take up space within the fashion industry as a queer, Black woman. “Being an ItGirl is about being yourself, loving what you do, finding your niche, and mastering that,” she says.
No matter where you are on your ItGirl journey, Rashid says to always remain persistent and never hesitate to share your art with the world. “Don’t give up. Even if it's something small, finish it and don't be afraid to put it out,” she says, “It's about tackling your own fear of feeling like you have to please everybody, but just please yourself, and that's good enough.”
To learn more about the ItGirl 100 List, view the full list here.
Featured image Courtesy