Look of the Day: Carmen Slayranda 🍋🍉🍒🍇🍊🍌🍹🌴

Summer may be coming to an end, but this slay is eternal! Hands down, this look has got to be one of my faves. This look was inspired by the "fruit hat lady" Carmen Miranda and Chiquita Banana. I have always wanted to wear a fruit hat because they're so colorful, extra, vibrant, and I'm a plant based vegan too! I actually wanted to rock this to a festival last summer and I'm so glad I waited because everything worked out perfectly.

Carmen Miranda was a Portuguese samba singer and dancer based in Brazil who was well known for her vivid costumes, especially her fruit hats similar to the headscarves and pieces worn by Black Brazilian women. We can even link that influence back to Africa and across other places within the diaspora.

If you're a banana lover like me, you're probably familiar with Chiquita Banana. Chiquita is the poster girl for the popular banana brand and she made her debut back in 1944 according to the company's website. Like Miranda, Chiquita also wore a fruit hat, except her was flaunting bananas.

I wore this ensemble to this year's Bantu Fest. I found these super funky high waist, cropped pants back in the spring and that was confirmation that I had to give the girls Miss Carmen for the one time this summer. They're from the 80's but definitely serving a 1950's style, especially with the fruit, palm tree, flower, and tropical drink novelty print.

Last but not least, the main course - the fruit hat! Instead of purchasing a fruit hat from my good sis Etsy, I decided to make my own.

I would love to recreate another variation to this look for next summer, then again? Knowing me, I'd rock it anytime!