I am very grateful that the powers that be at Netflix have brought back a catalog of shows that truly brought me joy growing up. Everything that I loved to watch on UPN and on the WB is now available on the streaming platform and ready for our consumption. One of those shows is Moesha, which starred young super star and R&B sensation Brandy. For those of us who grew up watching the show this is a moment of nostalgia, and comfort. This is of course, exciting for me, but it also brings me joy to know that it gives a whole group of youngin’s an opportunity to discover a classic. I know I am not alone in this sentiment because Moesha has been trending for two days now on Twitter. So I’d say we are kicking off August on a high note!

One of my favorite parts of the show (90s shows in general) is the FASHUN. So I thought I’d do a deep dive on this part of the sitcom among other themes and share with you… hopefully it inspires you to (re)watch the show and try out some new old classic looks at home.

Alright, firs lets give you some background. The sitcom, which started airing in 1996, is centered around Moesha Mitchell, a 16 year old teenager living with her father, little brother and step-mom in L.A’s Leimert Park. If you’re like Leimert sounds familiar — that’s because another one of your favorite shows takes place in this neighborhood… (drum roll)… Insecure! Issa Dee’s ‘We Got You’ office is located in Leimert Park Village. The neighborhood is located in South LA and is about 79% Black (according to the last census).

One of the things that makes Moesha such a special show, is that here you had a 16 year old affirming herself. I’m not mad that she had no qualms about sharing her opinion, because when her friends/family checked her about something she also knew how to apologize. Despite her young age, she knew what she wanted (like when she turned down the red Saturn her dad bought her because she really didn’t love it, and chose to work instead to save funds for the Jeep her heart desired) and wasn’t afraid to go after it.

There is nothing bad about being confident, especially in a world that tells Black & Brown girls to shrink themselves while their white counterparts get to expand. Part of what I am noticing now as I re-watch the series was Moesha’s ability to put the boys in check, which is inspiring to me as an adult but I hope is also grounding for any gen-z viewers out there. The patriarchy does not only exist is white spaces, it also exists in our spaces. Remember that “no” is a full sentence.

Now that I’ve set the tone for who this character was, lets talk style!

Yolanda Braddy (photo from her instagram)

Yolanda Braddy, brought all of Moesha’s personality to the screen through her costume design work on the show. We’d often seen Moesha decked out in Black owned designer wear, such as Iceberg, FUBU and Karl Kani. These were the designers that defined part of the 90’s and streetwear culture. Moesha also rocked Donna Karen Suits and Louboutin, which meant that her personal style on the show leaned a little more mature at times.

Part of what makes Moesha’s style so memorable are her braids! While doing research for this, I learned that Brandy’s mother — Sonja Norwood— is partly responsible. See when Brandy first began her musical career, her mother did not want her daughter wearing styles that were not aligned with who her daughter was —a 14 year old girl!. This in turn became Brandy and Moesha’s iconic look which would inspire hundreds of girls not just in the US but around the world to lean into a natural protective style.

I can’t end this ode without shouting out Moesha’s friends, specifically Kim Parker and Niecy Jackson who brought so much comedy and love to the show. They too had really fun styles, especially Kim! She would have been the friend I called up before a party and talked through potential looks with. Niecy always gave us a good pony look. I think both of them deserve a lot more love than they’ve gotten in the past. (Note that some of the photos might be from the Parkers as Countess Vaughn who played Kim in Moesha was part of the spin-off series, and while I did my best trying to find photos/gifs specific to Moesha not everything was labeled.)

pps- i left out that moesha did have the tendency to talk back to her pops and step mom, and truly any other parents would have whipped her ass. dee (her stepmom) in particularly deserved so much more love and respect. she truly held them down. plus i love that she was Jamaican #islandvibes

I hope this classic brings you a lot of laughs and aha moments this August MOB. xx

ODE TO MOESHA !

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