Outside of My Scrubs: You Are What You Eat

I realize in advance that this post might not greet your eyes with as much flare and pizzazz as my other posts. I almost did not put this post up for that reason, but I also promised that I would be more open about all aspects of my life upon resurrection from my social media break.

I wanted to post an outfit that I would wear just running out to the grocery store for some fruit touched by the hands of Jesus, known as mangoes, or for when I want to be discrete when grabbing some feminine needs from the drug store.

But let it be known that no matter if I'm going to a fancy get-up, or grabbing some cotton rounds from the drug store, I'm always reppin' black girl magic, and positive vibes.

I grew up an avid fanatic of The Cosby Show, (of course this was before my interest was met with internal conflict from publicized scandals). But whether it was constantly seeing Cliff reppin' college sweatshirts to inspire the youth tuning in, divulging in the fact that there was the representation of a black family built on the success of hard work through medical or law school, rather than the more indifferent path of singing and dancing, scandals could not keep me from identifying with everyone of the Cosby kids. But even through Sandra's unnecessary and poorly timed comments about her father's health (I am so like this with my mom), Denise's strong sense of self and style, Theo's exasperating and mischievous adventures with Cockroach, Vanessa's wit, and Rudy and Olivia's sass, I was always drawn to the head of the household: Claire, or rather, the woman behind her character, Phylicia Rashad.

Phylicia Rashad's ability to discipline with elegance, her ability to be fashion forward while still covering up, her ability to remain firm with such grace extended well beyond the boundaries of the Cosby Show. She, along with my mother, embodied my future, who I wanted and desired to be as a woman. Of course like any bright eyed girl, I tend to connect my eyes and attention with those that align with who my mother is. Not that her accomplishments were any greater than my mother's, but she was very similar to her, and I soon found a muse in her as well, except unlike the area of teaching like my mother excelled, she was in the genre of acting. So in this sense, I had two women to look up to.

Although born in Houston, she was raised partially in Mexico, and learned Spanish fluently. Well, growing up on the Southwest side of Houston was no different, and I was driven to learn Spanish fluently as well. She more than excelled in her studies at Howard University. As a product of two HBCU grads, I knew I had to add this to my bucket list, and she was one of my muse's for attending Howard for medical school. She became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated... a Sorority grounded in sisterhood and service, I soon followed suit. Winner of a Tony award and several NAACP Image Awards, elected Woman of the Year by the Harvard Black Men's Forum, and receiver of honorary doctorates from Brown University and Spelman College, she is a pillar of what Black Girl Magic is, and I couldn't be prouder to wear her across my chest.

To match the shero on my shirt, I knew I had to make the outfit comfortable, but yet chic to match her legacy. I love wearing these track pants for a quick run out of the house. They provide texture to the outfit, yet are so comfy. Of course, no one can go wrong with all white kicks. And there's nothing more that I love than adding a pop of red to my outfit; what better way to go than with a purse!

You are what you feed your mind. Are you filling it with a false sense of self from women who mistakenly lure you into having "the perfect body" or "more followers", or are you filling it pillars like Phylicia? You are what you eat, so feed your mind carefully!

Outfit Details

Shirt: ServedFresh.com (click here; you can save 20% off of your order and get free shipping with my code, "SERVEDBYDRE" [not case sensitive])

Pants: House of Chic (sold out, click here for similar from Fashion Nova [25% off with the code "HOT25"])

Shoes: Nike Air Max Thea in White (click here for great prices on Ebay)

Purse: Aldo (sold out in red, now on sale for $25 in black; click here)