Did you know that the average size of women in the United States is between 16 and 18? According to a study published in 2016 in the International Journal of Fashion Design, the number shifted from the data that once stated the average was size 12 about ten years ago. Not that we need data to prove anything because our bodies are the proof, it is nice to know that having curves is normal. Social media and society will have you thinking that you need a flat stomach and fat ass to be beautiful. Now more than ever, I am personally loving the body I have and that means loving my size 12. Ironically, the more I love and give thanks to my body, the more she expresses gratitude in exchange. And that shows up in my everyday life because I feel freer and more comfortable in the skin I'm in.
When it comes to shopping for pieces to compliment my curves, it can be frustrating. You know what has been my go-to since COVID changed all of our lives? Matching sets. They have a way of transforming to fit the mood and the vibe. Their comfort alone got me through the last year and a half. Even when I couldn't find a "f" to give, wearing them made me seem like I put in some effort. Without further ado, say hello to some matching sets that are guaranteed to change the game for curvy cuties!
The Elevated Set
Photography by Curated by Charlie
If you haven't ordered a matching set from Amazon in the last year, I admire your willpower. As for me and my house, I am obsessed; especially with this particular set. It's the versatility for me. I have worn this duo in so many ways. From wearing it to the gym to ATVing in the rainforest to strutting into my favorite members only club, I have maximized the ways in which this comfy set can be worn. Take this look for example. I decided to pair it with my IVY PARK cropped blazer for prime elevation. This is your cue to do the same with your favorite set because she can be worn places other than your Target runs.
The Essential Set for "Outside"
Photography by Curated by Charlie
This is the newest addition to my arsenal and it is now a staple. The color and design are to die for and don't get me started on the material. The material is comparable to a cloud which creates ultimate comfort. One of my favorite Black-female designers, Crystal Lee created the Essential Set for Outside for the people. This set is not only stylish but it's also unisex. It brings a whole new meaning to wearing your partner's clothes because now you can do it fashionably. On this day, I opted for classic Air Force 1s and bamboo earrings to really tap into my roots. You could also style this up with some strappy heels for happy hour with the gang. Lucky for us, this getup comes in an array of colors to brighten up your wardrobe.
The Snatched Set
"Fashion focused, figure-flattering premium sports-luxe activewear for both performance and lifestyle," is the motto for my new favorite brand, STAX. In the brand story, they go on to say, "Prioritising high quality whilst demonstrating luxury at affordable prices, STAX. blends a perfect mix of both fitness and fashion, dressing every person at every size, STAX. believes inclusivity should be a general standard." And I can attest that these words are true. The way the BB tights and crop top flatter my curvy figure is nothing short of perfection. Celebrities like Lizzo and Jennifer Lopez are huge fans of the brand as it proves to be the "little black dress of activewear."
The DIY Set
Photography by Curated by Charlie
Sometimes you gotta mix it up and create your own set. That's exactly what I did with these two standalone pieces from good ol' Walmart. One thing about Black women, we are gonna create things off the dome. I was doing some random shopping at Walmart and something drew me to these neon-striped leggings. Then, it was almost as if an ultralight beam illuminated this sports bra. And just like that, I created my own set. Neon will always be a part of my wardrobe no matter the season. It was a no-brainer for me to couple my DIY set with equally bold-colored sneakers.
The Chill Set
Photography by Curated by Charlie
I recently found Ruby Ribbon and instantly wondered where they had been my whole life. Since its inception, Ruby Ribbon has dedicated its movement to empower all women. Every time I slip on these leggings and demiette I feel just that: empowered. I had no idea what a demiette was until I was introduced to Ruby Ribbon. Recently, the social commerce-driven women's intimates, shapewear, and athleisure company announced: "They have been issued their first patent for their top-selling Sport Demiette™."
Lead designer, Cami Raymond, created the demiette constructed with molded cups in the bust and a supportive sling aka she changed the game. The support is real without the discomfort of a wire. Whether you're rocking this to yoga or a hike, you'll be both fly and cozy.
To get your fashion fix and to stay up to date with the latest trends, check out the xoNecole Style section here.
Featured image courtesy of Joce Blake
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While an evolution is a natural progression that happens as businesses grow, a rebrand is a total change. Lola tells xoNecole, "A total rebrand is necessary when a business’s current reputation/what it’s known for is at odds with the business’s vision or direction.
"For example, if you’ve fundamentally changed what your product is and does, it’s likely that your brand is out of alignment with the business. Or, if you find your company is developing a reputation that doesn’t serve it, it might be time to pump the brakes and figure out what needs to change.
She continues, "Sometimes you’ll see companies (especially startups) announce a name change that comes with updated messaging, visuals, etc. That usually means their vision has changed or expanded, and their previous branding was too narrow/couldn’t encompass everything they planned to do."
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The Brand Doula was born in 2019, and its focus is on putting "the experiences, goals, and needs of women of color founders first," as well as brands with "culture-shifting missions."
According to Lola, culture-shifting is "the act of influencing dominant behavior, beliefs, or experiences in a community or group (ideally, for the better)."
"At The Brand Doula, we work with companies and leaders that set out to challenge the status quo in their industries and communities. They’re here to make an impact that sends ripples across the market," she says.
"We help the problem solvers of the world — the ones who aren't satisfied with 'this is how it's always been' and instead ask 'how could this be better?' Our clients build for impact, reimagining tools, systems, and ways of living to move cultures forward."
The Brand Doula has worked with many brands, including Too Collective, to assist with their collaboration with Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty and Balanced Black Girl for a "refresh," aka rebrand. For businesses looking to rebrand, Lola shares four essential steps.
1. Do an audit of your current brand experience — what’s still relevant and what needs to change? Reflect on why you’re doing the rebrand in the first place and what success would look like after relaunching.
2. Tackle the overall strategy first — before you start redesigning logos and websites, align on a new vision for your brand. How do you want your company to be positioned moving forward? Has your audience changed at all? Will your company have a fresh personality and voice?
3. Bring your audience along the journey — there’s no need to move in secret. Inviting your current audience into the journey can actually help them feel more connected to and invested in your story, enough to stick around as changes are being made.
4. Keep business moving — one of my biggest pet peeves is when companies take down their websites as soon as they have the idea to rebrand, then have a Coming Soon page up for months! You lose a lot of momentum and interest by doing that. If you’re still in business and generating income, continue to operate while you work on your rebrand behind the scenes. You don’t want to cut existing customers off out of the blue, and you also don’t want so much downtime that folks forget your business exists or start looking for other solutions.
While determining whether the rebrand was successful may take a few months, Lola says a clear sign that it is unsuccessful is negative feedback from your target audience. "Customers are typically more vocal about what they don’t like more than what they do like," she says.
But some good signs to look out for are improvements in engagement with your marketing, positive reviews, press and increase in retention, and overall feeling aligned with the new branding.
For more information about Lola and The Brand Doula, visit her website, thebranddoula.com.
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“I’m in constant discovery and learning about myself, about life, about love, about communicating, and I just say discovery is my current era, and to me, the possibilities are endless of what my capacities are,” the “Motivation” singer told xoNecole during an exclusive interview.
A part of that discovery is acknowledging all of the different looks she’s trademarked over the years, whether it’s her classic short red cut or the blonde she’s been known to lean toward recently. She attests a lot of her iconic looks to her bonus mother, Tina Knowles.
“I’m really grateful to Mama T for that because since she owned and worked in a hair salon, she would say, ‘Well, let’s try this. Let’s cut it off. Let’s grow it back. Oh, it’s just hair,’ you know what I mean?” the 43-year-old recalled.
“I’m definitely in that spirit when it comes to hair and glam and just seeing what pops and what doesn’t. I think that there are no rules.”
“For a long time, brown girls were told you can’t do this, you can’t do this, and you shouldn’t do this. It won’t look good on your complexion. That’s not our story. That does not belong to us at all.
"Our possibilities are endless. If anything, we make the trends and we make it look good. We make gem tones look wonderful because of the brown skin that pops off of the gem tone. We make it look wonderful.”
As the mother of two boys, Noah and Titan, Rowland still aims to create tradition through a good meal. She notes how she manages to balance maintaining quality time with her family as a woman who wears many hats.
“One thing that we’re trying to stay on top of right now is one-on-one quality time,” she shared. “I like to do that with my boys. They both get their own afternoon or day with me, so we have these little dates. Noah and I were sitting at this ice cream spot in LA the last time, and we just sat there and talked. It also made me sad because I was like Oh my God, this three-year-old is growing up so fast. I can’t believe he’s even three, and we’re sitting up here and having this whole conversation.”
“One thing that we’re trying to stay on top of right now is one-on-one quality time. I like to do that with my boys. They both get their own afternoon or day with me, so we have these little dates.”
Rowland added, “Then, with Titan, he likes a sushi spot that we go to for hand rolls, and so, we definitely bond over food and over certain outings that we might have. I just like for them to be one-on-one so that we can create our memories together, and they feel seen by me, their mother, and we just enjoy each other’s time. We laugh, and that means a lot to me.”
She is also very intentional in stressing the importance of giving back, something that was instilled in her at a young age by her mother that Rowland is ensuring her sons get a taste of.
“For Christmas, we like to be home, but we also like to give back,” said Rowland.
“Around Christmastime, I want my kids to understand how important it is to give back. So this year, I think we will pile it on because both of them will understand now even more.
"The three-year-old might miss it, but the nine-year-old is definitely starting to catch on. My mom poured that into me about the spirit of giving, and I want my kids to have that same tradition that my mom gave me.”
Today, she continues to give back by pouring into a locally owned eatery that made her, even having a meal named in her honor in a new partnership centered around spreading the love when it comes to patronizing local restaurants nationwide.
This Is It! is one of her childhood favorite Black-owned restaurants in her home city of Houston. During the earlier DC days, she recalled bonding with her bandmates-turned-family members over a delicious plate of soul food at This Is It!, a fourth-generation, family-owned establishment known for its comfort dishes.
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“I love the idea that a huge corporation like Pepsi wants to make sure that in their budget, they’re giving back to communities that have supported them for many years,” she said.
Rowland added, "This Is It! is a place that grew me up and helped me to keep my feet on the ground. This always brings back such fond memories for me.”
In honor of Rowland’s favorite This Is It! meal being named after her, which includes pepper steak with rice and gravy, green beans, peach cobbler, and an ice-cold Pepsi, the “Like This” crooner discussed her recipe for a good time.
“I would say good food,” she laughed. “Not that I need it, but a good Espresso Martini or a French white wine. Sometimes, I might lack energy, so I need a Pepsi to pick me right back up.”
“What else? Good energy. You need good energy. Like, good people with good energy who know how to have a good time. Who aren’t going to look around and see what the other person is doing," Rowland added.
"Because just when people are so good in their body and self-aware and self-assured, they are the funnest people to hang out with because they don’t give a crap about what’s happening around them. They just want to have a good time. I like those people.”
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