Essence Festival x Lane Bryant

Essence Festival is one of the pinnacle celebrations of Black womanhood, and yet somehow I've never been. So this year, I partnered with my family at Lane Bryant and my good friend Essie Golden to attend because I felt it was important to experience it (I mean, I'm 30 c'mon). They agreed. There are so many different types of women within the diaspora - whether you're from Ghana or Grenada, plus-size or petite absolutely none of that matters this one weekend in New Orleans. We're all there to take in some great music, fun experiences, and bask in the joy of Our beauty. And it was indeed beautiful.

While in NOLA, Essie and I made our way to the Lane Bryant store in Metairie to pick up some outfits for the weekend. The staff there was beyond wonderful (they stayed after closing to help us, thank you ladies!), and we were feeling so great we tapped the brilliant Sophie Lin Berard to take our photos. Essie and I both picked Lane Bryant pieces that spoke to our individual personalities, the activities we were doing that weekend, and the heat of New Orleans. Pro Tip: if you're going to do a photoshoot in New Orleans in the dead of summer, start early (we're talking 6 AM) to avoid the temps. Sophie's wisdom saved us, haha.

Shop this casual Essence Festival look:

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Shop this chill outfit here:

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Shop this ridiculously comfy look here:

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Shop this fun Chambray Look:

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Were you at Essence Festival this year, and are you planning to go next year? Raise of hands so I know how to plan my trip! Do you wax poetic about the Essence Festival experience like I've been since that weekend? I was proud to be a part of it, and I can't wait to see everyone's beautiful again! Leave a comment below :)