Totally a Vince Camuto girl

A friend of mine, Charlie of Alexander O Alexander, who is currently stocking up his boutique in Abuja with some beautiful shoes by the way, put up photos of Vince Camuto heels on his BBM profile just the other day. I had to let him know I shared his love for Camuto.

If you are even remotely into the fashion industry and you are female, you MUST have heard about Vince Camuto. He is a rapidly rising fashion designer, indulging in everything from blouses and skirts to jewelry and shoes. I saw his male and female fragrances in the latest edition of InStyle magazine just two days ago.

What I love about his clothes is that they are ultra-feminine and comfortable. When I am in a fashion store, shifting tops and skirts on hangers seeking wallet-tempting pieces, I don't have to look at a label to know Camuto outfits. They are so soft to touch: silks, satins, see-throughs and the like... my kind of stuff. Side note: I have a similar reaction to Alice + Olivia outfits. Most would choose sexy over comfy but I'll take sexy AND comfy any day.

In a Vince Camuto top and skirt,...oh and his earrings too

Thing is: until Vince wins any of the HUGE big-name sort-after fashion awards, his outfits will be somewhat affordable. I am being a wise shopper and loading up on them now before the prices start growing exponentially. I advise you to do the same.

Check out Camuto to shop or admire his pieces. ;) Tell me what you think about his designs, especially if you own any of his stuff.

 

The Right Brassiere!

Did you know that a perfectly lovely dress can be ruined by the wrong bra? It happens all the time. Brassieres, like dresses and pants, come in all shapes and sizes. You have to learn to choose the right one based on occasion, (possibly) mood, and over-clothing fabric. Ladies, help me out. Am I missing any here?

Victoria Secret Miracle Lace Bra

Lace bras, we know, are sexy when a lady's clothes are off (matching panties included of course). Some lace bras have boosting fibers underneath to help ladies with less-than-adequate "packages." Sometimes, the fibers are just there to provide some coverage. (Well, depends on whether anyone else will take a peek, yeah?) Yet, even lace bras can be the WRONG choice for your night-out. If you plan on wearing a lycra or even silk dress/top like Ms. Kelly has on below, please avoid lace bras! It will draw attention away from the beauty of your dress to what is underneath... and believe me, not in a good way!

Photo credit: glamourmagazine.co.uk

 Another faux pas I have observed has to do with the current lace/see-through fashion craze. Ladies (or gents looking out for your women), if you are wearing any kind of fabric that is see-through around the shoulders especially, please take my advice. Wear a strapless bra. It does not even have to be VS: we won't see it. It hurts to see a nice red or yellow lace top displaying a white bra underneath. I don't care if the bra is washed/clean. Imagine the gorgeous dress below with white bra straps dancing underneath: distasteful!

Photo credit: fashion.telegraph.co.uk

You also need strapless bras for such clothing as seen on Michelle of Bombchell.com below.

Photo credit: bombchell.com

 Invest in some good bras, people. If you are in Nigeria and need some good referrals for bras, send me your email...

L-R Calvin Klein $38; Maidenform bra $36; VS Bombshell bra $52-$62; macys.com/victoriassecret.com

Red, White and BLACK!

Photo credit: sohautestyle.com

The gift of style does not just end in mixing up your clothing to appeal to the eyes. It is very much observed in your sense of interior decoration. Each one's style is different: some are minimalists and choose to make the most of simple clothing and vintage accessories; some like sexy, sultry pieces of clothing; while others play up casual clothing, among others. The same taste is seen in interior decorating.

Today, I reflect on doing a lot with something that sounds "simple"... Doing interior decorating with only 3 major colors and making it very tasteful. The pictures here are rooms in the home of designer mogul, BCBG Max Azria. In the first picture, the room is stark white (walls, ceiling, carpet) and then a backdrop of black in the fireplace. Black cage-like chandeliers are used in the center of the room, with a touch of red (in the board) right underneath the chandelier. Notice the vintage rusty bronze mirror on one wall complemented by the throw pills on the couch.

Photo credit: finuca.com

In the pictures above and below, the same color theme is kept but the feel of the rooms are different. Notice the black and red rug above, the cage chairs right before the center table and the same soft touch of red as in the previous picture. The chandelier is different, and a white cabinet houses different kinds of glasses. The throw pillow in the picture below is dominated by white but has red and black polka dots. The vintage mirrors give the walls a special feel.

Photo credit: harpersbazaar.com

Get creative with your abode today. Depending on your budget, it may be easier to collect special pieces (of furniture) over time rather than trying to budget and fix your place up in one day. A friend recently gave me that piece of advice.

Let your apartment or house reflect your personal style. Ciao!

Run the [Fashion] World? Yes!! With Vanity...

What do you notice when you first see a person? Whether an acquaintance or a new encounter? Unconsciously, you size him or her up, right? What does the face look like? Did he/she take any time to fix that up? What about the clothes and shoes? Then, likely the nails etc. We all want to make the right impression...Put your best foot forward they say.

Yet, many people hate on girls who come out looking good, smelling good and take those 15-minute breaks to go to the bathroom and "freshen up." I admit I've thought "Seriously? Geez! So vain."

But in truth, who runs the fashion world?? The Vain! Vanity makes you check yourself in just about every mirror you go across. Your hair is always perfectly in place. The lipstick you smeared during dinner is always back in place just a few minutes after dinner because you had the mind to reapply.

The "non-vain" of which I can be a victim at times, run the risk of having something out of place for a long period of time. Yes, it's human but it can also be embarrassing. Ergo, trying to make the right impression. Being unvain makes you look sloppy sometimes and more indifferent than you intend to look.

Elegant mirror...great investment for leaving your house looking your best; Photo from christonium.com

A FULL-LENGTH mirror never hurt anyone. A lady invested in wall-sized mirrors in over 5 rooms in her luxurious house. Her friend shouted her down but that same friend stood in front of each mirror for long periods of time fixing her skirt and hair constantly. She refused to admit her vanity.

If you actually CARE about looking your best ALL the time, don't be afraid to look in the mirror more than twice a day. You'll love the results and your acquaintances will too. The mismatched outfit you wore to the other party may also never happen again if you have the fashion eye and a full-length mirror to tell you "Who the Fairest of All [is]." Be vain in fashion to appear your best. Ciao!

In Mourning

Let's be honest. Bad news isn't altogether terrible until it affects you personally. I was in church this morning when I received a BBM broadcast that a Dana flight in Nigeria had crashed. I continued listening to the sermon. People in Nigeria are fond of broadcasting just about any piece of information they receive without confirming its veracity, you see. Meanwhile, I'm sitting there with my newly done pink nails, Steve Madden pink shoes and a Jess Simpson plaid dress, waiting for church to be over. Today, service felt unusually long, not because of the BBM broadcast but I just felt tired... This will all tie together in a second.

I walked out of church at some point, got into my car, put on my sunglasses and headed home. On checking my BBM updates, people had put up display pictures of candles or just blank darkness. Their profile messages read "R.I.P." Some put up photos of those they knew on the Dana flight. My friend Azra put up a picture of her now-late pilot-colleagues. It was finally beginning to sink in. I sat in my chair, very sad. My mind raced to "was it a maintenance/operations problem: the fault of the owners of the plane" or "was it just fate?" Couldn't it have happened anywhere in the world? I didn't want to be quick to blame the lawlessness of Nigeria as we Nigerians are very prone to. I wanted to give the country a benefit of the doubt. I still do until forensic results are out...

As the day wore on, my high school classmate sent me a text mentioning the name of one of our former primary school classmates. She suspected her dead, but another BBM broadcast I received had not mentioned her name. My friend must have been mistaken. I said some prayers and went to the ThisDay website. I found her name. NOW, it hit home. Tears flowed down my cheeks. She had contacted me just a year ago or so, after over nine years of our walking different paths in life.

Photo credit: ThisDayLive.com

 So, in all, on the one hand, I'm sad, grieved, in mourning. But what do you say when you live and another doesn't? I dressed up this morning, making sure to look my best as usual. I was irritated by the two ladies sitting in front of me talking throughout the sermon. They distracted me enough to get me to notice their "terrible hairstyles"... Meanwhile, miles across the ocean, a devastating event occurred.

Y'all, everything is futile when you think about it. In one moment, we WILL lose our lives. What will we have to show for it? An LV bag? Versace shoes? I'm not saying "don't look good" or "don't dress well." I'm saying, LIFE COMES FIRST! Do what makes you happy, love your body, love yourself, and more than anything, be grateful for your lives!

Rock your Chest!!

I realize I am playing safe by using the term "chest." You have to be careful these days especially after such articles and photos as the recent Time cover photo of the lady breast-feeding. The concept of how to rock your chest is huge in fashion. Stylists tell you what shape and size of clothes (tops and dresses) to wear depending on the size of your breasts...dresses that downplay or up-play your breasts etc.

Everyday, we hear stories of women doing loads of plastic surgery to change something about the way they look. I read about a beautiful Nigerian lady who totally bleached her skin and mentioned her husband loved her with her whiter skin. Breast implants are nothing new. Yet, do you realize that a good number of hot celebrities actually have small boobs and rock them well?

The recent Instyle cover photo is one of Charlize Theron. Notice she doesn't have a protruding chest. :-)

Charlize Theron, Photo credit: Faystyle.com

J. Lo is well-known for her lovely fashion sense. She surely rocks her chest and hips!

Jennifer Lopez, Photo credit: Instyle.com

I need not say much about Rihanna.

Rihanna, Photo credit: Instyle.com

Those of us with smaller boobs want bigger boobs and those with bigger boobs want smaller ones. What I am trying to say is take care of what you have. Rock your chest, as is dearie! (In the voice of Rumpelstiltskin of "Once Upon A Time.")
Xoxo