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10 Timeless Pink Pieces to Own and Bring Awareness to Breast Cancer All Year Long

10 Timeless Pink Pieces to Own and Bring Awareness to Breast Cancer All Year Long

According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, 1 in 8 women in the United States will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. Most breast cancers are found in women who are 50 years old or older. There are steps every person, at any age, can take to help the body stay as healthy as possible, such as eating a balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, limiting alcohol, and exercising regularly. While these may have some impact on your risk of getting breast cancer, they cannot eliminate the risk.

For many women, mammograms are the best way to find breast cancer early, when it is easier to treat and before it is big enough to feel or cause symptoms. Routine screenings starting at age 45 to 50 and individuals should speak with their health care provider about the benefits of screening and when to start.

We put together this list of 10 Timeless Pink Pieces to Own and Bring Awareness to Breast Cancer All Year Long to celebrate the strong and fabulous women who have fought, and continue to fight, breast cancer. From pants to nail polish and jackets to glasses, these are ways to style pink for awareness. 

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5 Ways to Add Brown into Your Workwear Collection

5 Ways to Add Brown into Your Workwear Collection
This season brown seems to be the new black. From shoes to suits to jackets to accessories, brown is likely invading your wardrobe throw many different realms, especially your office collection. For many, it has been difficult transitioning work-from-home athleisure to back to the office attire. The good news is we are here to help with ideas on how to add brown into your workwear attire. Let’s take the frown out of brown and bring it to your office with these timeless five pieces. Continue reading

8 Ways Hispanic and Latino Heritage is Rooted in Fashion in The United States

8 Ways Hispanic and Latino Heritage is Rooted in Fashion in The United States
The influence of Hispanic and Latino culture is interwoven in fashion all over the world and no doubt has found its way in your closet. From your go-to cardigan, to your favorite pair of dancing shoes, to your favorite off the shoulder top, the characteristics of many items in your closet are thanks to the Hispanic and Latino influences used to inspire their creation.

In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, we wanted to shed light on 8 Ways Hispanic and Latino Heritage is Rooted In Fashion (and in your closet) In the United States. Gathering inspiration from toreadors, South American Pampas cowboys, and the toquilla palm trees, the pieces that make up your wardrobe wouldn’t be here without the rich culture of Hispanic and Latino communities and traditions.

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5 Timeless Fashion Styles Inspired by YOU!

5 Timeless Fashion Styles Inspired by YOU!

In the world of fashion, timeless fashion styles are always reintroducing themselves generations later, sometimes with a new spin and other times they are just as we remember them. This 5 Timeless Fashion Styles Inspired by YOU list was inspired by those traditions thriving in the 1970’s that have came back around to become a staple for any generation to add to their wardrobe.

Regardless of the era you grow up in, younger generations can bond to wiser generations through fashion. From raiding your mother’s shoe collection to inheriting your grandfather’s pull overs to digging deep at the local Goodwill, clothing has always presented a thread of connection between lived experiences and the past. Here’s to shedding light on how anyone, of any generation, can slay fashion this fall.

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National Black Business Month Brand Spotlight: The Taylor Jay Collection

National Black Business Month Brand Spotlight: The Taylor Jay Collection

Every year in August, here at Queen Anna House of Fashion, National Black Business month is an event we take pride in. As a Black Owned Brand, we know the importance of sharing our brand partner's stories while also letting the world know who we have as vendors in our boutique that we can stand by as a brand partner. 

When Black engineer Frederick Jordan and Black historian John Templeton ushered in this themed month in 2004, the innovators wanted to highlight and firmly underscore the importance and benefit of Black businesses of all sizes in the US. Championing is our top-shelf priority at Queen Anna House of Fashion. We’re delighted to put a loud-and-proud spotlight on our Black-owned businesses for this illustrious month.

The business we’re highlighting: Taylor Jay Collection.

Taylor Jay Collection Founder

 

Bay Area native Taylor Jay has been a fashionista since day one. She sojourned to Los Angeles to hit it big and made sure to achieve nothing less than that. After carving her path through the California School of Design, where she studied fashion merchandising, she stamped her indelible mark on the fashion industry and opened her boutique at the age of 23.

Taylor’s created momentum stayed steady uphill, and upon her return to her old stomping grounds in the Bay Area, she opened her second boutique in her hometown. Despite already achieving some very lofty goals, Taylor created her eponymous line with the inspiration of her journey and body challenges.

Spanning decades, women in fashion have notoriously been tailored to a particular body model. Brands like Taylor’s have risen out of the ranks to remove the stigma of differing body types and replace it with well-deserved self-adoration campaigns regardless of size or shape.

A word about her body-positive brand spread across the masses, and her fanbase grew exponentially. Today, Taylor Jay Atelier operates out of Oakland, California. From her words, she will “…continue to design beautiful clothing that lasts a lifetime and makes every woman feel and look amazing.”

We are incredibly proud purveyors of Taylor’s line at Queen Anna House of Fashion. Here are our favorite pieces you can shop online or in-store with us.

Grey Taylor Jay dress

The “London Dress” from the Taylor Jay collection is a refined and contemporary design suited to the modern-day woman. The wrap-around maxi dress is elegantly assertive for workwear and quickly out on the town, adding next-level class to your relaxed vibe.

Black jumpsuit from Taylor Jay Collections

The Taylor Jay Collection “London” Jumpsuit is a versatile necessity for your closet. Complete with long, full pant legs, L waist-band, and three-quarter sleeves, this jumpsuit can be worn at the office or out in town.

Black Stretch skirt fro Taylor Jay

The Taylor Jay Collection Black Midi Skirt is a closet essential. This skirt is made from a super-soft, stretchy French Terry fabric that hugs your curves in comfort and style. 

 Wrap skirt dress in black from Taylor Jay

A modern and feminine, one size fits most, the Taylor Jay Collection convertible black wrap dress has just taken wrap dresses to the next level. The black stretch terry cotton material is soft to the touch and is convertible to be worn in several different ways. 

Taylor on the importance of National Black Business Month:

"At Taylor Jay, we take inclusivity very seriously; that’s one of our non-negotiables. Especially, being a Black-owned fashion business for women, this has been the central point of our work- making sure there’s a proper representation for every body type, every woman. And when we talk about inclusion, we mean it for every sector, most importantly in entrepreneurship. But lack of representation and biases from social construct has held us back, and we need to collectively work towards growing despite it, and abolishing this disparity."

"It was a challenge that led our founder Taylor Jay to start this business- when the mainstream fashion brands didn’t cater to her body type, she tailor-made one for herself and now we are proud to do it for you. And this has been possible only because of the unhinged support from our kind customers who recognize us for our quality of work and our values."

"This Black Business Month, let’s work together to educate each other, ask questions, discuss solutions and uplift the underrepresented."

Taylor Jay image

We align ourselves with the Taylor Jay brand ethos that gone are the days when women were only one shape and one size, and those credentials were the lone “standard of beauty.” Queen Anna House of Fashion embraces the concept that beauty radiates from everyone, period, and we’re proud proponents of getting rid of the former ideals to make way for more than one “standard.”

For tips on how to style these pieces from the Taylor Jay Collection, read One Posh Closet's blog on Taylor Jay's Style Guide and check out the other Black-owned brands we feature at Queen Anna House of Fashion.

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Understanding the Purpose of Black Business Month

Understanding the Purpose of Black Business Month

Being a Black Woman and owning my business has been a journey of ups and downs, long sleepless nights, and joy. I speak about my journey, acknowledging that I have certain privileges that are not often afforded to many others, including financial support from loved ones, access to advisors, and staff to assist me in the day-to-day operations of most parts of my business. 

Nicole Jennings, Owner of Queen Anna House of Fashion

That small amount of privilege still does not negate the hurdles and challenges I have and continue to face daily. Examples include (and I am 100% serious) being denied loans for my business even with an 820 credit score, or one of my favorites is when I was in my store and asked if the store I was the owner and then, without even stuttering, was asked: "Is your husband white?" As if Black and white were the only two options I had and that I just had no other choice but to be heterosexual too. Hmm.. all very interesting, to say the least, on so many levels. 

Representation matters. Normalizing Black Owned Business as a real-life thing and not some few and far-in-between concept is my goal with this blog, as well as to answer a few questions that I am sure many folks may be wondering. Stay with me until the end and walk away feeling empowered to go out and make the world bigger, better, and more equitable. (I hope). 

Why is Black Business Month Important?

Black Business Month is important because it allows us to focus on a community far too often underrepresented regarding access to capital and opportunities to build wealth. It isn't about creating an atmosphere of division or "woe is me, I am a Black person and own a business, so spend your money with me this month," but rather about recognizing that we live in a country where resources are not as easily accessible to every demographic equally. When those barriers were created and layered in with other nuances, something blatantly apparent by those being oppressed often gets overlooked by those who are not similarly impacted. Many people appreciate things without thinking about who makes them; usually, there may be something just as good if not better being made by a person of color but because they have not afforded the privilege to obtain bank loans or find investors quickly. Moreover, often, times than not, you never get the chance to learn more about these businesses and the incredible things that they have to offer. 

Who created Black Business Month?

Founded in 2004 by historian John William Templeton and engineer Frederick E. Jordan Sr., Black Business Month was created to bring the attention of more than 2 million businesses owned by black people into the light of the mainstream media and acknowledge their many accomplishments. When we celebrate the contribution of black business owners and entrepreneurs, it pays respect to them, their contribution to society, and their legacies. 

Is Black Business Month All About Spending Money?

No, but yes, LOL. As a business owner, I must say that it would certainly help. But in all seriousness, another important aspect of Black Business Month is paying it forward, whether by being a paying customer, following someone on social media, sharing their message with your friends and family, or even something as simple as re-sharing their content. Awareness and equity are the ultimate goals; however, that needs to look for you. You are doing something that benefits the business in a valued and authentic way; I am sure the company will similarly appreciate your gesture.

Let's State the Facts:

  • In the U.S., 10% of the Nations business owners are Black. In comparison, Black-owned businesses account for 30% of all minority-owned businesses. 
  •  Eight out of ten black companies fail in their first 18 months
  •  During the pandemic, 58% of Black business owners claimed their health was at risk or distress. 41% of Black business owners are in debt due to health care costs, while 24% have no health care insurance. When Black businesses fail, it contributes to the racial wealth gap and costs all Americans money. 
  • According to the Harvard Business Review, despite starting businesses at a high rate, 3% of Black women are running mature businesses. In contrast, white women are more than twice as likely to be mature business owners (7%), despite starting at lower rates. This disparity between high startup and low established business activity among Black women suggests potential issues with sustaining a business. Enabling access to entrepreneurship for all social groups benefits us by creating employment opportunities, increasing innovation, combating income inequalities, and bringing a diversity of ideas to fruition. 
  •  61% of Black women self-fund their total startup capital. 
  • The primary sectors in which Black-owned businesses operate include health care, social work, repair and maintenance, beauty salons, restaurants, and more. 
Support Black Owned Businesses

What Can I Do to Help?

  • Follow a Black influencer on a social platform. Share their stories and their business with your network. 
  • GIFT CARDS, folks. Even if you won't shop with a business, that doesn't mean someone in your network wouldn't appreciate what that business offers. Buy a gift card and give it to someone you think would value what that Black Owned Business has to offer. 
  • The civil rights advocacy group Color of Change launched Black Business Green Book to support Black-owned businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Black Business Green Book offers ways to browse enterprises in many categories, including home goods, fashion, health and wellness, books, and art.
  • Forbes has also highlighted ways to be an ally (or accomplice if you have some skin in the game) in the fight for equity for Black Owned Businesses.
  • Black Woman Owned is a community of those who understand the need to amplify and purchase from Black Woman Owned businesses. Its mission is to give Black Woman-Owned businesses visibility through social and digital media to help increase their annual revenue.
  • EatOkra is a directory of Black-owned restaurants featuring over 2,500 restaurants around the United States. Users can search by cuisine and location and even order delivery—the app will connect you to Grub Hub or Door Dash so you can seamlessly order from those listings. 
  • Check out the collection of Black Owned Businesses at Queen Anna House of Fashion

There are many more ways to aid in the fight for equity for Black Owned Businesses, but this will get you started in the right direction. Be sure to share this little note with anyone you think may appreciate the information. 

Until next time, bye-bye!

XO,

~ Nicole

PS

A big shout out to my mini me Amya for helping me with this Blog Post. 

It's for you sweetie that Mommy grids. Love you to life!

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