What if I wore this outfit in the 80's?

My friends and I attended an Uncle's 50th birthday party on Sunday the 12th, and it had an 80's theme. I wished the theme was from a more relatable era, because when I looked up 80's party outfits, I wasn't very excited, they all looked very.... colourful, for lack of a better word.

This was my favorite on the internet, so I put in a bit of my personal style.

I went for an oversized sweater paired with yellow skirt and pink accouterments because the 80's was very colourful. Leggings and leg warmers were very much in vogue, but I had no love for them so I paired mine with a gold dusted panty hose. I had my hair in an afro with a scarf for oomph. Layered on jewellery and it was almost bordering on too-much-going-on. I later ditched the pink bag for a rose gold one which was more understated. And I boogied like I didn't have to go to work today.
So what do you say? Did I nail the 80's look?

 

Don't ask, won't tell. 

Have a great week ahead.

When are you officially too cool?

I struggle with thoughts that I still act like a kid, Lol. Do you ever want to do something fun and you decide against it because you have become too cool to do some things? I recently attended the Savvy chic hair hub salon day out in Oniru last Saturday, I competed in their "battle of the hairlistas" competition because I saw the pictures last year and I love to style hair so I figured, what the hell.

I signed up, got approved, attended the dress rehearsals, and competition day came. I forced a friend of mine to attend with me, because well, we needed an extra hand. Unfortunately, for the most part of the experience, she complained about how annoying it was and how she was only doing it for me and how we were so not supposed to do stuff like that. (I love you Belle). Long story short, we lost by one point but I had a lot of fun, so it was all good. However, I saw some old friends of mine and the looks I got were, "Babe you are too big for this" LOL. Honestly, I started to feel uncomfortable.

I have a job and I can say I have advanced in my career, but don't I get to do the things that I love regardless? Everyone is walking around these days with a stick up their asses and a pretentious air of importance, I just want to live and be myself and not be held back by what people think.

My verdict?
You are never officially too cool to do anything you are passionate about because of how people will perceive you. I refuse to be guided by the dictates of society. It's your life, make your own rules, do what makes you happy, smile at the Camera, you don't have to pout because it's what cool people do. Duh. Step down from your heels and don a pair of sneakers, it's never that serious. In all, be yourself, love yourself, never live to please anyone.

On my outfit
It's been raining hard lately so sweaters are coming in handy. If you want to wear a sweater to work and still try to maintain a corporate feel, wear a shirt in it. Pair up with pants, or a pencil skirt and a pair of heels or flats. Do sneakers like me if it's Friday.

Peace be with you!

This might be the reason no one is replying your job applications

I changed jobs recently, I presently work with a new eCommerce brand in Nigeria. Though we haven't launched yet, we have been reviewing a lot of résumés for open positions in the company. I was privileged to work on these résumés with my boss and he was upset with a lot of the applications he got. He shared with me his frustrations and I'm in turn passing on the knowledge I acquired from the experience. We received over 200 résumés, we barely selected 20, here's why.

1. No cover letter: Employers get a lot of résumés and it could be a bit overwhelming going through all of them, how do they shortlist? Cover letters. We ignored applications without cover letters for two reasons- The open position needed someone with a good command of English and a cover letter gives an insight as to how well you speak and write. The second reason is, we could determine if you were qualified for the position without having to go through your résumé. Just sending a "Find attached my CV" doesn't exactly show seriousness. #JustSaying
2. Ostentatious use of words: A résumé would say "I am equivocally capable to literally and emotionally serve your reputable company within the confines of my ability to ensure adequate and substantive use of my time" We get big grammar like this all the time and guess what? 90% of the time they were wrongly used. E no go epp you. Simple, straight to the point sentences that introduces yourself, your qualifications and your acknowledgements will suffice. 3 short paragraphs only. No extra words.
3. Proofread proofread proofread: Some people actually send in letters marred with grammatical errors that can make reading them very 'eye rolling' (for lack of a better word, Lol). Proofreading shows attention to detail and when you actually say it in your letter, it's evident in your writing.
4. Tell the truth: If you know your  résumé was copied from a friends' friend whose  résumé looked very good, please say AYE! lol. Yes, we saw a lot of that especially in the "personal objectives" We need to go back to our résumés and remove all those " I am a capable, mentally stable individual with a knack of propriety and blah blah blah" Your Objectives should be rid of all that grammar, should actually tell the truth about who you are and in simple language too.

I hope this helps a lot of hopefuls looking to get employed.

I see Friday!! Yay!!

Image source- Linkedin

#SaveLivesAtTheBeach: How to survive a rip current and avoid drowning at the beach

My mom came home from work on Sunday, narrating to me the death of the son of a friend at Elegushi beach. She was in tears; young man, with a bright future ahead of him, about to embark on his NYSC, his mother was distraught. I went on Bella Naija this morning and found a similar story about two Covenant University graduates, Funmi Odusina (L) and Adesola Ogunmefun (R) who also lost their lives to rip currents. Read it here

Today's post sheds a little light on rip currents and how to survive them, whether you're a good swimmer or not, hopefully, this article will save a life someday.

 Here are 4 tips to spot a rip current:

• a channel of churning, choppy water.
• an area having a notable difference in water color.
• a line of foam, seaweed, or debris moving steadily seaward.
• a break in the incoming wave pattern.

1. The first tip I found on every website I surfed was to stay calm. Easier than it sounds right? but it's your best chance of survival. Don't fight the current, save your energy and try to float. Wave your hand and yell but stay calm. If you are a friend of a victim, think smart, throw the victim something that floats. Remember, many people drown while trying to save someone else from a rip current so don't go in.
2. Tread water if you cannot swim and let the current carry you. It will carry you out of the current. You will be deeper but you won't be dragged under, so just keep treading water until rescue arrives and attract attention by waving your arms frequently. If you are a strong swimmer, you can attempt swimming back to shore at an angle.
3. A rip current is a horizontal current. Rip currents do not pull people under the water–-they pull people away from shore. Drowning deaths occur when people pulled offshore are unable to keep themselves afloat and swim to shore. This may be due to any combination of fear, panic, exhaustion, or lack of swimming skills.
4. If you're a good swimmer and you find yourself getting pulled out to sea, you have to swim parallel to the beach so you can get out of the current. Once you escape the influence of the outbound water, you can start swimming back towards shore. If you're not able to swim out of the current, signal for help by waving (not flailing) your arms and calling out for help while you try to stay afloat. The current will eventually let up and you'll stop driving away from shore; by that point, it's a matter of being able to stay afloat long enough for help to arrive.
5. Know how to identify a rip current before you get caught in it.: A rip current will often appear as a streak or patch of water that either looks unusually calm compared to surrounding water or that appears a different color than the rest of the water in the area. You may be able to see a streak of muddy or sandy water and debris moving out to sea through the surf zone. 

Please be safe. 

I am currently collaborating with a few people to try and improve safety in our beaches, if the government won't help, then we need to protect ourselves, I'll spill the details soon once everything is concrete and I hope people will be willing to help when the time comes.

May their souls and souls of those who have died in these situations rest in peace, Amen.

Source. WikiHow Gawker 

Manus X Machina: The celebs that brought the MET gala theme to life!

I was a bit underwhelmed by the Met Gala Fashion. I heard the theme last year and expected to see some bad ass outfits. MANUS X MACHINA Jeez!!!! That was the theme. Was I wrong to expect more? I hoped designers will put on their thinking hats (think hunger games effects outfits) Make things happen. And I ran to daily mail and was accosted with frou frou and embellishments. 
However, some stars made my day, they got the memo, I loved Zayn Malik and Gigi Hadid, the Olsen twins looked like vampires, Solange’s outfit looks familiar, Kate Hudson looked great!!! Mr and Mrs west slayed Balmain. Will.I.am was bae. Olivia wilde looked regal! Lupita Nyong’o made my heart swell and finally Naomi Campbell was king. 

#Androgyny: How to look good in a tie and stay feminine

Fashion is just as versatile as life itself, it gets boring honestly, so switching things up and straying from the norm helps keep things interesting. Androgyny is one of my favorite trends, and growing up as an only girl, I was always in my brothers' closets, it was fun wearing their clothes and making them work for me.

Unless you're in secondary school and a tie is par of your uniform, ties are a menswear accessory, they are formal and could be worn to work and business functions. I attended the fashion business series hosted by style house files and when I wanted to choose my outfit, I thought 'business' and I remembered the tie my boss gave me.
There are a couple of ways you can wear a tie without looking like you want to transition. Here are some pointers for nailing an androgynous without looking too masculine.

Wear heels- It's my number one trick. Heels are the go-to accoutrement for any outfit that feels new, uncomfortable or plain. If you're trying an androgynous look for the first time, a pair of heels could boost your walk and your confidence.

Stray from the norm- I didn't do that much with this outfit honestly. You could style your tie with a pair of jeans or a pencil skirt, It mustn't be worn the way it's worn by the men. Create your style

Fit is key- Menswear pieces, especially when they're actually borrowed from the men can fit loosely or just be too big. Consider the fit and your body type. Fold sleeves of oversize shirts, fold the pants to give a better fit. Just make sure it doesn't overshadow you.

Have fun with it, and do you
Sorry I've been MIA, been down with malaria.
Will post more often from now on.

How would you wear this umbrella dress? Belted or not?

I had a wedding last weekend and I have had the idea of an umbrella dress somewhere in my head for a long time now, just for the heck of it. It's no secret I really like boxy silhouettes and this would have been just another dress for me. In short form, my mom hates the dress, my cousin felt it was too simple, my tailor made it quite bland. Regardless I got dressed and as I was headed out, Chioma suggested I styled it with a belt. I felt it won't be a bad idea, so I did. It looked great. I twirled and posed for my pictures, I loved it. But when I looked at my LCD, I knew I wasn't going to wear it with the belt, so I started another round of shots. Looking at the pictures, I felt the dress loose was more effortless and more my style. The belted version felt too cute. I don't really like cute, I like a little edge. But I'll like to know, which is more your style? Free or belted?

 

Alopecia isn't about confidence, sometimes the hair is just not fine :(

Last weekend I decided to have my hair in plaits because this heat is not smiling, and since I just took off a big hairstyle, I thought it will be a great idea to lie low. I have alopecia and I have had it for a long time now, since my childhood, my edges come and go- they improve, they get worse, I give up, I keep on.. It's been the story of my life. 

I decided to make a simple hairstyle regardless of my... deficiencies, I felt I had the confidence to wear the hairstyle. Unfotunately, I learnt two big lessons.

1) A good hair dresser knows how to manage hair flaws and keep it looking neat regardless, and knows to advice you against hairstyles that further damage your hairline

 

2) Sometimes even confidence and beauty can't help and ugly hairstyle. Period.

I attended evening mass sometime in the week and a good older friend of mine approached me smiling because I had changed my hairstyle. He said to me- I thank God you took off that hairstyle, very very ugly hair!!. Don't make that hairstyle again, it doesn't fit you. We both burst into laughter. 

My colleagues also hounded me, not subtly oh, that I should take it off because it wasn't flattering. Mom even admitted that she prayed I'd lose the hair soon. I have since taken out the braids in this picture and I will do more to be kind to my features and my edges.

Do you suffer from alopecia? what are your go-to hairstyles?

If we could wear ankara every day would you like it?

TGIF!! It's Frday and I won't be ranting in this post. It's simply an outfit post. I made this detachable peplum to go with a dress I wore for a wedding two years ago. If I could wear indigenous pieces, I'll wear them everyday, incorporated in minor details (which I do) But let's be honest, cost of sewng is quite expensive, and because tailors know we sew for special occasions, they cut our necks for quality tailoring (rolls eyes). But I love that we are loving our own now. We embrace our natural hair, our fabrics, our locally made goods, it's an improvement I am very proud of.

Today I styled my flared pants with my trusty sweater which I love to wear backwards, and I used the peplum as a belt and to infuse a touch of ankara into my outfit, it's Fridy anyway, rock your ankara in minimal tones today. #IRepNaija

I have a dream, that someday we would no longer need to compulsorily wear western pieces to work, and our ankara pieces will not be delegated to just Fridays and weekends. I have a dream that well tailored African pieces will be embraced even by white collar companies and we’ll be encouraged to wear our own, if we so wish. It may seem a far fetched dream, but impossible isn’t a word.

 

Have a great weekend. On Sunday, I'll share a funny alopecia story.

What is your worst flying experience- Flight delays and airport horror stories

I decided to spend my easter celebration at Abuja with Doc, honestly, it was a relief to get away from Lagos, the stress and family (which consists of just my younger brother who has been quite a handful since he returned from school), the change of environment was very necessary as I was almost at breaking point. I booked a return flight with Medview airlines and my flight was scheduled for 5:30 pm on Good Friday. This meant I'd miss Good Friday service by 3pm and I haven't done that in years. I arrived the airport just in time for check in and I read a book on Wattpad (it's an awesome app that features new writers with a wide range of genres)

My flight was moved to 6:45 on my boarding pass, but I decided to stay calm, 6 o clock boarding time and no word from the airline, 7 o clock, still no announcements, reschedules or cancellations, I was getting quite irritated, 9pm and they called a Medview flight to Abuja but not our flight, all hell broke loose, I stayed quiet, I just wanted to be on my way so I watched the scene from behind, apparently the flight that was boarding was supposed to drop those passengers and return by 10:30. 10:30 PM!!!! I got to the Airport by 4pm and I was to live by 10:30? I started thinking happy thoughts, I envisioned the sleep and rest to come with a  lot of TLC, I even imagined slapping the bejesus out of the attendant who was threatening to beat a nursing mother, just happy thoughts all round. In the end, I learned a few survival skills

How to survive a 6-hour delay at the airport

Mix up and make new friends

I met the pretty lady and this really troublesome but funny man and they kept us entertained while the airline scuttled to get us a filling dinner of meat pie and soda. He was with three of his friends and he cracked jokes and had us all in stitches. The lady beside me got a lot of compliments on her kimono. I'm working on getting one myself, it was very lovely.

Read a book 
You could read a book, with happy thoughts in you head, it could be worse. Let the will of God take its course.

Always stay positive
This so far was my worst experience with any airline but I managed to say a few positive words to some aggrieved passenger to sort of put a smile on their faces. A nice word could go a long way.

I arrived Abuja 15 minutes After 11 and didn't wake up till 11 am the next day. But I resolved never to fly that airline again. Unfortunately it was a return flight, I didn't have a choice. Last time I promised. lol

How to get away with wearing shorts to the office

People who know me well know that I do not like corporate outfits and I don't own up to 5 shirts. Unfortunately. The great thing about not working in a bank or an audit company which, correct me if I'm wrong, have the strictest dress codes, is that your work outfits can be more creative and fun. I wore a pair of cotton shorts to work which with a shirt and sneakers would have been very Friday appropriate, (on a second thought, I should try that) But it's obviously not Friday, and I didn't want to look too lax, so I threw on the one piece that can make any outfit work appropriate. A BLAZER.

There are two ways to wear shorts to work without drawing blank stares- Watch the length, and wear a blazer or a shirt; structured pieces dress up your outfits instantly. But In the end I felt like I should have worn pumps or shoes, as the sandals, though gorgeous, looked too simple.

I got this beige blazer from @SoulorangeVintage, yes I buy a lot of her stuff, just because she sells the best vintage ever, and she's affordable, and I'm cheap on a budget. I digress. The blazer is very structured but can still function as semi-formal or even dressed down casual. I must confess though, the arms are quite tight, so I cannot roll up the sleeves but who cares. It looks great!

Whenever you feel like wearing something that might not exactly be work appropriate, throw on a blazer and it's fixed

Do you think this works for all outfits? I think so

Oh and I got those gorgeous shoes from stylecentric.com and the delivery was prompt! (except for the delivery guy who was quite... Unaccomodating )