#_author:Elise Solé

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Fashion Nova apologizes for T-shirt that resembles California wildfires: 'It was not our intent to offend or disrespect'

Fashion Nova says a computer error re-released a T-shirt it pulled last year during the Camp Fire in California. (Photo: Shoptagr)

Fashion Nova’s website re-listed a discontinued T-shirt that felt tacky to survivors of the California wildfires.

The clothing brand, headquartered in Los Angeles, had canceled the $19.99 black T-shirt with a burning house picture and the words “This must be paradise” in November during Camp Fire, disastrous wildfires that reportedly killed 86 people in Paradise, California. However, an electronic mistake, which occurred because of the company’s return policy, automatically reintroduced the shirt on Fashion Nova’s website.

The fire image bothered victims of the fire. “I was personally from that town and lost everything and I find it disrespectful,” a person tweeted. “Please remove the shirt off your store... smh.”

Fashion Nova tells Yahoo Lifestyle that production of the shirt stopped when the fires happened.

A shirt depicting a burning house with the words "this must be Paradise" reportedly on sale on Fashion Nova's website has sparked controversy in Northern California. https://t.co/josgt6VM65 pic.twitter.com/7ayjz8JRR3

— CBS Sacramento CBS13 (@CBSSacramento) June 1, 2019

Fashion Nova said a 2018 T-shirt of a burning house was accidentally re-published on its website, upsetting victims of Camp Fire in California. (Photo: Courtesy of Fashion Nova)

“We deeply apologize to anyone offended by the redistribution of the ‘This Must Be Paradise Tee,’” read a brand statement. “The graphic tee first went on sale July of 2018 and has no connection to Paradise, CA. The structure shown in the image is not a depiction of the town or any structure within the town of Paradise, CA. This is an unfortunate coincidence that we flagged immediately when the fires happened in November of 2018. At the time of the fires, the tee was pulled from our website completely.

“Due to our return process, the tee was relisted on our website through automatic processing,” it continued. “We have since pulled the tee from our site and are taking preventative steps to ensure a mishap such as this does not happen again in the future. It was not our intent to offend or disrespect those affected by The Camp Fire that took place in Paradise, CA in November 2018.” “California is our home. We see the heartbreaking impact these fires had, and continue to have, on our community every day. That is something we take very seriously. Our sincerest apologies and condolences go out to all the families, lives, and homes affected by the fires.”

Fashion Nova sent Yahoo Lifestyle a customer receipt from July showing the shirts were produced months before the disaster.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Woman says she was kicked out of Golden Corral because of her crop top: 'I never wanna wear that shirt again'

‘Comfortable’ and ‘perfect’: Why men are obsessed with these $18 best-selling swim trunks

‘Comfortable’ and ‘perfect’: Why men are obsessed with these $18 best-selling swim trunks

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Mother says nurse saved her baby's life on airplane: 'She's a rock star'

Janay Flowers of San Antonio, Tex., says a nurse and crew members of American Airlines saved the life of her baby, who experienced a seizure during a flight. (Photo: Facebook/Janay Flowers)

Mother Janay Flowers says she is indebted to a “rock star” nurse for saving her baby’s life on an airplane.

On Thursday, Flowers, a model from Tampa, Fla., was flying with her infant Nevaeh on American Airlines to San Antonio, Tex., where her husband, a member of the U.S. Air Force, will be stationed, reported The Dallas Morning News. Nevaeh, who had a slight fever, mostly slept on the three-hour flight. But 15 minutes before landing, the 11-month-old woke up crying.

“Suddenly, she started jolting in my arms,” Flowers, 28, tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “I stood up and pressed the call button and a woman ran over to my aid.”

Tiffany Lehman, 37, a registered nurse from Wichita, Kan., was traveling with her chiropractor fiancé Alvin Dodson, after attending a medical convention in Tampa. They heard Nevaeh’s cries, and then, after calling for ice packets, stripped Nevaeh of her onesie and diaper and applied the cold packs to the back of her neck, groin and armpits.

Nevaeh’s seizure lasted seven-and-a-half minutes. “I laid her sideways on my lap because she was vomiting,” Lehman tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “Alvin ran to get oxygen and alert the pilots.”

Janay Flowers says a nurse traveling onboard an American Airlines flight treated her baby Nevaeh's seizure. (Photo: William Stambaugh)

But when the couple administered the oxygen, Nevaeh’s heart rate dropped to 60 beats per-minute —half the normal heart rate of a comparably-sized baby— and she stopped breathing.

“Nevaeh’s tongue was rolled back and blocked her airway, so I reached inside her mouth and swept the area with my finger,” Lehman tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “I thought she was going to die in my arms.”

With the crew keeping passengers calm and Flowers standing by her daughter singing, “You are my Sunshine,” Nevaeh started breathing again. However, another seizure came on and Nevaeh clenched her fists, turning blue and foaming at the mouth.

Lehman administered more oxygen and the plane landed in Dallas, where Nevaeh and Flowers were taken to Baylor Regional Medical Center in Grapevine.

“The doctor said Nevaeh’s seizure was isolated due to how fast her fever spiked,” Flowers tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “Her risk for future seizures has doubled, but it’s still low.”

Tiffany Lehman, a nurse, and Alvin Dodson, a chiropractor, saved the life of a seizing baby on an airplane. (Photo: Facebook/Tiffany Lehman)

An American Airlines representative tells Yahoo Lifestyle, “We are grateful that Nevaeh is doing better and wish her and her family the best. This medical emergency last week highlights the tremendous care and professionalism of American’s team members, and specifically, in this situation, our flight attendants and DFW team. We are proud of our colleagues and are grateful to them and our customers, who also stepped up to help a family in need, for their quick actions.”

Flowers and Lehman befriended each other on Facebook over the weekend and will FaceTime on Monday evening, so Flowers can meet Lehman’s 13-year-old son and Dodson’s 3-year-old daughter.

The family and crew members from American Airlines are all invited to Nevaeh’s May 19th birthday party.

“Tiffany is a rock star,” Flowers tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “God put us together.”

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Southwest Airlines employee allegedly mocks disabled cheerleaders: 'Those two are clearly faking it'

Mother and son kicked off plane for her skin condition: ‘I have never been so humiliated in my life’

Hawaiian Airlines flight attendant dies midflight of suspected heart attack

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Meghan Markle's actress friend Janina Gavankar says no designers wanted to dress her for the royal wedding

Actress Janina Gavankar, a friend of Meghan Markle’s, says that designers declined to dress her for the royal wedding.

Although Gavankar attended the wedding of Meghan and Prince Harry on Saturday wearing a tangerine-colored dress and a black fascinator, which she paired with Sigerson Morrison heels and an Yves Saint Laurent clutch, nailing down her look was a challenge.

“Thank you to everyone inquiring about today’s dress! Here’s the real story,” Gavankar wrote on Instagram Sunday. “As many do for events of this kind, my stylist @NikiSchwan & I reached out to designers and showrooms. … No one was responsive. Luckily, @westerncostumecompany generously opened the doors to their private vintage archive, and we chose this 1930’s dress and 1940s hat…”

Gavankar added, “Strange to be talking fashion on a powerful day of love and union.”

Thank you to everyone inquiring about today’s dress! Here’s the real story: As many do for events of this kind, my stylist @NikiSchwan & I reached out to designers and showrooms. …No one was responsive. Luckily, @westerncostumecompany generously opened the doors to their private vintage archive, and we chose this 1930’s dress and 1940s hat. Which we paired with @coomijewels Jewels, @sigersonmorrison pumps and a @ysl clutch. (Strange to be talking fashion on a powerful day of love and union.)

A post shared by Janina Gavankar (@janina) on May 20, 2018 at 2:33am PDT

Schwan, a Los Angeles-based stylist, got right to the point, writing on Instagram that day, “To be clear, we requested several designer brands & showrooms (for her to wear to the wedding) who either denied us or just ignored us. & obviously, this is not something you “shop” for, as we were committed to creating something special and unique.”

She added, “I kinda love being denied sometimes, it just forces me to work harder, smarter, more creatively & continuously think outside the box! Which is what styling is really about. This trio of women KILLED this moment, with their Royal Wedding STRUT (Squad goals for real!) and @janina is one of the single most searched names of those who attended the wedding, due to this moment & we are overwhelmed & grateful by the response to her look. (Too bad to all the brands and showrooms that denied us). Keep on keepin on y’all. Rejection is Gods protection, I always say!”

Feeling incredibly proud to have had the opportunity to collaborate and create this look for my client, and friend @janina for the Royal Wedding. Truly a magical moment in time. Thank you Janina, for trusting me Mission Accomplished my Beauty!!! . . Re this look: To be clear, we requested several designer brands & showrooms (for her to wear to the wedding) who either denied us or just ignored us. & obviously this is not something you “shop” for, as we were committed to creating something special and unique. We were incredibly excited to have had access to the private designer archives @westerncostumecompany where we chose a 1930’s dress (which we reworked a bit ) and a 40’s style hat. @coomijewels loaned the jewels, which we paired with @sigersonmorrison shoes & @ysl clutch . . I kinda love being denied sometimes, it just forces me to work harder, smarter, more creatively & continuously think outside the box! Which is what styling is really about. This trio of women KILLED this moment, with their Royal Wedding STRUT (Squad goals for real!) and @janina is one of the single most searched names of those who attended the wedding, due to this moment & we are overwhelmed & grateful by the response to her look. (Too bad to all the brands and showrooms that denied us). Keep on keepin on y’all. Rejection is Gods protection, I always say! . #RoyalWedding #FashionDirector #Stylist #JaninaGavankar #MeghanMarkle #SquadGoals #NikiSchwan #THEOrangeDress #RoyalWeddingFashion #GirlsWeRunTheWorld

A post shared by Niki Schwan (@nikischwan) on May 19, 2018 at 3:11pm PDT

Oprah, another royal wedding guest, also had a fashion catastrophe before the ceremony: When she realized that her beige dress would “photograph too white” and therefore breach wedding etiquette, Stella McCartney’s team, which designed Meghan’s reception dress, produced a new custom gown.

“Realized Friday morning the beige dress I was planning to wear to Royal ceremony would photograph too ‘white’ for a wedding,” Oprah wrote on Instagram Saturday. “Her team did this overnite. Hat is vintage @philiptreacy been in my closet since 2005 with new feathers. OMG was this an extraordinary day!”

These style emergencies aren’t uncommon for celebs who either buy or borrow dresses for high-profile events. According to E! News, which in 2017 detailed the extensive process ahead of the 89th Academy Awards, celebs either borrow a dress from a designer’s upcoming collection or, if their star power dictates, have one custom-made. The exchange is a win-win: Stars look fabulous in hot-off-the-press looks, and brands and designers receive the publicity.

However, a royal wedding is not the Academy Awards; royals do not accept designer clothes on loan or for free, and the designers may have declined Gavankar’s request out of concern for royal protocol (and future snubs by the palace).

Thank you @stellamccartney ! Realized Friday morning the beige dress I was planning to wear to Royal ceremony would photograph too “white” for a wedding.Her team did this overnite. Hat is vintage @philiptreacy been in my closet since 2005 with new feathers. OMG was this an extraordinary day! #Harry&Meghan #RoyalWedding #Lovedeveryminute

A post shared by Oprah (@oprah) on May 19, 2018 at 8:42am PDT

According to E!, before an event, stylists call in numerous dresses — often up to 50 — for clients to select. Other celebs have brand partnerships (agreements to publicly wear a certain designer’s clothing), or in some cases, they get paid by brands on a one-off basis to showcase certain looks.

Cases like Gavankar’s in which no designer offers his or her services — believe it or not, this used to happen to Kim Kardashian and Beyoncé — can be opportunities for more modest labels to shine. 

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: 

Katy Perry Has One Little Problem With Meghan Markle’s Wedding Gown

The story behind that viral Prince Harry and Meghan Markle photo

Why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s kids won’t be princes or princesses

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This is what Donald and Melania Trump are sending Meghan and Harry as a wedding gift

President and Melania Trump have revealed their wedding gift to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle: a cash donation.

Despite not receiving an invitation to the royal wedding on Saturday at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, the first couple is following wedding etiquette and sending a gift. “President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will be making a contribution to one of the seven charities the royal couple has designated in lieu of gifts,” White House spokesperson Lindsay Walters said in a statement Friday to Us Weekly.

Donald and Melania Trump aren’t attending the royal wedding — but they are sending Meghan Markle and Prince Harry a gift. (Photo: Getty Images)

In April, Markle and Harry, whose family has a reported net worth of $88 billion, requested in a palace statement that in lieu of wedding gifts, fans should make a charitable donation. 

“Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle are incredibly grateful for the goodwill shown to them since the announcement of their engagement and are keen that as many people as possible benefit from this generosity of spirit,” read the statement. “The couple have therefore asked that anyone who might wish to mark the occasion considers making a donation to charity, rather than sending a wedding gift.”

The couple handpicked seven different U.K.-based organizations: CHIVA (Children’s HIV Association); Crisis, which aims to end homelessness; the Myna Mahila Foundation, which provides professional support for aspiring businesswomen; Scotty’s Little Soldiers, for bereaved armed forces children; StreetGames, a sports charity for low-income communities, Surfers Against Sewage, a national marine conservation; and the Wilderness Foundation U.K., a nature program for at-risk youth.

Meghan and Harry aren’t slighting the first couple by not inviting them — they’re simply following protocol. In April, a palace spokesperson said in a statement: “It has been decided that an official list of political leaders — both U.K. and international — is not required for Prince Harry and Ms. Markle’s wedding. Her Majesty’s Government was consulted on this decision, which was taken by The Royal Household.”

In September, the prince met Melania at the Invictus Games (a Paralympic event he created in 2014) in Toronto, Canada, and their meeting provoked controversy for a photo showing Harry making a hand sign that people called the “signal of the devil.” However, according to the Hill, the two exchanged pleasantries, with Harry remarking to FLOTUS “You’ve been very busy,” and she congratulating him on “doing a fantastic job.”  

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are set to say “I do” on Saturday, May 19, at Windsor Castle. Yahoo will cover the historic event live from London from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. BST (British Summer Time), 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. ET. Bookmark this link to follow along live.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Meghan Markle’s father will skip the royal wedding to have a heart operation — here’s what’s going on

Here’s your first look at the royal wedding cake

Royal Wedding: Watch Prince Harry and Meghan Markle get married LIVE

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Teacher retires from 'toxic' profession in Facebook post: 'I will not miss what education has become'

Florida teacher Jonathan Carroll retired from his profession in a moving Facebook post. (Photo: Courtesy of Jonathan Carroll)

A Florida teacher’s list of “Things I did not sign up for” inspired him to leave his once-beloved profession.

Jonathan Carroll, a social studies teacher at South Lake High School in Groveland, Florida has worked at both private and public schools during his 20-year career. “When I started teaching, I was excited to make an impact on children. I loved every minute of my job,” Carroll, 46, a married father-of-two tells Yahoo Lifestyle.

However, in March, feeling disillusioned by the state of his profession — teachers across the country have been striking against overcrowded classrooms and low wages — he started recording his grievances: Overly-digitalized classrooms, high-stakes test scores, burnt-out students, and a yearly salary of 48K.

Last week, Carroll’s list helped him reach a decision: He’ll retire from teaching on May 28. “So I guess this is it....I am leaving the field of education. I have had so many wonderful memories. But it has become a toxic profession,” Carroll wrote on Facebook.

Once believing he would spend his days “Opening minds, debating history, inspiring the next generation to reach higher and learn from the past,” Carroll wrote, “I think of all the things I did not sign up for....like micromanaging administrators, mental health counseling, blueprints with no freedom or flexibility( even though you can not enforce planning), not being considered an expert in my chosen field even though I have a graduate degree. Students overdosing on drugs and collapsing in my classroom when they get back from the bathroom. Active shooter drills. Teachers being armed. Knowing where it is safe to hide in my classroom. Feeding and clothing my students. Buying my own supplies. Being told I should be thankful I have a job and to get over myself. I am tired of the constant testing...tired of everyone else knowing better and being chastised if I dare ask questions or challenge leadership. So this May, I am walking away...”

On Wednesday, the Florida House of Representatives passed a bill to arm teachers in their classrooms. According to the Miami Herald, each district that chooses to participate enrolls their staff in a “Guardian Program” carried out by local police departments.

But teaching, says Carroll, is not law enforcement. Still, in the case of an active shooter, educators are trained to designate areas in their classroom to sequester children, practice running drills, and follow a ‘Run, hide, and fight’ model that at last resort, has students fighting back with objects at their disposal. “It’s a direct response to Stoneman Douglas High School,” Carroll tells Yahoo Lifestyle. In 2018, a mass shooting at the Parkland, Florida school claimed the lives of 17 people.

School supplies are also underfunded— in his district, says Carroll, teachers are given anywhere from $200 to $300 to stock their rooms with pens, paper, and other materials. “We burn through those pretty quickly so I use my salary to buy extras at the dollar store,” he tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “One time the air conditioner in my teaching trailer broke so I spent $300 of my own money on a replacement A.C. until it was fixed. I store it in my garage for emergencies.”

According to Carroll, intense standardized testing makes children burn out and teachers anxious over whether their classroom scores will impact their employment. Those tests, he says, don’t measure much. “Lots of districts only care about school-wide growth. So children are pressured to succeed without factoring in their personal development.”

Only since making his decision, has Carroll been able to enjoy teaching for the first time in ages. “The pressure is off, so I can teach history my own way,” he tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “We’re doing cool projects and having fun.”

Until he makes his next move, Carroll will be a stay-at-home father to his 13-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son. Dana, his wife of 21 years, will support the family on her salary as a nurse practitioner.

“I am going to stay home for awhile (thank you Dana) and start a new chapter,” Carroll wrote on Facebook. “Honestly, I’ll break even if I become a bank teller with no experience. But the truth is I will not miss what education has become. A soulless industrial education complex where admin cares more about the test scores than their faculty or students. I have loved teaching many of you. But it is time to ride into the sunset. Start enjoying life. And find happiness again.”

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Students arrested after 'heated' MAGA hat dispute during protest, police say

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Kamala Harris slams Florida's new bill to arm teachers with guns: They 'don’t need a gun. They need a raise.'

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Television reporter debuts natural hair to teach her daughter self-acceptance

Melanie Lawson, a television news anchor for News4Jax in Jacksonville, Fla., says she'll no longer wear a wig to set an example for her young daughter. (Photo: Instagram/NaturalNewsMom)

A black news anchor, who wore a wig on television for 14 years, scrapped the hairpiece to show her daughter natural beauty.

Melanie Lawson, a morning show anchor for News4Jax, wrote about accepting her hair in a Wednesday essay published by her station after decades of feeling discouraged from wearing conventional black hairstyles.

“Through the years, I’ve had different versions of the original Jheri curl, a chemical process that gave my hair a loose curl with lots of activator, liquid grease, and ‘perms’ that actually made my hair straight with a harsh chemical that burned my scalp at times and left open sores on my head,” wrote Lawson. “It was just part of the experience — the more burn, the straighter the hair, so it was worth it. You learned to just cope.”

Lawson tells Yahoo Lifestyle: “The undercurrent has always been, ‘Black television anchors can wear their natural hair, but good luck finding a job.’ Otherwise you’re seen as a renegade.”

When Lawson was a little girl growing up in central Florida, her mother straightened her hair for church and other special occasions. “She heated up a metal straightening comb on the stove, testing the temperature on her hand, then ran it through my hair,” Lawson tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “I always prayed it wouldn’t burn.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Melanie Lawson-Minor (@naturalnewsmom) on Feb 2, 2019 at 2:00am PST

After graduating from Hampton University in Virginia, Lawson worked as a news anchor in Delaware and Maryland, where she relaxed or permed her hair with harsh chemicals for television appearances.

But in 2005, when Lawson moved to Jacksonville to anchor the morning news, the city’s humidity changed the texture of her hair. Lawson wore weaves and extensions, she wrote, “So I could have that long, thick hair that was never going to truly grow out of my head.”

She even wore a handmade wig affectionately nicknamed “Michelle” after former first lady Michelle Obama. “But I was embarrassed to have fake hair,” she tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “My friends hated my wig.”

Living a “duplicitous” lifestyle, Lawson wore her wig on television and her natural curls on the weekend. “Everyone was curious about the wig, and I said I was growing out my natural hair,” Lawson tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “I was ‘fake hair girl.’”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Melanie Lawson-Minor (@naturalnewsmom) on Apr 11, 2019 at 5:16pm PDT

Lawson’s 4-year-old daughter was the impetus for changing her look. “Recently, I picked her up from school and I happened to be wearing my wig,” the mother-of-two tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “She started yelling, ‘Mommy, take off your wig!’ and everyone stared. It was embarrassing.”

However, when the little girl told her mother, ‘I want straight hair like you,’ Lawson decided to retire the “Michelle” wig.

On Tuesday, Lawson conducted her first newscast without her wig. After it aired, she received hundreds of complimentary emails and phone calls from men and women.

“I’m not judging anyone for wearing a wig — this is my choice,” Lawson tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “If I was younger, I’m not sure I would be this confident.”

Lawson’s daughter is delighted by her mom’s look. “She says, ‘Mommy, you have free hair! We’re twins and best friends.’”

“Michelle” is currently sitting in Lawson’s closet. “I want to burn it but I don’t want to start a fire,” Lawson tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “I can’t imagine wearing a wig again.”

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Reporter celebrates wearing braids for the first time on-air: 'We are still professionals even if our hair is different'

Parents say 3-year-old’s braid was ripped from her scalp at daycare: ‘I just want justice for my daughter’

Naomi Campbell’s natural hair makes a rare appearance at Paris Fashion Week

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Woman, 47, celebrates her divorce with a sexy photo shoot: 'Boy bye'

Marie Lollis of South Carolina posed for bold post-divorce photos. (Photo: Facebook/Tiltin’ My Lens Photography)

A woman finalized her drawn-out divorce with a sexy outfit and wine to prove that life post-marriage is bright.

Marie Lollis of Gray Court, S.C., has been separated from her husband for the last three years, but their divorce wasn’t official until Mar. 18th. While the 47-year-old is dating another man, she still wanted to somehow observe the end of her 13-year marriage.

“I thought about it for a few months, and I said to my brother’s wife, who is a photographer, we should do a ‘divorced diva photo shoot,” Lollis tells Yahoo Lifestyle.

Marie Lollis asked her photographer sister-in-law to shoot the powerful post-divorce images. (Facebook/Tiltin’ My Lens Photography)

Lollis looked on Pinterest for visual aids, but she wasn’t comfortable with the trendy “Trash the Dress” photos that have brides symbolically destroying their white wedding day gowns. “I wasn’t angry, I was excited,” she explains. After compiling photos of women in empowering poses, she asked friends on Facebook for wardrobe donations.

“A bunch of people lent me their clothing and a high school friend I hadn’t spoken to in 20 years offered me her thigh-high boots,” Lollis says. “When I explained why I needed them, she said, ‘Come get ’em.”

On Mar. 23rd, the mother-of-three, her brother Adam Lollis and her sister-in-law Natasha of Tiltin’ My Lens Photography in Greenville, went to the beautiful Cedar Falls Park in Fountain Inn for the shoot. “We were cutting up laughing the whole time,” Marie says. “My brother was standing behind the camera dancing and saying, ‘Hey boo.'”

She also drank red wine from a handmade goblet with the words, “Finally divorced, boy bye.”

A South Carolina divorcee who posed for a “diva divorce photo shoot” is empowering other women. (Photo: Facebook/Tiltin’ My Lens Photography)

“People didn’t like my short-shorts — well, I didn’t want to wear pants!” Marie says. “But a woman said the photos helped her leave an abusive relationship. I told her to go to a safe house, and she did.”

And Marie’s children love her photos. “My daughter said, ‘Female power’ and my sons said I’m beautiful. My boyfriend was supportive and let me do my thing.”

Natasha tells Yahoo Lifestyle that Marie had a great time, even when accidentally sliding off a rock in stilettos: “The shoot helped her feel free and strong. She released everything.”

Marie has no hard feelings toward her ex-husband. “I didn’t want to bash him,” she admits. “I just want women to know you can be happy after divorce.”

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Woman, 72, pops the question after rejecting her boyfriend’s proposals for 43 years

Man charged with wife’s murder reportedly tells police, ‘I guess I don’t have to worry about a divorce now’

These first cousins are in love — and now they want their marriage legalized in Utah

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.

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'You're a man in women's clothing': 22-year-old says he was dress coded for wearing makeup and high heels

Ben Rios says a nightclub in Corpus Christi, Texas wouldn’t allow him inside because he was wearing women’s shoes. The nightclub says that’s not true. (Photo: Facebook/Ben Rios)

A Texas nightclub denies accusations it stopped a gay man wearing stiletto heels and makeup from entering.

On Saturday night, Ben Rios, 22, a retail sales associate, went to VoodDoo Niteclub in Corpus Christi, Texas, for a friend’s birthday party. Outside, he showed his ID card to a host, who allegedly said that Rios — wearing makeup and sparkly silver high heels — was breaking dress code.

“When I arrived, I was stopped at the door and DENIED entry for wearing makeup and wearing heels,” Rios wrote on Facebook Sunday. “…The door guy bluntly said ‘You’re a man, you’re not supposed to be wearing women’s clothing or makeup’ and simply turned [his] back. I refuse to let this go and my voice needs to be heard!”

As a semi-regular VooDoo patron, Rios usually wears jeans, but that night he wanted to dress up. Rios tells Yahoo Lifestyle the employee allowed his friends (who wore jeans and T-shirts) inside, then gave him a look. “He said, ‘You’re out of dress code’ and turned his back to me,” says Rios. “I persisted and he said, ‘You’re a man in women’s clothing.'”

Rios left with his friends. “People asked why I didn’t record anything but it was over in 45 seconds,” he says.

On Monday, Voodoo wrote a Facebook statement to explain why Rios was held up at the door: Over St. Patrick’s Day weekend, two men wearing women’s clothing allegedly entered the club and were allowed to use the women’s restroom. “…these two men pulled out their cell phones and began to record women that were using the facilities,” read VooDoo’s statement. “Several women approached management upset that two men dressed as women were in the women’s restroom recording them without their consent.”

The men left and the women chose to not speak to off-duty police officers working inside the club, said VooDoo. A spokesperson from the Corpus Christi Police Department did not return Yahoo Lifestyle’s information request.

VooDoo wrote that when Rios and his friends showed up on Saturday, the employee thought Rios might be one of the culprits because he “matched the description.” He held Rios at the door and called for the manager, but when he arrived, Rios and his friends had left.

“We welcome every customer,” wrote VooDoo. “We do not support any homophobic action in denying our customers entry. We welcome with open arms every race and we welcome anyone regardless of their gender-based clothing. We have men dressed as women all the time come into our club and vice versa. We apologize that this incident occurred. However, it is of the utmost importance that we protect all of our customers while on the premises.

Owner Eddie Dijiali tells Yahoo Lifestyle,  “The host could not have explained the reason why this customer was held at the door — we did not want to make him feel guilty for something he may have not done, or have him run if he was, in fact, a suspect.” Dijiali says his employee denies telling Rios that his outfit broke dress code and that Rios is wearing a different outfit in his Facebook post. 

VooDoo is adding two unisex bathrooms to make customers more comfortable. “Could the employee have handled it better? Yes,” says Dijiali. “The customer is welcome to come back wearing women’s shoes and makeup.” 

The venue called Rios to apologize, but Rios says the employee was non-transparent. “My experience is being treated as a misunderstanding but it wasn’t,” he tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “This was about my clothing.”

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Transgender teen denied ‘prom king’ title is crowned in gender-free school ceremony

ACLU sues school that forced transgender teen to stop using boys’ locker room

Principal told 4th-grader her LGBTQ essay was ‘not acceptable,’ says lawsuit

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The Secret Meaning Behind Sir and Rumi, the Names of Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s Twins

Hello, Rumi and Sir Carter!

Beyoncé and Jay-Z have finally confirmed the names of their twins, after weeks of speculation. Early Friday morning, Beyoncé posted the first image of the twins on Instagram in celebration of their one-month birthday.

Sir Carter and Rumi 1 month today. ❤️

A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce) on Jul 13, 2017 at 10:10pm PDT

“Sir Carter and Rumi 1 month today,” Beyoncé said, captioning a beautiful image in which she’s holding the twins under a gauze veil and surrounded by flowers, mimicking Botticelli’s famous painting The Birth of Venus, which some on the Internet were quick to point out.

The Birth of Sir & Rumi – Beyoncé 2017 pic.twitter.com/VogU48CCX3

— Sir & Rumi (@ScammerBey) July 14, 2017

According to Pamela Redmond Satran, co-founder of the naming website Nameberry, the names Rumi and Sir are both unique but have deep meaning.

“Each of those names was given to 50 babies in the U.S. last year — Rumi was chosen for 26 baby girls and 24 baby boys and Sir was used for 50 baby boys,” Redmond Satran, tells Yahoo Beauty. “Selecting two names that are equal in popularity is one subtle way to unify the twins.”

Yes, it’s a seemingly obsessive detail, but Beyoncé and Jay-Z are into numerical themes, incorporating their favorite number, four (4), into life events such as their wedding date (04/04/08), music ( Jay’s new song, which he claims is his all-time favorite, is called 4:44), and even Blue Ivy’s name (there are four letters in Blue’s name and IV is Roman numeral 4).

“Rumi is a Japanese female name meaning beauty and flow and it represents a blue gemstone called lapis lazuli — which also relates to her big sister,” says Redmond Satran, adding that the most famous Rumi is a 13th century Sufi mystic and poet.

And Sir is a name of honor and respect, much like King, Bishop, or Mister, she adds. Plus, according to People, it’s the moniker of one of Jay-Z’s favorite hip-hop artists, Sir the Baptist.

The names were first reported in late June by TMZ, which obtained trademark documents that the power couple had filed for both names on June 26 — the same week Jay-Z was photographed leaving Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, where Beyoncé reportedly gave birth. Per the filing, the trademarks secure the rights for teething rings, strollers, rattles, playing cards, water bottles, and other items. When big sister Blue Ivy, 5, was born in 2012, her parents did the same. This report squelched initial rumors that Bey and Jay had named the twins Shawn and Bea (the former is Jay’s real name, and the latter is a cute nod to Beyoncé and her fan base the Beyhive).

Read more from Yahoo Style + Beauty:

Reese Witherspoon’s Sons Look So Cute on the Last Day of School

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The Funniest Tweets from Parents This Week

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Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren didn't wear white at 2019 State of the Union: 'Did she not get the memo?'

California Sen. Kamala Harris didn’t participate in the all-white dress code at President Trump’s 2019 State of the Union address. (Photo: Getty Images)

In a silent protest against President Trump’s administration, Democratic congresswomen wore white during Tuesday’s State of the Union address — excluding several high-profile lawmakers whose different-colored wardrobe choices caused confusion on social media.

Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts wore a bright teal jacket, Arizona’s Kyrsten Sinema dressed in hot pink, Minnesota’s Amy Klobuchar wore purple, and California’s Kamala Harris and New York’s Kirsten Gillibrand were sleek in black.

To Twitter, the bold colors were in opposition to the suffragist movement of the early 20th century that modern-day lawmakers honored Tuesday with their white clothing. Lois Frankel, a Florida congresswoman and chair of the House Democratic Women’s Working Group had suggested women dress in white on Twitter. And as The Hill reported, Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota even wore a white jacket. 

.⁦@RepDeanPhillips⁩ showing up all the men in the Democratic Caucus when it comes to honoring women. That’s commitment. pic.twitter.com/zGJUbY4aIB

— Rebecca Kaplan (@RebeccaRKaplan) February 5, 2019

“Wearing suffragette white is a respectful message of solidarity with women across the country, and a declaration that we will not go back on our hard-earned rights,” Frankel told CNN.

Twitter asked why the senators — some of whom are Trump’s loudest critics — didn’t join the trend that even Tiffany Trump seemed to join. The president’s 25-year-old daughter wore a fitted white skirt suit in contrast to the black outfits worn by first lady Melania and sister Ivanka Trump.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren wore teal to the State of the Union address. (Photo: Getty Images)

State of the Union viewers took to Twitter to voice their opinions on some female senators’ sartorial differences.

Worth noting that most of the female Senators did not follow the House lead in wearing white

— Sarah D. Wire (@sarahdwire) February 6, 2019

Senate Democratic women not adhering to the suffragette white. Amy Klobuchar's in purple, Krysten Sinema's in hot pink and Mazie Hirono and Elizabeth Warren in teal/blue jackets.

— Emily Cochrane (@ESCochrane) February 6, 2019

@SenatorSinema you are not wearing white in solidarity with the Democratic women 😕#SOTU

— Angelica Neal (@angelicaneal) February 6, 2019

It's nice to see many of the ladies wearing white during the #SOTU2019. 🤔I wonder why #ElizabethWarren opted to wear blue. #StateOfTheUnion #SOTU

— Clarene Mitchell (@MrsCMitch) February 6, 2019

No white for @SenWarren !!?

Did she not get the #memo ??#SOTU @6abc #LunarNewYear #SOTUBoycott

— Brian Adler (@badlerJCC) February 6, 2019

Kinda bothered that Elizabeth Warren isn't wearing white#SOTU

— stickfigureme (@stickfigureme) February 6, 2019

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Tiffany Trump’s all-white ensemble raises questions at 2019 State of the Union

Congresswomen wear white to 2019 State of the Union to send Trump a ‘message loud and clear’

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Congresswomen wear white to 2019 State of the Union to send Trump a 'message loud and clear'

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., attends a group photo of House Democrats in the Capitol Visitor Center. (Photo: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Female lawmakers attended President Trump’s State of the Union address wearing “suffragist-white” to symbolize women’s rights.

On Monday, Florida Congresswoman Lois Frankel, the chair of the House Democratic Women’s Working Group, tweeted the style code, saying the color denotes “the economic security of women and their families” and the blue majority of House Democrats.  

Frankel also tweeted Tuesday, “At State of the Union tonight, Donald Trump will look out at the House Chamber and see a sea of Suffragette white sending the message loud and clear.”

Follow the State of the Union live with Yahoo News. 

House Democrats dressed early for the annual speech and posed for photographers and reporters.

First row from left, Reps. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Alma Adams, D-N.C. (Photo: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

House Democratic women pose pre-SOTU in suffragette white pic.twitter.com/YCURcy5gTi

— Mike DeBonis (@mikedebonis) February 5, 2019

House Democratic women dressed in white for the #SOTU walk up the spiral staircase in the HVC —> pic.twitter.com/LMxC4CGJ83

— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) February 5, 2019

According to the Washington Post, in the 1990s, female protesters wore white dresses to pop in newspaper photos, borrowing from the British suffrage movement’s official hues. In 2016, Hillary Clinton wore a white pantsuit to accept the Democratic presidential nomination, designed by Ralph Lauren. In November that year, the hashtag #WearWhitetoVote was used in support of electing a female president.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wore a white suit for her swearing-in. (Photo: Getty Images)

In January, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wore white for her swearing-in ceremony as the youngest female congresswoman in history, and at the 2018 SOTU — while female attendees sported black to support the Time’s Up and Me Too movements — Melania Trump‘s Christian Dior white pantsuit drew parallels to Clinton.

First lady Melania Trump wore white to the State of the Union address in 2018. (Photo: Getty Images)

In February 2017, Trump’s joint session of Congress also had a white theme. As then-Congresswoman Karen Bass told the Los Angeles Times, the color represented unity among anti-Trump women “and just women in solidarity with each other against a president who ran a campaign that was rooted in misogyny.”

According to Mashable, women in white booed and gave the thumb’s down during the president’s speech.

Tonight, our Democratic #WomenWearWhite in support of women's rights — in spite of a @POTUS who doesn't! pic.twitter.com/kKJpfV5iUE

— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) February 28, 2017

Both Democrats and Republicans traditionally invite special guests to the State of the Union. This year, the first couple welcomed family members of a Reno, Nev., couple who were killed, allegedly by an undocumented immigrant, in January; a Delaware elementary school student, Joshua Trump, who was bullied by his peers for his famous name; and former inmate Alice Johnson, who was granted clemency with the help of Kim Kardashian and criminal justice reform advocates.

The Democratic list includes, according to Vanity Fair, Ana Maria Archila, who publicly asked Sen. Jeff Flake to vote against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh during last fall. Former Trump employees who are undocumented immigrants and parents of the Parkland, Fla., shooting victims are also expected.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Melania Trump’s Black History Month post picked apart on Twitter: ‘You really don’t care do you’

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13-year-old dress-coded for sweater that shows her belly-button: 'I was told it was a distraction to the boys'

Samantha Wilson, an 8th-grade student at Irvington Middle School in N.Y. was dress-coded for her H&M sweater. Her family started a petition asking the school to reevaluate its rules. (Photo: Courtesy of Cydney Wilson)

An 8th-grade student was dress coded at school because her H&M sweater was allegedly a “distraction to the boys.” 

Samantha Wilson, a student at Irvington Middle School in Irvington, New York was penalized on Wednesday because her favorite sweater — a $20 black-and-white pullover she selected for her yearbook photo and which her sister borrowed for a college interview — was too sexy, according to the New York Post. 

During science class, Samantha says she was called into the assistant principal’s office and lectured for 30 minutes about her top. “I was told it was a distraction to the boys, and that my midriff and bra strap were visible,” she told the New York Post. “It felt like a personal hit on me and my clothing style.” She was given a coat to wear for the rest of the day. 

Samantha says her navel is only exposed when she raises her hand in class but admits that her bra strap shows if the sweater falls off her shoulder. “I walked into my next class trying not to cry. But I lost it and I burst into tears,” she told the New York Post. “When the teacher asked why I was crying, my friend said I was dress-coded. The teacher said, ‘She deserves to be.’ He said that in front of my entire class.”

On Wednesday, Samantha’s older sister Cydney started a Change.org petition that almost 500 people have signed. “The only lesson she learned today is that she needs to cover up her body, otherwise she will be pulled from class and humiliated,” wrote Cydney, 17. “The objectification of our students in the middle school is absolutely horrifying. What are we trying to teach our young students at their most vulnerable time? We NEED to do better than this.”

Samantha’s bare midriff breaches the school’s dress code that doesn’t allow “extremely brief garments.” However, Cydney argues, “….I am proposing that the ‘bare midriff’ part of the dress code be removed, as nobody’s belly button is inappropriate.”

Samantha Wilson was dress coded for her crop top. In a petition to the school, her big sister Cydney defended the outfit. (Photo: Change.org)

Cydney learned about the violation last week when Samantha said she had “the worst day ever” in a text message. “She’s wearing a long-sleeved sweater in the middle of winter,” she told Yahoo Lifestyle.

“She’s only 13 and had no clue why her outfit wasn’t appropriate,” Cydney said. “For an authority figure to put forth a notion that she was distracting someone’s ability to learn is distressing. That’s not her responsibility.”

Cydney was once dinged at Irvington Middle School when a teacher made her wear a sweatshirt over her tanktop because her camisole underneath peeked out. “Why is anyone looking at a 13-year-old’s body?” Cydney told Yahoo Lifestyle.

The girls’ mother, Jamie Wilson, wrote on the petition, “I still can’t believe that my daughter/Cyd’s sister was body-shamed today — by adults at her school. She was wearing black leggings and a sweater that at times slipped off her shoulder showing g-d forbid her bra strap and because her belly button was showing when she raised her hand. She is an innocent 13-year-old girl who wore an outfit she felt good about. She felt good in it. She didn’t think about it slipping from her shoulder at times or her belly button when she raised her hand. But now she does. She was humiliated at school — pulled from science to discuss. She just liked the shirt and doesn’t think about what happens when she raises her hand. I’m so proud of my daughter for posting this. So disappointed in my school for objectifying young girls.”

Irvington Schools Superintendent Kristopher Harrison shared a statement with Yahoo Lifestyle: “…The fact is, we always want to improve our service to our students. If there is concern that the Code, in its present form, is inconsistent with the spirit of our school community, we want to know and we want to help. Further, we value our students’ voice and thinking especially in decisions that impact them so personally. School dress codes are never easy and we know that fashion sometimes conflicts — still, we want to get it right and we will be working with our students and stakeholders to do just that.”

Cydney suggested polling students when setting school guidelines about self-expression and only enforcing the dress code in extreme and offensive circumstances. “Samantha feels awful, but she didn’t do anything provocative.”

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Arkansas student starts dress code discrimination protest with #PassTheSkirt movement 

Bar accused of having ‘racist’ dress code: ‘Steer clear of this place’

High school student suspended for wearing Confederate flag attire: ‘It’s Southern pride’

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