“Every girl on every page of Quality has grace, elegance, and pizzazz. Now what’s wrong with bringing out a girl who has character, spirit, and intelligence?” Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
AFRICA “We have to approve of ourselves before anyone else will. Women need to celebrate their God-given beauty instead of always trying to be something else.” —IMAN
SOUTH AMERICA
“I don’t go out without makeup. I’m a woman, you know.” SHAKIRA
South America is the land of the beauty queen. These women put a lot of time and effort into the way they present themselves (humidity be damned). I don’t think I once saw the women in my house leave without putting lipstick on. It just doesn’t happen. There is a strong focus on femininity and standards of personal grooming that the South American woman adheres to every single day. The standards are not only a matter of presentation, but a matter of moral fiber. There is a notion, passed down from generation to generation, that your physical presentation reflects the person you are on the inside. Through everyday pageantry, there is an aura of effortless chic and a display of correctness inside and out that never lets up.