She's a carioca
Written by: Nina Branco
Published on: February 23, 2024
Unknown artist.
Estimated Reading Time: 7-9 minutes
Rio is a mystical place. It's a pulsating universe of life, color, and culture. It's hot, humid, shining. The sun leaves skins golden and radiant, the sea leaves them salty, and the soul leaves them sweet.
Bodies without shame stroll the streets resembling sculptures made by gods with love and desire. Even the accent has sway: it's very "goxxxtoso," you're crazy, it's "bomzão."
Rio de Janeiro remains beautiful, it continues to be.
It's stepping out of the cold shower already sweating, it's going for a run in Lagoa and seeing Chico Buarque walking, a couple of capybaras, a complete family of monkeys, and having a fresh coconut. All of this is within a 3km radius.
In Rio, you talk to everyone, you even talk to the walls. Formality is something from another city, another country, another time. It's calling people "brother" and treating them that way too.
Rio de Janeiro is an invitation.
With more than 16 million inhabitants, it's impossible to talk about Rio de Janeiro: there are many. Bigger than Malta, bigger than Liechtenstein, bigger than Monaco, Rio is a planet. Within it dwells some realities so plural capable of driving any grammar teacher crazy.
The carioca way of life seduces and is completely free, and magnetic. Women, then, are (we are!) spectacles on Earth. We have a good vibe swing. The carioca has a different way of walking, kissing, dressing, undressing, and hugging. The carioca values what is beautiful and doesn't hide. She's humorous, colorful, sunny, and seeks elegance in simplicity.
“The carioca is strong and determined. She's confident and seductive. She's resilient, she's love.”
She has "borogodó," "queréquequé," je ne sais quoi: the carioca is the most beautiful thing. The carioca was born with an advantage: she was born in Rio.
A list of things that are part of this lifestyle so loved and copied:
The carioca drinks mate and coconut water at the beach.
She rides her bike in flip-flops, no matter the situation.
She puts on a jacket when the temperature reaches the very low (haha) 20 degrees.
She knows several carnival marches.
She dives at the end of the day whenever she can.
She eats feijoada, empadinha, pastel, tapioca, açaí.
She repeats clothes and takes fashion without drama.
She's creative in dressing: the sarong is a pareo, skirt, and dress; she crosses the straps of her bikini in a thousand different ways.
Her Summer wardrobe has bikinis, denim shorts, sarongs, summer dresses, sunglasses, and flip-flops.
She doesn't wear makeup to go to the beach.
Speaking of fashion, the carioca doesn't care much about dress codes: the keyword is comfort. Going to Talho Capixaba for coffee, to a show in Botafogo, to a date at La Carioca: the look can (and probably will) be the same. This uncomplicated and very charming way has inspired great songs: The Girl from Ipanema, Summer Samba, Corcovado, Água de Beber: there's no shortage of musical tributes. Rio is Bossa Nova, is Samba, is Funk.
