Ode to My Fashion

Sénégalese people are known to do whatever they want or like no matter what. What only matters to them is that "gnu dem" ( they advance) as they say in my country. As long as they get what they want, the ends explains the means. For example, they might take a wrong way even on the highway if they are in a rush to get to work. They will not queue at the store but instead force their way in. They will park any way they want without thinking of the next car.  That was not the case in the past. People were thoughtful and caring particularly between neighbors. They tended to keep the peace and even had nice relationships. For example, a woman would send lunch over to her next door neighbor. Or she could go and borrow sugar if she ran out. During events, she could borrow chairs from her neighbor or even her entire house if there were too many guests to fit into her own. Some neighbors became so close, they ended up being family.      Blazer - thrifted...

You guys! Guess what? I attended my first real fashion event. Yeppee!!!!  A friend of mine knew a lady who was organizing a fashion launch and she got me and other friends passes to attend. I obviously went with my best friend. The event was for a sportswear and swimwear African fashion house called B'lingo. I have never heard of it but I did Google it before the event. What I found were cute sportswear with a splash of African prints. It was different from your usual sportswear. The event was held at the Radisson Blu hotel in Dakar. I have never been there but I got to admit that the place is amazing. My Spidey senses were tingling upon entering and I told my best friend that I needed to come here more for my blog photoshoots. The event itself was outdoors in a beautiful garden with lots of greenery. Since we arrived early (but still fashionably late) we were seated like front row even though there were no rows. There were many comfy sofas and couches placed around the gar...

A few months back, I was called for an interview. It was at the Indian embassy. As usual I was in panic mode, because they called me the day before the interview. In my mind, all kind of questions were swirling. But obviously the most important one was :"what was I to wear?" For interviews I always want to go the classic route aka black suit with a white shirt. But I had to mix it up a little in the past. One time in Summer, I wore a bright orange sleeveless blouse with a dark blazer because wearing anything with sleeves with that heat would have been suicide. Another time I wore a grey two buttoned vest with a black and white blouse. I always go for dark slacks as well. For this interview I was going to go for the same dark slacks, a dark blazer, a white shirt and pumps when my husband who was watching me pulling clothes out of my closet suggested I wore Senegalese ethnic wear. I was puzzled a first . "What the hell are you talking about?" I asked him. He went ...

Since I have been back home, women in my family particularly my mother are constantly on my case to dress better. Although they want only the best for me, it gets on my nerves. Women ( and men) in my country dress differently than I do. SENEGAL is a country where being casual is misunderstood. People like to dress up, men and women. Even if they wear jeans, they will wear it in such a way it does not feel dressed down at all. Girls would add nice blouses and sometimes blazers and spruce things up with sandals and a matching tote bag. Men would wear loafers and a shirt with also a blazer. As for traditional wear, the fancier the better. They also like to follow trends and color coordinate. It is not unusual to see someone wearing one color from head to toe. They spend huge amount of money to be trendy because we live in a country where only people who dress up are respected. If you do not, people either do not acknowledge you (try shopping in a fancy place wearing tattered clothes, no...

Wow! It has been a while since I have done a Diy. And I got back in the game with a relatively easy one. (Or so I thought!) A few months ago, I was checking out the Fidak (Foire Internationale de Dakar) with my hubby and mother in law when I saw a stylish woman walk by. She was wearing this bright red accent Kente printed off shoulder top with a contrasting printed head wrap and lots of bangles. Her style was so on point that I asked if I could take her picture. I wanted to add her to my inspiration board on Pinterest. She declined but said that I could come to her booth and buy one of her tops. They cost 12.500 CFA (less than $20) a piece. I declined her offer because it thought it to be a tad pricey for a top that looked easy to make. I was still obsessed with her look though. So I went home and googled how to make the top. I found several links on YouTube. But I settled for an easier DIY that I found on my inspiration board aka Pinterest. I styled it like this: S...

Hello dear Readers! How did you ring in the New Year? Mine was spent with my family and best friend, eating a lot, arguing and laughing even more. Happy New Year by the way! I am going to start this new Year with a banging post (if I do say so myself!!!). My best friend gave me a jacket/coat made in Woodin print fabric or commonly known as African prints for my birthday. It is bright yellow with brown and cream circles. Truth be told, I would have never picked such a bright fabric for myself even if I love me some yellow. Therefore it was hard for me to see about styling it. But, during a phone call, my best friend gave me some ideas. And after brainstorming a bit, I found two ways to rock this jacket. Casual Scarf - old Jacket - gift Bodysuit - HM Jeans - HM Bag - Carrefour Dubai Shoes - Zara Beaded Necklace - Sandaga market Dressy Jacket - gift Dress - made it Clutch - Sandaga market Shoes - Gossip Ring -gift Necklace...

2016 is coming to an end.  For once, I could not wait for the year to end. 2016 was a hard year for me, a year of change. It started all bright and happy but by March, it all went downhill. We were forced to move back home. We had to live in a country we have not called home for more than 18 years. Our life was unstable and filled with uncertainties. Every day was a struggle to re adapt to the culture and way of life in Senegal. It was hard and stressful. There were days I felt like going home only to be reminded that this was now my new and only home. There were weeks I cried at the drop of a hat. There were nights I contemplated suicide or running away. If I had been a celebrity with millions in my bank account, I would have checked myself into a facility due to exhaustion. But I did not have that luxury. Besides, it is not about the physical exhaustion. That kind, you get over it by taking a nap. It is the mental exhaustion that takes a toll on you. You end up wandering if you...