LMAO! So I HAD to post this one for the Americans who keep complaining about how hard it is for them to understand Rihanna. This is a soca song, about a Bajan man protecting one of Barbados’ best, Rihanna, from being Breezied from the one and only “Chris Broung”. Once you hear how a full on bajan accent sounds, maybe you can ease off the girl Rih! She is toning it down for you mere Americans, trust and believe it.

Shout out to all my Grenadian, Trini, Jamaican, Guyanese, Bajan, Antiguan… all of my Caribbean massive! And a big shout out to all of my Americans who take the time to appreciate our culture, accents, music, foods, etc. LMAO enjoy the vijyo (no typo.)

Honestly, I think the interview was fair. As previously blogged, I don’t think domestic abuse should be tolerated under any circumstances. I believe she is being genuine when she says she doesn’t hate Chris and wants the best for him. I also think this was a great look for women and girls to see that no matter how much love has blinded you, if you are getting beat, you need to step outside your situation and evaluate it from the third person P.O.V. As the Bajan barbie coined it “Eff Love.” Check the vid…

I’m sure we are all familiar with the idea that good girls usually fall for bad boys. We’ve seen this happen over and over with our friends, families, celebs. Same old story – the girl has it all together: the looks, the smarts, the drive … and she ends up some good-for-nothing guy who likely doesn’t even treat her right. She’s just “addicted to the thrill, it’s a dangerous love affair.” But have you ever stopped to think about the other way around? If good girls tend to like bad boys, who do good guys like?

Well in recent conversations with good dudes and good girls seeking good dudes, I’ve discovered that many good guys go after bad girls. Before you go refuting the idea, allow me to explain a bit. The bad girls aren’t “bad” in the same way that the bad boys are. Whereas the bad boys likely don’t have a job, stability or social etiquette, these bad girls have all of the above. However, these bad girls lack emotional stability and the desire to please or be devoted to her man. They act out in public and do annoying things to get attention. In other words, good guys tend to fall for the cold-hearted and crazy.

Think I’m lying? Think of two good guys that you know (I know, this may take a minute, so take your time….) Now think about the relationships that they’ve been in. Chances are they’ve been with chicks that you secretly thought to yourself “he can do better.” You don’t gotta tell me, I already know.

The thing is, when one person has it all together, even though they may be all smiles, life can get mundane sometimes. When you know day in and day out that your ish is tight, you miss that spirit of spontaneity that comes along with being a bad ass. Whether that means doing wild ish and not caring who’s affected by it or playing with people’s emotions to because you have no control over your own. Or even the struggle of not knowing how you’re going to pay your bills or get out of some illegal bind. You can shake your head all dam day but what I’m saying is true. There are people who crave this lifestyle. It’s like their little project. The same way good girls are there to take care of bad boys, good guys feel like it’s their place to be the rock in these insane women’s lives.

But here’s the gotcha gotcha. Opposites attract and then they attack, hard. So all you good guys and good girls, stop trying to be a super hero! Get with someone on your level. Let these basic people you’re dealing with enjoy the other basket cases of the world, you should do better. The question is, do you want to?

I decided to place Rihanna’s new Vogue Italia spread in the Art & Photography section because this here is art! Photographer Steven Klein did his thing. I guess Rih decided since yall saw the tatas already, might as well work that ish. Well, working it she is. She is actually effing up my entire life and so many women’s self esteem with these pics. *Wipes the drool, slowly* Shout out to RihannaDaily.com for the scoop.

Go de gyal, GO!

BB: When did you first realize you wanted to design clothes?

PA: Well when I was little I used to make those paperdolls *LOL*, with the changeable outfits. Then when I got older I would alter my clothes to make it different. It wasn’t till I was about 19 and got my first sewing machine and wanted to pursue it.

BB: How did you learn how to design/sew? Self taught? School? Apprentice?

PA: I used to sew by hand until I got my sewing machine. My grandmother was a seamstress and always made nightgowns for me so once I got my machine and showed interest she told me what she knew. Then a few years later I enrolled in F.I.T. where I learned a lot about the design process and fabrications

BB: What designers do you think make the biggest mark in fashion today?

PA: Karl Lagerfeld!!!! He’s designed for Chanel, Fendi and Chloe. Also, DVF for sure. Every woman needs a wrap dress that fits perfectly and Diane Von Ferstenberg put the stamp on it. Right now Tory Burch is making her mark. But in the “urban” fashion world, Definitely, Pharell with BBC and Ice Cream, and right now Fabolous is doing it with Rich Yung.

BB: If you could get your clothes on any entertainer, who would it be?

PA: Wow, I could list soo many. It would be heaven to see Gabrielle Union, Sarah Jessica Parker, Chanel Iman or Rihanna in one of my pieces. But I’ll say hmm Roxy from 106 and park.

BB: Why Rocsi?

PA: I choose Rocsi because she has a fun young personality with a little sass and my designs are the same. She also has a great body and would wear my designs well.

BB: What makes your designs different from all the others out there? Like why would someone need to check for your clothes specifically?

PA: Well, because I have a point of view. I’m a contemporary designer with an extra kick. And I also don’t only do party dresses, or only knitted goods. Someone can come to me for a bridesmaids dress, a dress for their 5 year old daughter, or an outfit to wear to the club, and jewelry also. POW!

BB: *LOL* How long does a new piece take to create, from design to final product?

PA: I could finish a new piece in one day. It just depends how intricate the design is and whether or not I need to move from the sewing machine lol. Typically I ask customers to give me a week to two weeks, so I can hunt for the perfect material and we can do fittings.

BB: At what point will you feel like you’ve made it in this industry?

PA: *Sigh* I will feel like I made it when I branch out more. My market is in NYC and Boston right now so venturing to different states successfully would be awesome! And also when I’m not only do custom pieces; but when my designs are in boutiques and stores and are moving. *LOL!*

Visit www.punchinellaapparel.com or www.myspace.com/punchinella_apparel to peep some designs.

PA: Anyone interested in placing an order or just want to say hello *LOL* can send an email to Staff@punchinellaapparel.com and we’ll go from there.

Signed to Jive Records at age 12, Aaliyah is undercredited for paving the way for the many teenage singers that followed. She was the youngest African-American to perform at the Oscars. After her noted success as a teenager, record labels felt it was safe to introduce a Brandy or a Monica to the world. I also think it’s safe to say Ciara and Mya have pulled some inspiration, whether they like to admit it or not, though in my opinion neither can compare. Even the Queen Bey and Princess Rih have noted Aaliyah as one of their favorite artists that influenced them to be the artists they are today.

Luckily I had a chance to meet Aaliyah a few weeks before she passed in 2001. In person she was everything you expected her to be – beautiful, extra sweet, full of laughs, humble and soft spoken. She just released her third album and she was on top of the world.

I still bump her music and wonder what her next album, tour and movie would have been like. Her last album “Aaliyah” began to fuse hard rock with R&B, how far would that have taken her? She would have been 30 today, what would her life have been like? Kids? Married to Dame Dash? Would she still be recording music? Which current artists would not have had a career if she was still holding down that slot?

Aaliyah was already a star, having sold 24 million albums worldwide along with two major film credits under her belt, but there was a lot more to go. She still had not won a Grammy, and already signed on for roles in the Matrix I & II and a remake of the movie Sparkle. She was on the verge of reaching that next level of super-duper stardom.

So how does Vitalize Entertainment do a tribute to Aaliyah eight years after her passing? You’ve probably seen all her music videos. If not you can YouTube em. Instead, I pulled some rare unreleased songs, interviews and performances together here for you. Hope ya like!

Who Are You Dressing For? Part 1

So the verdict’s in. Tasty’s guest went on the date wearing a simple black A-line dress that she bought for an off day. She went emergency shoe hunting in Malibu right after our lunch meeting and picked up a pair of black pumps from a showroom. Was it worth it?

Well, the date went great! He called the very next day, complimented her on how good of a dresser she was and asked her on another date. No lie, I wouldn’t make this up. So can we conclude that 1) us men are as simple as Tasty said? 2) just some of us are that simple? or 3) it’s a coincidence and he would have liked the ‘Bumble Bee’ look just as much?

I’m going to go with 2. After reading your comments on Part 1, I noticed that many of the females who commented were all about dressing how they felt, point blank. I totally respect that. Especially for the point that if you dress to your personality, and he likes how you dress, he’ll probably like you – well according to trigonometry’s if-then theory.

However, there are tons of women who are sure they would like a boyfriend or husband within a certain timeframe (I’m not judging you.) In this case, do I think it would be helpful to participate in mind games and pull you a mate with a simpler, less abrasive look? Absolutely! Just be prepared to play the part of a simpler woman, if that’s how you’re going to come across visually.

In defense of us men, many but not all of us like simple and reserved women. As I’ve previously stated, I personally like a sassy, driven woman. So I don’t think I would have a problem being with a woman who dressed with less safe, more attention grabbing clothes. In fact, I think it speaks to her confidence level because not everyone can pull off risqué looks. However, I can admit a woman dressed like that is definitely less approachable. My mind is early to calculate how headstrong and overly sassy a woman might be at first glance.

One comment on Part 1 of this post captures the essence of what I’m saying. “You only have one chance at a first impression.” You never know who you are going to see when you go out, so remember, make sure you present yourself the way you want to be perceived. Your fashion should be an expression of who you are and how you feel as an individual.

I’ve pulled some notable red carpet looks from one of our generation’s style icons, Rihanna. See if you can figure out, when she’s dressing for other women and when she’s dressing to catch a man’s eye, according to Tasty’s Theory.

Well Tasty brought a friend along to lunch and we got to a random point in the conversation when the guest was discussing the date she was going on later that night. She was super excited, like she’s been starving for a date for eons. So she completely interrupted our business meeting to describe the dress she was going to wear. “It’s kind of like a tiger print, well not really tiger but kinda like..” Right then, Tasty stopped her in her tracks.

Tasty began ranting that prints are not for dates! She was about as passionate for fashion in this moment as Bey in the breakdown of Upgrade U. “Most men are turned off by prints, it’s too aggressive and too strong… it’s just doing too much. You’re unapproachable. Your loud ass outfit should not lead the date, let the man lead.” At first I thought to myself, wow, what a generalization. But I stayed quiet of course, speaking only when spoken to in regards to women and how they look.

The guest got defensive saying all she ever wears is prints – floral, animal, argyle. At lunch she had on a white dress with hot pink flowers and green stems and a pink cardigan. It was nice for sure, for lunch or a picnic. Yet slowly I thought to myself “yea… that wouldn’t do it for me for a first date though.”

She continued to describe what she was going to wear that night as a strapless bright yellow dress with black tiger stripes and open toe shoes with some details. Needless to say, Tasty went off. “Yea, that’s nice bumblebee! What did you have on when he first approached you? I bet it was something simple that you didn’t even think was your best outfit. If that’s how he approached you, that’s the look you want to start off with. Women dress to impress other women instead of impressing men”

I couldn’t help but nod. Tasty knew what she was talking about!! I’ve been saying this for the last ten years. Women can say that they are having a bad hair day and most of the time I have no idea what they’re talking about; their hair looks great to me. Women over accessorize sometimes when I feel like we’re just chilling. Then you start to wonder if she was expecting to do more than you’re doing on the date. Like if she’s rocking her Birkin bag but we’re bowling… But all the same, sometimes I like a risk-taking woman who tries something different with her outfit, hair, makeup. Sometimes I want her to Sarah Jessica Parker it, or Rihanna it for me one time. No one wants to date a plane Jane, or do we?

I kept quiet, thinking to myself, I don’t even want to see how this turns out. But like two women, of course, they put me on the spot, “Rondel, what do you think?!” I didn’t know what to say. I mean I totally agree that women often worry about things only another woman would notice or care about. BUT, should a woman dress to a standard for a first date, even if it’s stifling her spirit? Tasty suggested a simple black dress (or some other solid color) and plain heels, no bright lipstick and definitely no red lips. Simple can definitely be sexy. But if the woman’s personality is loud and boisterous, wouldn’t playing it low key in a simple dress and heels be misleading? And fellas, are we as simple as they make us seem?

Comment and let me know what you think! And stay tuned for part two of “Who Are You Dressing For?” where I let you know what Tasty’s guest wore on her date and how it turned out.

Update: Part 2 of Who Are You Dressing For is now live!

And for those of you who missed the Dawn interview, here’s an excerpt regarding her taste in fashion:

“I’ve always been a fan of fashion. Always! My style icons are Kate Moss, Mary-Kate and Ashley, and of course Zoe Kravitz. Those are my favorites. I’ve always been a fan. I always like a good “Hobo-Chic” moment, big fan of that. I just didn’t have the cash so it would be a “Thrift Store” moment for me. The more my pocket got bigger, the more I got a chance to experiment with more things, you know?”

You can check the full interview here.

BOOM BLOG is the first to deliver these new pics, and by the looks of this impromptu MacBook photoshoot, I say her pockets full grown now. I digs these looks… what yall think?