Natural Fashionista: Kamry

How does a wife and mother of two stay on top of her hair game AND manage to stay flawlessly stylish? Our June Natural Fashionista shows us! Say hello…

Hey, I’m Kamry! I’m a stay-at-home mom from Philadelphia just trying to balance my life and family; occasionally blogging along the way…

How long ago did you go natural? What moved you to take that step?

I big chopped November of 2006. No transitioning I just jumped right on in. Around the age of maybe 12 or 13 I planned to cut off my hair right before I’d go to college and grow locs. I know that may seem strange but I developed a love of natural hair at a young age. I’d wear afro ponytails and admire the different styles of locs while envisioning what my hair would look like when I became an adult.

Why do you love being natural? Have there been any challenges along the way?

I love uniqueness. I recognized early on that my physical features make me, me. Flaws and all. My hair, to me, is a feature that contributes tremendously to my appearance. It makes me as unique as my birth marks, big eyes, scars, skin color, etc. I faced many challenges while embracing my uniqueness. At the time I went natural it wasn’t a popular as it is today. I didn’t have as many knowledgeable people I go could go to. There weren’t many hair products that catered to natural or stylist who knew how to style my hair. Most importantly, there were very few natural hair bloggers/vloggers. I was left with just wearing my hair in protective styles and its natural state. This was a shock for many. Some thought it was ugly and would voice their opinions on how they preferred my hair how it use to look. It was hard not to be rude or to dwell on their opinions and wonder if they were right. Especially, when close friends and family made such comments. That may have been my biggest challenge. Not accepting my own hair but others not accepting it. However, amidst it all I learned I really didn’t care as much as I thought I would.

How have you been able to juggle your personal hair care routine with being a mom of two?

I’ve found that scheduling has helped me juggle my hair care and being a mom. I schedule my wash days and how long I expect to keep a style; even how I will preserve the style. This has helped me not feel overwhelmed with other duties I have. It may sound extreme but it works for me and saves me headaches. I think once I became a mother of 2 everything in my life has been crammed into a schedule so I really don’t think twice about it.

As the mother of two gorgeous boys, have you thought about ways you might instill in them a love for natural hair or natural beauty in general?

As a mother of two boys instilling in them a love of natural beauty is vital to me. Although I have boys I want them to love their natural hair as well. I feel that males can feel self-conscious about their natural hair just as much as females so I try to style their hair so that it still has texture. My eldest son is 8 and he sometimes just want his hair to cut low like his father, who has a completely different type than he does, but I try to meet in the middle with him. I want him to love his hair exactly the way it is. It upsets me when someone believes that the way they look naturally is unappealing. I want my boys to believe everything about them is beautiful. If I instill that into them now, no one can take it from them later. So I try to be an example by wearing my hair in its natural state most of the time. I let them play in my hair. I even ask my oldest his opinion of my hairstyles and if he makes a negative comment I’ll politely tell him why I love it the way that it is.

Do you feel going natural has changed your overall style in any way?

I don’t think it has changed my style at all. I think my style has been consistent since I was 12 years old. My hair is an accessory to me so I may style it one way for a particular look but that’s about it.

How would you describe your personal style? Any inspirations?

I must say I love vintage clothes and accessories but at times I feel I can get too engrossed in styling. Not in a bad way its just that I can be inspired to put together a look and I can get lost in the details. This usually happens when I do vintage styles so I limit how often I dress up. But I think my style is very eclectic; a blend of boho/tomboy/exotic/classic styles lol. I love to be comfy, but cute. Every once in awhile I like to look trendy or sexy but I like my clothes to fit my personality and I’m eccentric and easygoing most of the time.

What are your go-to looks? Favorite places to shop?

I’m all for custom-made boyfriend jeans, an over-sized tee, ugly shoes and unique jewelry lol. I love thrift shops, ASOS, Banana Republic, Zara, Ebay, Esty H&M and Forever21.

What’s one piece in your closet you just couldn’t live without?

I have a pair of dark rinse J Brand jeans that I love. No seriously, my heart’s going to break the day they no longer fit. They fit me perfectly and go with everything. Nothing makes me happier than a good pair of jeans; they are so hard to come by.

Any fashion tips, advice for those who are newly natural or moms who are trying to juggle it all?

Moms, I will say don’t compare yourself to the moms you see online and day-to-day. You don’t have to walk around in a dress and high heels while pushing your 2 month old around the park. Maybe you want to do it and that’s fine but don’t feel like you have to. Fashion lovers, be inspired from within; put down the magazines, forget the latest trend, un-follow the 40 different fashion bloggers you can’t seem to keep up with, and just go buy what you like. Now naturals, remember your hair is yours, so do what you want to with it and remember, it’s not like anyone else’s so embrace it. Do what makes you feel good. That goes for fashion, natural hair and parenting. When you do that, you won’t complicate things and put more stress on yourself because you’ll only be striving to make yourself happy.

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Many thanks to Kamry for sharing her story and for those words of wisdom!

Until next time…

xoxo,

Toia B.

*feature image: DFinney Photography & Design