As this year swiftly comes to an end, there's no doubt that we are all deserving of an escape to a destination far away from the confinements of our homes. As I've been laying low since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, I began to feel a severe case of cabin fever and yearned for a major dose of rest and rejuvenation.
Lazily laying poolside during the day leading to a night of dressing up in my evening's best for dinnertime soirees, a weekend in Palms Springs was the picture-perfect destination. Although I've vacationed in this desert hot spot several times before, I wanted this particular trip to be much different. I decided to wear clothing created and designed by Black women as I felt it was necessary to relish in Black excellence in every way possible. As I was honored to wear these Black-owned fashion brands during the entirety of my stay, I felt a sense of pride and confidence as each item was thoughtfully handcrafted and skillfully made for women, by women.
Here are 5 must-have black-owned fashion brands to purchase for your next poolside vacation.
Hanifa Collection
Shahirah Ahmed for xoNecole
Created for limitless women, The Hanifa Collection is complete with timeless pieces including eye-catching designs ranging in women's sizes 0-20. This boldly colored resort wrap skirt is absolutely essential for your next poolside vacation. With luxe hip-hugging ruched fabric, the wrapped design is ultra-flattering to a woman's natural shape, complementing all the right places. Worn as a swim cover-up or as a fully styled ready-to-wear ensemble, as I chose to do on this particular night, I felt sexy, classy, and confident in this summer-inspired nighttime ensemble.
Jesse Queen
Shahirah Ahmed for xoNecole
The Jesse Queen Collection offers stylish designs for tall women to dress because of their height, not in spite of it, with class and confidence. This super chic net tie-dye dress is all I've ever dreamt of in a swimwear cover-up and more. With a plunging back and perfect swirl of colors, I can attest to feeling sexy and poised when worn over my two-piece Riot Swim bikini.
Burgundy Bay
Shahirah Ahmed for xoNecole
Burgundy Bay is a collection of ready-to-wear clothing and accessories with a range of styles to fit the fashion-forward woman. This ruffle crop top was a great addition to this trip due to the cool and lightweight fabric ideal for the extremely warm weather. I paired this top with these chocolate-colored Riot Swim bikini bottoms along with my straw bucket hat and tortoiseshell sunnies for a bit of fashion flair while prancing around the pool.
Smash Shoes
Shahirah Ahmed for xoNecole
As a woman standing at 5'10'' and wearing size 12 shoes, footwear companies with a wide range of attractive styles in larger sizes are almost impossible to come by. Smash Shoes offers on-trend styles ranging in women's sizes 10-14, so of course, I had to bring these square toe mules along for the weekend's festivities. Super comfortable due to the elastic band hugging my foot in place along with its single-toe feature makes this blazing neon orange block heel a true gem.
Riot Swim
Shahirah Ahmed for xoNecole
Riot Swim is an ultra-luxe swimwear brand constructed with high-cut silhouettes complimenting a woman's natural shape no matter her size. With boldly pigmented and super soft fabric, this brand offers styles not only fitting for the pool but also doubling as pieces paired with everyday outfits. As I usually struggle with finding perfectly-fitting bathing suits, this is the best one-piece I have ever worn.
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Featured image by Shahirah Ahmed.