Style Tip of the Week Video

White T-shirts are a life-saver. If you don’t know what to wear, get a pack of white t-shirts and wear one with everything. Somehow white T’s always manage to look cool and chic at the same time. I bought a pack of men’s Hanes crew neck t-shirts and they are my savior. I wear them whenever I don’t have time to choose what to wear or can’t be bothered. Usually crew neck white t-shirts look really good on those of us with larger chests and v-necks tend to compliment those with smaller chests, but either way they're great. To make it fun, try a white T with a trend like pastels, stripes, or a shirt tied around your waist. 

Today since it was a nice, semi-warm Spring day, I wore high-waist tweed shorts with a cut off yellow (semi) long-sleeved shirt. I added red sunnies to protect my eyes, and some lovely colors on my nails.  Happy Friday! 

Tied Up, Button-Up, Doillied-Up

 

 

Today I stayed with the theme of the staple button-up shirts that I posted about early, and decided to wear a button-up with a tie. Since I am supposed to look professional when I go into the prison, I added a tie to offset the casualness of the jeans I wore. I will wear this outfit all day since it is a busy day and it's not necessary to change. The jeans enable the outfit to be versatile.

I also wore doily socks. You know... those socks with the ruffles that we used to wear when we dressed up for church. I love those socks, they're fun. Since socks with footwear is back in style I decided to add some doily socks for some fun and a feminine touch since my outfit was quite masculine. [I also wore boyfriend jeans not pictured] Happy Tuesday!

African Print on a Monday

It's Monday, again... Happy Monday loves! It's a nice, brisk, sunny day here in Connecticut with a little more than a month left before I move back to California. In the meantime I'm enjoying the East Coast Spring and spending time in the sun with my friends as the academic year comes to a close. 

African print and African clothes have been used in fashion and clothing in West Africa for years, and in the last couple years has become very popular in the U.S. Usually they call styles that are in a traditional print or fabric from (West) Africa or South America are called "tribal" prints. The term "tribal" or "tribe" is problematic and often times incites inaccurate and derogatory images of places in the Third World.

My Ivorian godmother made this shirt for me. I have a few pieces made from African print by various friends of the family who are West African. Thus, when wearing African print became trendy, the pieces I had made for me also became trendy. Another reason why you should always keep statement pieces, they usually always come back into style.

Since it was a little chilly I wore this faux fur vest and a blue scarf to keep me warm while outside. Of course I'm wearing red sunnies and bracelets.

This past weekend one of my best friends, who graduated last year, came down to spend the weekend. So Saturday her, our other friend, and I went to brunch, got our nails done, then went to the festival outside on the hill at our school. It was lots of fun, nice girls time. Below is a picture of my nails. I never get less than two or three colors. I love colors, and bright ones at that. 

Have a great Monday!

Bringing Back Sexy Backs

Today I am with my two best lady friends. It seems like forever since we've seen one another so, of course, we're in heaven and having a blast. I referred to them in this post. Today it's sunny with a breeze so I'm wearing my light denim wash skinnies and Nine West boots. I've topped it off with this skull tunic from Shoxie, which has open back detail that is a little bit sexy and breezy as summer rolls around. Have a great Saturday! Might check back for a post tonight.

Laughing at work and this great leather jacket

It seems that Spring has brought the best leather jackets out. Over here in Connecticut we're loving and enjoying the Spring as this part of our lives comes to a close with graduation approaching. We have fun at work, laughing a lot and talking about clothes among other things. My co-worker Shayoni is wearing this great leather jacket from Venice that her aunt and uncle gave her as a gift. It's a beautiful almond color with an orange undertone. The shape, which you can't really see because she refused to pose willingly for a photo, is feminine adding a softness to the leather exterior. I think this year's Spring jacket is vegan leather.

MonDIY

Happy Monday loves!

I was thinking about what to post today; whether to do a post about a blogger or celebrity style or a how to. I decided to share one of the most sacred styling tips that I,  and many fashionistas, live by. This is: DIY. I can't stress this enough. DIY and repurposing clothes is a great way to recycle and reuse our clothes to make fashion more creative and fun. As someone who does not have a sewing machine and doesn't know how to use one even if she had one, DIY to me also includes alterations. I've turned dresses into shirts, pants into shorts (of course), and even skirts into shirts.

If you don't know how or what to DIY go to youtube or google and there are more than enough videos and tutorials. Since summer is approaching, DIY-ing some clothes is a great idea. It's easier to DIY and take away then it is to DIY and add-too, because in the winter you don't want to make things shorter, you want them longer. Anyway, I am the queen of cutting things up.

When I was a child I used to make my sister and mother and other female relatives clothes by cutting up sheets and pillowcases (I'd also make them sandals out of cereal boxes and tape). My sister, Shola, even wore one of the pillowcase outfits I made for her one Halloween when she was a teenager. I was honored. So I've always been into cutting things up and repurposing materials.

The sweater I'm wearing today is an easy DIY, I just cut off the sleeves at an angle. Voila, 80's style sweater. It's a new week, it's Monday, it's Spring, so get creative and DIY some old tee shirts or old pants.

Just Let Leather Live

I really like faux, or now-Vegan, leather jackets. They're not made out of cows and they compliment almost any outfit well. I used to have three brown faux leather jackets that my friends said all looked the same. I know they all didn't look the same, but I ended up giving them all away and haven't worn a faux leather jacket for a while. 

I was gifted this one, an RD Style two-tone Vegan leather moto jacket. I'm loving. It's perfect for the cool Spring days in Connecticut--like today, and for Winter in Cali (moving back to the Bay Area in 46 days) where it doesn't get too cold, just windy. I think it's always good for a lady on the go to have a faux (Vegan) leather moto jacket.

Photos Were Made for Friends

These are two of my best friends: Heran (left) an Cheryl (right). We all met in college and fell in-love with each other, now we are like family. Although we are all similar in some ways (Cheryl and I being extremely similar), we are all very different and that is reflected in our style. Cheryl looks great in an over-sized sweater and skinnies; that is her uniform. I'm always wearing jewelry and sunglasses; and Heran likes colors and comfort. This picture is from last Fall and it not only captures how happy we are when we we're together, but also our different styles (even though you can not fully see what we are wearing). It's important to embrace the differences and similarities between your friends and yourself. When everyone is a trying to be like each other, you loose the joy and dynamism of difference. Fashion is about difference and similarities. Runways shows all have trends and seasons, but it is the way that each designer understands and expresses the trend that makes fashion so fun and multifaceted. It's not about wearing the exact outfit you see on the mannequin, it's about being creative and trying new things, which can be done while still staying true to your style. 

Happy Wednesday Loves,
-Teju

What I Wore on the First Day of Spring

I'm counting today as the first day of Spring because it is supposed to be 67 degrees (15 C) and sunny. I'm excited to not have to wear more than one layer and enjoy the sun. Here's what I'm wearing on this lovely Monday. It's 7:30am and its not freezing outside. 

I'm wearing wide-leg printed trousers, that were made for me in Ghana 5 years ago. I'd never wear them in high school because they weren't "cool", but now I love them and they are just the right style for this Spring. It's a good thing I did not give them away. I'm wearing a long-sleeve shirt that was my fathers, a military cap, and of course-jewelry. Also wearing flip-flops and the straps are covered in African fabric, my godmother made them for me.

This outfit is good for a cool Spring day because I'm still warm enough to not be bothered by the cool breeze, but not wearing too many layers that will make me hot. It's always good to mix and match clothes from different season during the transitional seasons. Happy Monday loves! I have a feeling this week is going to be good.

Purple Tights, Do it Right

Hello again,

On this lovely Saturday I'm off to a roundtable discussion about the scholar/poet Aime Cesaire from Martinique. This is apart of a larger conference held at my university about him. I'm wearing my beret in honor of all the French scholars from the Caribbean, Africa, and France ;)

 Enjoy your day!

Groovy

This bike is so groovy and ready for spring. This neon orange and white is the perfect color for this bike and a spring outfit.

Stripes and Prints

Today is a lovely sunny spring day in Connecticut, meaning it is sunny and cold. I'm glad I'll be back in California very soon. Below is what I wore.

Hooray for Wednesdays: Pink this Week!

It seems like I've been wearing one piece of pink or pink-ish clothing everyday this week. When I decided to evoke softness in my outfits this week I didn't mean the stereotypical version of girly-softness, which means pink and flowers. I don't mind pink or flowers and I guess sub-consciously softness to me means pink. Anywho, happy Wednesday! Went to the prison this morning and below is what I wore. Afterwards I just changed from the black pants I'm wearing below to jeans.

This tee-shirt I'm wearing over the pink collard top (from H&M) is one of my favorite shirts. I have two god mothers, both of which are named Kathy, except one is Ivorian (from Cote D'Ivorie) and the other is Jewish. My Ivorian god mother, Kathy, made this tee shirt for me. I love it. I decided to throw it over this very pink H&m top to give the H&M top some shape and give the African-print tee shirt some color. I wore it with fitted black professional pants and boots-of course.

I like the idea of shirts--whether long-sleeve, short-sleeve, or a sweater--over a collard shirt. I think it works with almost any combination of pieces. Enjoy!







 

How to Keep Warm in the Spring

The Spring in Connecticut tends to start out cold and sunny, so while the sun is out and skies are blue it is by no means warm. Spring, in it's nature, is a transition-season and on the East Coast of the United States 'transition' is the important word.

Today after I came back from the prison I changed my bottoms and added the vest. I wore a Max Studio maxi skirt, with a men's knit sweater from a store in Ireland, a red collared shirt from a vintage store in Paris underneath, and my favorite military vest from Shoxie. I was warm, but still Spring-ish with my maxi skirt and touch of bold red hiding underneath. Talk to you guys tomorrow!

Monday Reds

Hello, happy Monday!

I have quite a busy day today so I probably won't be able to take outfit photos. I love colored pants. I know they fluctuate from being trendy to being obnoxious--but I think if you style them right they can always be fun and look good. I'm wearing bright red pants today (I've had them since high school), with a light purple (or pastel purple) American Apparel shirt that was given to me by one of my past boyfriends. I'm wearing ankle boots and purple doily socks, with a fuchsia head bow. How about all those lovely colors together! Here's a collage of what I'm basically wearing today, the bow is more like a dark fuchsia rather than a pink like below. 

A Pink Easter

Hey Loves,

Happy Easter! If you don't celebrate Easter, then have a happy Sunday!

Wearing a pink pussybow top with pink pearl earrings and boyfriend jeans.

From Day to Night

Hello lovies,

I hope you all had a good day. I'm sure some of you are already out or getting ready to do so. In about five minutes I will be partying. Ya! The Caribbean Cultural Show went great, lots of fun. Here's how I changed my outfit for the performance: I put on a short-sleeve button-up I got a while ago from H&M with my Caribbean island earrings, and of course-switched out my bracelets.


















As for going partying I did something a bit different and very casual. When I know I'm going to be dancing and hanging out I try to be casual. So I went with the theme of big earrings and blue by putting on a blue tee-shirt with my favorite circle earrings that I made from two circular tiles I found at a warehouse full of stuff.  Happy Friday, or Saturday for some of you lovelies! Again, I played with the using two different lip-sticks: my very dark and a maroon, both from Mac.

Style Tip of the Week Video! Happy Friday!

Happy Friday Loves! Tip of the week-- Wear a  tee shirt; preferably a funky one or one with a graphic, you wouldn’t have worn out the house in middle school. Usually the clothes we think would set us apart and embarrass us in middle school we’d love to wear these days, but we've given all of those away. Maybe, just maybe- per chance, we have a cool-funky or graphic tee shirt from middle school, high school, or college that we wouldn’t normally wear. Wear that one! Vintage tee shirts are are always trendy, so instead of buying one-why not just wear one of your own "vintage" tee shirts. Pair it with some dark skinnies and boots, maybe a cool hat or scarf. Fashion is about taking risks with our style and usually when we do this-we like it.

Today I'm wearing a tee shirt I got for my brother when I was in China 11 years ago. He never wore it. Maybe because Mao is on it, I don't mind politically riske graphics. So I took it and now I'm wearing it. 

I'm wearing this tee shirt with a vegan leather skirt I got from BiB & Tuck (a fashion community I'm apart of), Nine West boots, and a collard shirt from old navy underneath. Since it's a lovely sunny day I'm also wearing green & orange Oakley sunnies.

On campus today there's a lot going on so I will be going from my day look to a night look later this evening when I'm performing, poetry, at the Caribbean Student's Cultural Show; after which some friends are having a joint birthday party. The skirt and tights will not change, but other parts of the outfit will so look out for another post later this evening with how to transform this look from day to night.

Don't forget about the Zara Giveaway! 

Has Spring Sprung?

Today was a nice day, even though I was feeling a bit under the weather. It was sunny and light-raining at the same time, which reminded me of Ireland. It hasn't been so cold and rain, rather than snow, is always a good sign. I think spring might have sprung. Today I'm wearing gap boyfriend jeans, a button-up from the men's section of H&M (I think-it's old), a Zara vest, my grandmother's turqoise and gold brooch, and brown oxfords. That's how I know it's getting warmer-I didn't even wear boots today. What are you wearing this spring?