Iconic Style: Black History Month Edition

Black History month is one of my favorite times to blog. Having the opportunity to write about what excites me most combined with black culture excites me. Iconic Style, will spotlight women who have made a worldwide statement through their style. This month we will feature black women from popular TV sitcoms from the late 80's through early 90's. The women featured gave us more than style, they each had some type of je ne sais quoi. Stay tuned to hear all about how these women positively impacted television.

Lisa Turtle

Saved by the Bell was another one of my favorite childhood TV shows. When the show went off air in 1993 I was in the 8th grade. It was so exciting to see a diverse group of teenagers in high school, it gave me insight on how high school life would be different from middle school. This crew was so cool because they were all different you had your popular cheerleader, the jock, the nerd, the athlete and the fashionista. Of course my eyes were always on Lisa Turtle, for 1 she was the only African American in the lead cast, and 2 she was fashionable. Lisa was known for her love of shopping, being a chatterbox and for always having the latest gossip. While Lisa may have been more into designer labels than anything, there are a few things that we all can take from Lisa.


1. True friendships last. Lisa and most of the crew had been friends since grade school, and then you see them going to college and still being in touch with each other. There's nothing like friends who have known you since day 1.


2. Keep your dating options open.  Now granted Lisa was the only African American at Bayside, she was completely open to dating the boys around her. If her mind was made up on only dating African American boys, she would have been left....single. Of course she was only in high school, but some of us as adults should broaden our horizons when it comes to interracial dating.

3. Have a heart. Screech wooed Lisa for years to no avail. Lisa usually turned him down with insults and jokes. But by senior year she develops a soft spot for him, even attending the Senior prom with Screech on her arm.

4. Perfect your selfie. Lisa was no stranger to knowing her "good side" when taking pictures. We all have to have that one pose and side that will look flawless every time.

5. Be current on the latest fashion trends. It was no secret that Lisa LOVED fashion, and she knew what was in and out. No wonder why she wanted to be a fashion designer, she was a natural.  Take a look at some of Lisa's most popular ensembles.

The inspiration I drew from Lisa looked like this.

Thank you so much for following us in this series. We really enjoyed bringing you fashion and life lessons.

Be Blessed! Be Free! Be Fashionable!

Chris

Iconic Style: Black History Month Edition

Black History month is one of my favorite times to blog. Having the opportunity to write about what excites me most combined with black culture excites me. Iconic Style, will spotlight women who have made a worldwide statement through their style. This month we will feature black women from popular TV sitcoms from the late 80's through early 90's. The women featured gave us more than style, they each had some type of je ne sais quoi. Stay tuned to hear all about how these women positively impacted television.

Hilary Banks

I was so excited when Will Smith got his own TV sitcom in the early 90's. I watched it faithfully singing every word of the intro song, I'm humming it right now. As the show got started we were all mesmerized by this beautiful girl with curly hair who looked flawless every week. What I loved about Hilary's style is she was always so polished, she was on point literally from head to toe with her amazing hats. Hilary was known for her airhead ways, snobbiness and for being self-centered. But there is a silver lining in everyone, right? .

Besides her awesome style, here are things we can learn from Hilary:

1.  Confidence is key. Hilary was obsessed with her physical appearance, but she also believed in herself. Although Hilary was a bit of an airhead, she believed in her abilities so much that she became a weather girl who went on to have her own TV show. She was the true essence of fake it til you make it.

2. Get some standards. This girl would tell any boy to "get lost" in a heartbeat. If you were not what she was looking for she wouldn't deal with you. Can't be mad at her for that.

3. Integrity is important. Being truthful and honest was a way of life for Hilary. Her sincerity came so natural, she would have had to try hard to be fake. Now she may not have always come off as being nice, but she was honest.

4. Family is important. Hilary and Will had two completely different backgrounds, but they both got along so well. Hilary was dedicated to her family, she never left them hanging.

5. Have style. First impressions are everything and Hilary always made sure that she would not be caught looking a mess. When you have personal style, you always look good even on a day off.

My interpretation of Hilary!

Stay tuned for our next Iconic Style series next Thursday. The stylish woman I am spotlighting was the ultimate Southern Bell and always carried herself as such. Can you guess who she is?

Be Blessed! Be Free! Be Fashionable!

Chris