Reviewing Vlisco Ankara

Hello everyone!!! It's been a while since I put up a post and for that I really do apologise. Today I want to review Vlisco Ankara, especially since they recently came out with a new collection of designs. Now, because I used to do the whole Nigerian thing of accepting customer's fabric, I have worked with the fabric on many occasions, apart from using it myself.

I can testify to the fact that the fabric is the best quality in the market (and no, this is not a sponsored post). I have washed the ones I own many, many times with detergent with a washing machine and they are still as good as new, based on the fact that it is premium quality Hollandaise. But beyond that, what I find most attractive about their fabrics is the vibrance of the colours and designs. Their colours are so rich that it is rare to come across a dull Vlisco fabric design. And you know how much we all love our Ankara colours. Lol!!!

The only issues I have with them is that I really do not know (and have not come across anyone that knows) any Vlisco accredited store in Nigeria. All the ones I own and have worked with were purchased in England. I do know of a couple of shops that carry a few pieces but nothing major. Please, if any of you knows any of their accredited stores here in Nigeria, leave the information in the comments bellow.

I hope I have been able to add value to you. Yes, I know that the fabric is quite pricey, but it is worth it. Remain fabulous.

Ankara Street Style

Hello everyone!!! I was out and about in Lagos last weekend and came across this. I like the way she styled the Ankara bag. A lot of times, I see ladies style it in an overdone way. This is simple and understated with the bag being the focal point, which is how an Ankara bag should be styled.

I hope this inspires you and adds value. Remain fabulous.

Ankara Street Style

Hello everyone!!! I just want to give you another street style to inspire you. I saw her on the streets of Lagos this past Friday and I thought how it was an easy, breezy way to wear Ankara. The dress itself is very basic, it then depends on you to style it and give it character.

The purpose of this post is to remind you that you don't need an elaborate Ankara dress. Something basic like this can be styled to express yourself. So till I have something else to say, remain fabulous dolls.

Nigerian Designers At The Africa Fashion Week London

Hello y'all!!! I was looking at pictures from the Africa Fashion Week London and so I have decided to write about it today. More than 60 designers from Nigeria, Ghana, Congo, Botswana, Kenya, South Africa amongst others showed their collections. There was everything from show stopping designs to swimwear. I saw some of very wearable pieces on the runway but I also saw a lot of impractical clothing.

Don't get me wrong. I appreciate Afrocentric designers. However, the fact that African fashion is still struggling to be taken seriously by the rest of the world, I think, should have been reason enough for the designers that came, to show wearable pieces that buyers for boutiques and clothing stores can pick up. I venture to say that the reason why our fashion industry is doing so poorly is that the majority of our designers that show internationally think that to create African inspired designs, the clothes have to be costume. I'm sorry but Selfidges and House of Fraser are not going to carry costumes. Neither are any serious boutiques. It seems to me that a lot of our designers have no idea how to edit their designs. They obviously think that success comes from how eccentric the designs are and do not realise that the clothes have to be wearable.

Another issue I have is the fact that the event seemed to attract the media as well as fashionistas but there were no buyers from boutiques and shops. That is the fault of the organisers. Personally, I have been approached by several organisers of fashion events to show a collection at their events and when I ask who will be invited to watch, they always say media and an audience but never buyers. That is always a good reason for me not to take part, especially since these events can be expensive to participate in. Considering the fact that the main objective of taking part in a show is to sell your clothes, the fact that there were no buyers nor were there any serious British fashion editors there, in my opinion, means that the designers that showed weren't given value for their money. Because I can bet that most of the visitors at the event did not buy anything.

The reason why I decided to write this is to bring to our attention the fact that our fashion promoters need to do more. The only person out of all of them that impresses me is Yemi Akerele of Style House Files. Her company has gotten a good number of her clients into major stores abroad. That is what a fashion promoter does, not just a fashion show that is mainly covered by African media.

Anyway, that is my rant for the day. Maybe next time I want to rant, I will make a video instead. I hope I made sense and that this piece will help any designer who reads it to decide which events are worth the investment. I also hope that it will help the promoters restrategise to give their participants better value. In the meantime, remain fabulous, doll!!!

Outfit Of The Day.

Hello everyone!!! I trust that the week is going well, so far. I just want to do a quick outfit of the day post. I have to admit that I took the picture a few weeks ago and am just getting round to posting it. But then, I guess better late than never.

The dress is just a simple, classic linen dress with Ankara details (an Ajiri Avae dress) that I dressed up with high heels, clutch bag and a cocktail ring. It can be worn casually as well, with ballet flats or sandals and and an everyday bag. Such a versatile piece of clothing. I hope this look inspires you to add more Ankara flavour to your wardrobe. Remain fabulous, dolls!!!

P.S. Have you liked my facebook page yet? If not, hop over right now to be part of my community. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ajiris-Style/229050093848224.

Ankara Street Style

Hello everybody!!! Today, again, I want to help open your mind to the possibilities open to you in terms of your Ankara. I saw this chic inside Unilag and think it's a simple yet nice way to wear your Ankara. She mixed the fabric with what looks like raw silk. I love the Sun flower detail. Nice for church, right?

I hope this look inspires you. Remain fabulous, girls!!!

How To Dress For A Boyish Figure

Hello. Today, I'm going to talk about dressing for a boyish figure. A boyish figure is a straight up and down figure. A small bustline, no discernable waist, and small backside. A lot of women with this figure also have wide shoulders. What this figure needs is the illusion of fullness in in the bust and narrowness in the waist. That will help create curves.

The first thing to deal with is your underwear. You want a bra that helps to create more fullness, like a push up or padded bra. Frills on your bra also adds volume. You can also wear a corset to create the illusion of a slimmer waist. There are also padded panties to create fuller hips and backside.

Ruffles, well placed pleats, and other decorations create a fuller bustline. Avoid sweatheart necklines as they draw attention to your flat chest. Halters, turtle necks and wrapped tops (and dresses) are a lot more flattering. Puff, bell and kimono sleeves give the body more width and so, the illusion of curves. Peplum tops (and dresses) give the illusion of bigger hips and backside. Flowy fabrics like chiffon add femininity to your look. Avoid tight fitted tops as they draw attention to the fact that your body lacks definition. Avoid boxy jackets that end at the waist because they make you look straight up and down. Instead, go for longer jackets with a defined waist and also smallish cardigans. You can add definition to the waist by using a belt. Also, jackets that flare out at the waist and stop at the hips give the illusion of a curvier backside.

The boyish figure, due to it's angular frame, looks more feminine in flowy fabrics. That kind of fabric gives the the body a softer look. Peplum, baby doll and tulip dresses all make the figure curvier. Look for dresses with ruffles, embellishments and other forms of fullness on the top half. You can also use a belt to create a waist.

Women with boyish figure are lucky because they look fabulous in skinny jeans. Just be sure to pair it with flowy, feminine tops that stop at your hips and give you a waistline. Also, leggings look good on them, if they follow the same rules. Wide leg pants and jeans also look fab on the boyish figure as they add fullness to the bottom half. But you have to be careful to wear flattering tops with a defined waist if not, you will end up looking straight up and down. You can also get away with a fitted top when you pair it with wide leg pants or jeans. Another style of trousers that look fab on them is structured pants made with soft, fluid fabrics that stop at the ankle or higher. They make the body look more feminine. On your jeans, look out for details on the pocket, like stones, pocket flaps, embroidery and other decorations as they make the hips and backside look bigger. Wearing light colours on your bottom half draws the attention of the eye and gives the appearance of being curvier. Bleached or faded effect on the thighs of your jeans also make you appear curvier.

As for skirts, avoid boxy mini skirts as they draw attention to your straight up and down figure. Instead, go for skirts made with soft fabrics that flow and swing. As with everybody else, the A line skirt is also flattering. Pencil, mermaid and tulip skirts make you look curvy when paired with flattering tops.

I really hope that I have been able to add some value to you and have helped in your bid to look even more fabulous. Enjoy your weekend and I hope to have something new for you soon. Remain fabulous doll!!!

Ankara Street Style

Hello!!! How has the weekend been so far? It has been raining here in Lagos so I've had a very laid back day. Today's post is another street style photo. I love the Ankara Jacket the first lady is wearing. So stylish and casual. It can be worn on Jeans, a Pencil Skirt or even ankle length fitted trousers. I hope y'all like it as much as I do.

So enjoy and be inspired. Hope to be back with a new post soon. Remain Fabulous!!!

Street Style.

Hello!!! Sorry that I have been gone for so long. Just want to put up this street style picture of a girl I saw in Unilag. Ankara jacket worn on jeans. Nice but casual chic. Enjoy and be inspired. Remain Fabulous, dear!!!

Dressing For Your Figure.

Hello!!! Today, I want to talk to you about dressing for your figure. You see, one of the main components of being stylish is how well your clothes fit your body. It is important, when choosing pieces for your wardrobe, to have a realistic knowledge of what your body looks like. What is your body shape? What is your height? Let’s say you are curvy. Are you petite curvy or tall curvy? Are you long waisted or short waisted? You have to use this knowledge when choosing clothes.

If you are interested in knowing whether you are long or short waisted, it’s very easy to do. Measure the distance between your armpit and your waist, and the distance between your waist and the bottom of your bum. If the distances are not equal, and the top half is longer, you are low waisted, if the top half is shorter, you are high waisted.

The main thing when choosing clothes is using them to make yourself look more proportional. So if you find that you are high waisted, the best way to make yourself look more proportional is to wear tops that make your top half look longer. Wear tops with vertical stripes to make your top half look longer by drawing the eye up and down the length of the top. Also, avoid wearing tops that need to be tucked into the bottom. Another thing is to avoid dresses with waist bands. They too draw attention to your waist. If you find that you have to wear a belt, go for thin belts in the same color as the clothes so as not to draw the eye. It is also important to restrict your wearing of prints to your top half, as wearing prints (especially brights) will only draw attention to your high waistedness. Also, try as much as possible to wear tops that end at your hips, like tunics.

The problem that low waisted people have is that it makes their legs look shorter, so they need to wear clothes that make their legs look longer. One way to achieve this is to go for Empire waist clothes as they lift the waist and so make the legs look longer. Also, low waisted women should avoid waist baring clothes like tie tops. Your tops have got to be long enough to cover your waist. Bottoms like trousers and skirts should start from your natural waistline or a little higher but never lower. Low rise jeans are not your friend. Another thing that can help you is to wear shorter jackets and boleros. These help to lift the eye and make your waist appear higher. Last, but not least, wear heels as the make your legs look longer. And avoid shoes with ankle straps as they make your legs look shorter.

I hope I have been helpful in your journey towards being more stylish. Enjoy the rest of your week. Remain fabulous.

Ankara Street Style

Hello. Today, I have another street style picture to inspire you. This time, our subject is wearing an Ankara skirt. She wears it so effortlessly with a white t shirt. The look is so easy but believe me, this is one skirt that can be worn in so many different ways.

Ankara skirts are easy to pull off so I encourage you to get yourself one and experiment. Remain fabulous.

Ankara Street Style

Hello!!! Today, I'm starting a new kind of post that I will be calling Ankara Street Style. I will be putting up pictures of normal women, going about their business, but using Ankara in a contemporary way. This first girl I came across in Unilag, Lagos. Her Ankara mix T shirt caught my eye and I love the very classic way she styled it.

Her style is so easy and effortless, yet so African in a contemporary way. I love it. You too can look into bringing Ankara into your wardrobe with a simple T shirt. It's very easy to wear in your everyday life and easy to style, too. I hope this inspires you. Enoy and remain fabulous.

Building Your Skirt Wardrobe Part 2

One major thing to consider when choosing skirts is that where ever you put light/ bright colors appears larger. So, If you have wide hips or a large backside, and you want to minimize it, avoid light/ bright colored skirts (and trousers) and stick to basic neutrals. If on the other hand, you have a small backside but you want to draw attention to it, wear light/ bright colored skirts. One tip is that if you have more curves than you are comfortable displaying, you should try body shapers to help hold everything in.

If you are very curvy but want to draw attention away from, another trick is to choose skirts that have details that down play them. Examples are a simple black skirt, an a line shaped skirt, a full circle (swing) skirt and any skirt with vertical details like pleats, vertical stitches, and an elongated pocket. Another tip to draw attention away from your bottom half is to wear an interesting top to draw the eye.

If you want to add curves to a small bottom half, or to balance out a no waist figure, you can wear bright colors and shiny fabrics. Because they visually expand the your hips and backside. You can wear balloon skirts, printed fabrics, a line skirts and faded washes of denim skirts. These will help you look curvier than you are.

If you have a straight up and down figure, with no definable waist, wear smug pencil skirts. The tapering around the thigh creates an illusion of curves.

I hope I have helped you in becoming more stylish. Stay fabulous.

Building Your Skirt Wardrobe

Hello. I hope you enjoyed my last couple of posts. They were Ankara focused and hopefully gave you an idea or two. Today, I want to talk about skirts and how to utilize them in your wardrobe. Especially since most of us live in jeans and only wear skirts to work.

Usually, most of us start off our wardrobes with the basic and timeless A line or pencil skirt, depending on our figure. The versatility of this basic fashion skirt, in a neutral color makes a very easy to mix and match wardrobe especially when one is on a budget. It is important when one is starting out, to avoid skirts with any fancy details on them, so that it is easier to to wear it time and again. This way, the skirt can be the canvass while embellishments can be added with the top or the accessories or even with color.

Another essential skirt to own is an neutral day to night skirt. By that, I mean a skirt that can be dressed up or down, that is formal enough for the office but casual enough to wear on a night out. This kind of skirt helps to open up your wardrobe to accommodate both your work and social life.

After you have these essentials, you can begin to look at growing your skirt collection. You can do this with more sophisticated styles of skirts like body con skirts, or draped skirts.

Another kind of skirt is the feminine skirt, like a lace or swing skirt. These kind of skirts soften your look and make you look very much feminine and stylish.

Then, there are the trendy skirts. These are whatever skirts that are on trend at the moment and they keep your wardrobe current.

I hope that I have been able to inspire you as you expand your wardrobe. I hope to talk more about skirts in my next post. Till then, stay fabulous.

Lanre Da Silva Ajayi Now At Spiga2 Concept Store.

Lanre Da Siva Ajayi has done it again!!!!

Hello everybody. I'm so excited to give you this news. As proof that hard work and creativity pay, LDA after mentoring with the duo Domenico Dolce and Steffano Gabbana, now has her line stocked at their concept store, Spiga2. She is the first African designer to be selected to retail there. This is by no means her first of this kind of achievement. Her work is available at Selfridges in London (thanks to Ndani) and she has taken part at the Patti Immagine Trade Show in Florence, Italy among others (thanks to Style House Files) amongst others.

As a designer, I must say that she makes me very proud and also hopeful for what the future holds for more of us African designers. Kudos to Mrs Ajayi and more grease to her elbows.

Remain fabulous, darling.

Ankara Dress Outfit Of The Day.

Hello everybody!!! I was on my way to church, this morning, and decided to take a quick outfit of the day photograph. It's a simple dress that is ideal for most churches in Nigeria. It can be dressed up or down, depending on how you accesorise it. I accessorised it with wooden bangles that I got from a mall in Abuja some years ago. The fact that they are made of wood makes the outfit a little less 'serious'. The dressiness comes from the black and gold shoes with the gold bag. The shoe was a gift and the bag was from Debbenhams about 2 years ago. The dress is from my clothing line

I hope that this gives you ideas on how to wear your Ankara dresses to church or semi formal events. Enjoy a great week ahead and remain fabulous.

Classic Ankara Dress

Hello!!! It’s been a while. I’m sorry that I haven’t been able to put up any posts in a while. Work has been hectic. I came across this picture of Yemi Akerele in this fabulous Jewel By Lisa dress and was reminded of how well Ankara has blended into the modern and sophisticated woman’s everyday wardrobe.

This dress is a neutral classic. The colors on the dress are all neutral, so it can be worn with almost any color of accessories. The fact that it is a classic means that it can be dressed up and dressed down to suit the occasion and also, it will still look on trend in the next ten (10) years. I love the bead work because it takes it out of the ordinary and makes it a head turner. It also has the added bonus of not requiring a necklace and maybe even (depending on the hairstyle), earings. These are all key elements you should consider when investing in that extra special Ankara dress that you can turn to over and over again.

I hope I helped in some little way. Please, please, please, stay fabulous.