Celebrating Black History Month: "Blacker in My Boots"

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH

"Blacker in My Boots"

This is my last blog for Black History Month of February 2017.  You have learned about my passion for wearing Black apparel in previous blogs on Fashion.  However, you probably didn’t know my passion for wearing Black footwear has nothing to do with the myth that wearing Black apparel makes one appear slimmer.  Such a pedestrian notion is far from the truth.

Black is a visibly powerful shade of confidence.  It’s bad-ass.  Period. 

A single note from head-to-toe.  Walk in my shoes, my boots, and you’ll know.  Feet and soles (soul) covered in fabric, keeping me protected, letting me strut my scared, smart, fat stuff with pride.  Letting me be Black.  Letting me be a bad-ass Black woman, winning the life game at times, losing often and awfully, yet failing to feel one bit of remorse.  Hell, I didn’t create this game called Life.  I’m just a Black woman, wearing Black boots, determined not to live a life of expectations, but of grand adventures. 

Hasn’t always been smooth for this old sista/sister girl.  Frankly, it ain’t never been too easy either.  Sure, I wish I could call Yohji Yamamoto

and tell him to send me a pair of those Fall/Winter 2016-17 black lace-up calf-high boots with the gold hooks so I could march through D.C. like a Japanese fashionista.

Or tell Donnatella Versace I could sure use a pair of her Black pointed-toed, front zipper boots to stump out a couple of electoral-college voters.  But, I can’t. No, not this year.    

With society anxious to put me in “my place,” wearing good-looking, bad-ass Black boots from morning to night (yes, Ralph Lauren has us wearing them with Black evening dresses at night) is a call for some straight up, full coverage.  I’m talking about the one and the only—Chanel.  That’s right.  Her name sake label did it again.  Chanel understands what a woman has to go through.  Marching in the streets to get her point across.  Marching in her tweed boots, full up the leg, full coverage.  Full coverage even in Black.  Looks like Chanel got my Black boots firmly in this here reality. 

So, “Yeah,” I tell myself.  Pulling on my Coach brand, side-zip, to the knee Black boots with a top buckle and tassel. “V”, keep your head focused on the goal and wear a powerful shade of confidence.  Come out like a Black Panther on Seventh Avenue.  “Yezzz.”  From head to toe, drape yourself in Black and feel even Blacker in your Boots.

No one is going to take my future away.  No one.  No one’s going to slow down my stride.  I’m standing firm in my boots.  My Black Boots.  “Yeah.”

 

*Vanessa Brantley  Style395.blogspot.com  February 20, 2017,  "Blacker in My Boots"   Volume 3, Blog 1c [vol. 3, 1-1c].