THE ART OF FASHION

How about a “CAPSULE WARDROBE?”…

Hey guys

Welcome to the minimalist lifestyle,

I hope you are good and of course ready coz y’all already know, Tabie is always ready and in the mood to make it right ✔️

So, today we are talking about the “capsule wardrobe” a term that’s been there since the 70’s, coined by Susie Faux and keeps on evolving with time but it all centers on one idea- that is;A collection of only a few essential clothes that do not go out of fashion.

Donna Karan created the first capsule collection in 1985 and called it “seven easy pieces” since then a lot of other fashion instructors, bloggers and icons adopted this notion and here we are today still talking about it.Well, that being said, let’s proceed to the main gig-These selected few are basically a composition of clothes that are interchangeable to maximise the number of outfits that can be createdSee sample from the image below

The idea here is all about doing a self clothes editing job – You narrow down your whole wardrobe to remain only with your favorite clothes and remix them regularly.But what’s the reason?? Um first of, y’all can agree with me that you have some clothes that last months without being worn or let alone touched at all in your closet but find yourself wearing the same ones after everytime you do your laundry right?Ahaa! So the main aim is to have an outfit suitable for any occasion without owning excessive items of clothing really- life should be simple, buy only what are considered the staple items or key clothes that go with anything in order to achieve this easily.Of course, another common reason for building a capsule wardrobe is to spend less time and money on clothes.A capsule wardrobe puts much emphasis on your favorite things. Hear me right on this one, not the trendiest things, not even the stylish things or the perfect things but your FAVORITE THINGS.Believe me guys, once you have a capsule wardrobe, the dressing up game becomes as easy as ABC so i urge y’all to build one now, thank me later 😉But how? Don’t worry, there is no universal rule, Capsule wardrobe is what you as the kind of person you are want it to be -There is however some guidelines on how to create it especially for beginners. I’ll quickly take you through some general rules for creating a Capsule Wardrobe-Here’s is a visual for a quick grasp

GENERAL RULES FOR BEGINNERS– Creating a capsule wardrobe–1. Choose a colour scheme

i.e, base colours that go with everything. For instance, the easiest could be black and whiteAfter choosing the colours, u then pick clothes that are your neutral basics as is the picture above; a pair of black pants, jeans, white top, a skirt and any that you feel can go with anything on any occasion and on any day.You then add neutral layers, for instance a jean top, Jacket or coat to make it more stylish and also be ready for any bad weatherYou can then add other flattering colours for control coz you definitely don’t want to end up being a black and white freak in the process, adding some colour to it spices up the flavour.Now add shoes a few diverse shoes; converse, heel, boot, and you are good to go!

2. Consider Your skin tone

Your colour choices should have so much to do with your skin tone – know the colour of clothes that go really well with your skin, dress them and go kill it😉. Lately I just found out that my skin goes really well with peach and gold yellow- how about you??

3. Consider your body shape

Does that particular selection flatter your body? If it does, keep it!! Want to learn more about what to wear to flatter any body shape? Visit my previous post – I gotcha

4. Consider the quality of fabrics

We are talking about a clothes selection to go with for the rest of the season, high quality fabrics will surely serve you throughout the process – probably the best optionGreat, so that was a very brief guideline for creating a capsule wardrobe for beginners.Um I myself thought about writing this because I am also in the process of creating a travel capsule wardrobe for my 3 months work trip so yep, that’s basically what motivated me. As we are talking right now, I need to build a 3 months capsule wardrobe like yesterday lol

Am ready to deep my toes into the capsule wardrobe pool and decided to use Courtney’s “project 333″

What is project 333?In short, project 333 involves choosing 33 different items, shoes, accessories and jewelry inclusive, to wear during a period of 3 months.Simple and straight forward right?The 33 items picked should be able to define you because project 333 is more about finding yourself in your wardrobe instead of defining your style by other people’s standards. It’s also a more of a seasonal capsule wardrobe instead of an overall minimalist lifestyle because really guys, 3 months is quite a good number of days- can’t trust weather !

To make my packing easy, I just created my own Capsule wardrobe formula to get me through my ‘project 333’ —

3 layers (formal jacket, coat, casual top)-

9 blouses (official and casual)-

5 pants (3 decent, 2 jeans)-

2 dresses, 2 skirts- 4 shoes (heel, sneaker, slip-on, slides)-

2 night wear- 3 jewelry- 5 lingerieA quick office capsule inspo belowYap! That’s it guys, I hope this was helpful and y’all are ready to come up with your own Capsule wardrobe to make dressing up not too hectic as we think it is .Have fun building your capsule wardrobe and wish me luck building mine 😉 see y’all in the next post!!

OKAY, SO WHAT TO WEAR?? 🤷

What to wear⁉️
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Hello World!

Happy happy new year to y’all (though late lol) I am so glad we all made it and are still surviving in these Covid-19 times😊. Uww i have a good feeling about this year, new content, amazing fashion bangers back to back so hang on and stay ready coz you already know, Tabie is always ready and in the mood to make it right ✔️❕

Errm so, where do we start from… Okay, before I go into our main focus today – it is very important for each and everyone to learn how to love their body image and be comfortable in it..”damn those pounds or welcome them” (Kimberly Bonnell) ie; If you are thick and you are cool with that, embrace your thickness and dress accordingly – the worst thing you can do is to pretend those pounds ain’t there, am sure looking like a crown is the last things you wanna do, CAREFUL!!

Right, this topic is so broad as it covers quite a number of occasions that could possibly stress you out all night and still wake up with the illest mumble of “Yikes! what to wear??”

Yesterday for instance, I woke up totally blank on what to pull off at the office coz i had a presentation and was so nervous about everything including the choice of my own clothes smh.. that’s basically what motivated me to share this post with you guys coz a minute after, I realized that everything am looking for is right in front of me really-

“What to wear lives right in ur closet”

All you have to do is know how to mix what with what and don’t worry about that part coz that’s exactly my business here – I gotcha! 😉

Now – let’s start with the basics before we go into different clothes for different occasions-

Body image-

So as we all know, there is the negative body image where one feels uncomfortable with their own body mainly because of the standards set by our societies on what defines beauty and there is positive body image where one is confident and comfortable with their body. But tell you what?

I believe every woman is a diamond- skinny, medium, plus size, we are all beautiful and I am here to teach you how to make the most of your figure. forget what society says.

Let’s be realistic- dress your body the way it is, u have a big tummy? Don’t try to dress like it’s not there, where you are big, se the bum or hips, avoid pleated clothes, and yards of fabric because they are fattening. Beefy textures beef you up.

On the other hand, dark colors are slimming, so if u are big, these are the flattering colors to go for. And slim people will only look smaller in such.

Vertically stripped clothes also makes one look slimmer and taller whilst horizontal stripes makes you look meaty and shorter

Talking of the hair, really wide hair makes you look shorter but really straight hair doesn’t necessarily make u taller

If big especially on the belly part and waist “No cropped tops..

Also No tops that hit you at the widest part of your hips, or bum” (Bonnell)

Balance up any body type using the flattery formula, remember it from my previous post?

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If top is lean, make the bottom bigger and vice versa (read previous post for more details about the flattery formula)

Last and most importantly on body image- as Kimberly Bonnell my style inspo would Always put it:- Don’t be a slave to size. Buy what fits.

Moving on to;

What to wear on different occasions-

1. Job interview

First impression matters. And most of this ‘first impression judgement’ is highly visual so make it count. Once u enter into that interview room, People are looking at your face, your body language, and what you’re wearing.

“What you want in an interview is to stand out while looking like you’ll fit right in.”

Basically, I’d advise everyone to first of all spy or research how people dress on the particular firm, but when in doubt, you can never go wrong with a suit.

Google.com

The golden rule is :- If you want to boost your chances of turning that interview into a job offer, your outfit needs to be professional and on point!

2. Workplace- look promotable

Now that you’ve gotten that dream job, break your carrier success by dressing for that position u inspire and working hard of course lol dressing is just about adding sugar to the spice.

Um there is a couple of business realms and on this part, I will extract from this amazing blog by Lily and Austin Belcak whose post was about dressing for interviews but I thought it was too good to apply for both interview and work place- the idea is the same anyway-

(The following is the extraction with explanations here and there)

Examples of Smart Casual Interview Attire For Men And Women

Smart Casual: This dress style is fun and light while still being professional. Choices should be neutral and fit well, but don’t need to be overly formal.

In a casual workplace, u don’t necessarily need to wear a suit everyday. U can use some casuals like khakis, wrap dresses, slim pants and a business jacket… List goes on

occasions –

Business Casual: We’re not breaking out the full suit here, but we are definitely on the more formal side compared to Smart Casual.

For guys this usually means a sport coat, slacks, and leather shoes. For women, this is a neutral blouse (with a blazer or sweater if needed), tailored dress pants, and fancy flats or pumps.

Business Formal: This is your traditional, conservative business look. Think bankers, lawyers, consultants, etc. We’re talking full suit and dress shoes for both genders.

(End of extraction)

3. Church

This part is very urguable because times have changed, people have evolved and people like to say Good does not care about ur outside but the heart. We’d argue all day but long story short, While the Bible makes it abundantly clear that we should not be fixated on our clothing and outward appearance; make no mistake, God does also have a concern for what we wear to church and in worship…

Simple casual always does it better for church for both sexes

Most importantly we are clearly not to adorn ourselves in clothing that is dishonoring to God.

4. Party

For this one, time of the party, venue and season is very important to note. For instance, evening parties go well with shinny clothes unlike afternoon parties-

“Your first clue About what to wear lies in how fancy or quirky is the invitation? It’s mood reveals what the party mood will be”

When in doubt, the ‘little black dress‘ always does it for me

Parties require light clothes, comfortable for dancing or having fun with your friends and also tolerable for every state u are in either drunk or sober.

5. Wedding attire

To a wedding that’s not yours-

As a very general rule, they say women wear dresses and men should wear a suit. Your suit should not be black, and your dress should not be white. However, as soon as you add in dress code requirements like “black tie optional,” or “cocktail attire,” you have a much more specific look to achieve.

Contrary to the general rule, I think women can proper wear white but should make sure they don’t look too bridal. Men can also wear black as long as they don’t look too funeral.

6. Funeral or memorial service

As the saying goes “pay respects to the dead without offending the living”

Black or dark colors continues to be the best option, especially for the immediate family of the deceased. …

Erm u can never go wrong with anything black but mind you, don’t wear a hot black anything 🙅

7. Any season/ weather

A wise man once said “There’s no such thing as bad weather, just wrong clothes”
Dress for that weather and make sure you’re killing it whilst achieving total comfortability coz by the end of the day, that’s all that matters

Loose-fitting clothing is your best bet for staying cool in the summer. For instance, cropped, wide-leg pants, loose shirts, oversize blouses, and dresses and skirts with room to breathe !!

On a rainy day-

Cover yourself up honey-

Winter-

Yep! So guys, this is what I had for you on what to wear for ur body image and on different occasions – I hope it was helpful and feel free to add anything that’s on your mind down bellow- See y’all in the next post❤️

TOP 5 LEADING CLOTHING BRANDS IN THE FASHION WORLD: —Choose your Poison—

Hi guys,
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It’s your girl Tabie again with another banger “Choose your Poison” – I hope you’re good and ready coz y’all already Know Tabie is always ready and in the mood to make it right✔️
Today, we’re talking about the top 5 best selling clothing brands all over the world- and I swear these are ‘must haves’. But then, i mean, if they’re top of the world they must be expensive right? Not to worry, expensive comes with high quality and of course exquisiteness – forget about ur expenses, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel after all💃

Before we get into the line up, I understand there are different people in the world; some naturally don’t do labels at all (which is totally fine), others shift their preference according to the label that’s trending at that particular time of the year and others like myself, have a fixed label that we’re crazy about regardless the shifts of the fashion seasons… Show me a Louis Vuitton bag and am gone lol- What is your Poison??

Now a quick look into the top 5 best selling labels to save your day!!

5. CHANEL

– This is a French label founded by “Coco Chanel”

The main question is;

Why Chanel??
“Coco Chanel saw the need for simplistic and practical fashion for women. These items are crafted with the utmost care, to ensure they last just as long as the fashion does. Overtime they have become exclusive, desired and rare which are the reasons why Chanel’s items are both popularand of course worth the dollar”

Hol’up, the “Little Black Dress (LBD)” rings a bell right??? We all know how we go crazy about the little black dress as a ‘must have’ for every lady, it is a general fitter-the invention of LBD is credited to Coco.

This is a fashion statement that is still current and likely will be for decades. It was basically Inspired by her Catholic upbringing as Coco wanted to create something simple and practical. Now, she understood simple wasn’t for everyone, so her pieces are meant to be built off of, for those who wish. Her LBDs could be dressed up with her famous Costume Jewelry or hats. There is always room for the personality of the wearer to come forward, in any of Chanel’s items. Over the years Chanel has been and is still bringing out a lot of different mesmerizing fashion items to suite everyone…!!

4. PRADA

In 1913, the Prada brothers Mario and Martino created Prada. It started off as a leather goods store named Fratelli Prada, which means Prada brothers in Italian. Fratelli Prada sold products like handbags, steamer trunks, and animal products. Most of the materials for these products were sourced from England. Why Prada???
Miuccia Prada (the director today) says, “Maybe we are all so taken with Prada because it is not just about fashion. It is never just a collection with superficial beauty; there is always more to it than meets the eye.“

From high-fashion items worn by celebrities and backpacks to an acclaimed novel and movie adaptation, Prada has grown to become the byword for luxury and modern style.

3. HERMES

Invented by

1801 – Thierry Hermes

Hermes is a fashion house steeped in history and tradition. Family-owned for five generations. From beginnings in saddlery and fine equestrian leather goods. Hermes today are best known for their handbags as well as a range of other superior items.

Why Hermes??

The reason is simple and straight forward…

“the label is a symbol of class worldwide”

Hermès takes pride in using quality leather. And with such high starting prices of its bags, you can safely assume that it’s not synthetic or low-grade leather. The company mostly uses calf leather in its bags.

You will also see premium, highly prized exotic skins used in its products. Everything from the wildly popular crocodile and alligator through to lizard and ostrich skins..they also do not use stainless steel- In fact, all the locks, buckles and keys of the bags are plated with either palladium or gold. Using such precious metals instantly adds dollars to your final fee.

2. GUCCI

Gucci was founded in Florence in 1921, by Guccio Gucci. Today Gucci is part of the Gucci Group and is owned by Kering, a French company mostly known as PPR.Gucci is one of the world’s most beloved brands, known for its designs that are both innovative and timeless. Recently revived by a fresh new perspective courtesy of Creative Director Alessandro Michele , Gucci has taken center stage in the fashion world with a bold, maximalist aesthetic and must-have pieces.

Why Gucci ??“Under Alessandro, there is no limit to fashion and his open-minded approach to the concept of fashion is what makes Gucci so relatable and the reason why Gucci now has something for everybody“

Gucci continues to reign king, or let’s say, deputy king as it ranks #2 on the luxury market. Social media mentions for the brand across all digital platforms dwarfed almost all the other luxury fashion brands worldwide. The brand is discussed over 11 million times per month, on average.

1. LOUIS VUITTON

World’s most expensive brand is Louis Vuitton.

Louis Vuitton is very well known for its use of leather, excellent tailoring of trench coats, ready to wear dresses, shoes, accessories, watches, sunglasses, jewellery, books and many other accessories, and deservingly have taken the 1st position in the list.

Since its creation, Louis Vuitton has been inspired by a desire to explore new horizons, continually accompanying a world in motion with its emblematic creations

Founded in Paris in 1854, Maison Louis Vuitton has inherited the ambition and vision of its founders. This legendary history built around travel continues to place the House at the forefront of creation.

Why Louis Vuitton ??
Still today, Louis Vuitton’s spirit of adventure is expressed through its unique heritage, values and rigorous spirit of innovation and ingenuity, the boldness of its creations and the demand for perfection in its designs. Leather goods, ready-to-wear, accessories, shoes, watches and jewelry. The House’s creations leave their mark with objects that have become legendary.

All over the world, the House welcomes its clients into a world that reflects its founding values and that is sold exclusively in Louis Vuitton boutiques

However, the positions for these clothing brands keep changing but Gucci and Louis Vuitton maintains top 2. There is a lot of competition between brands to maintain their position and also pressure to follow the trend

I personally love Louis Vuitton because of the durability of it’s products, the crafting, the Elegance it brings and let’s be honest- the ‘LV’ label is simply breath taking. So guys, what is your favorite label and why?? If u were confused on which brand to maintain to, I hope this brief line-up can help you point out an outstanding label to go for😊So go ahead and choose your Poison!!Wanna share? Leave a comment down bellow(All images are from @google.com)

YOUR DENIM FASHION IDEAS!!

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Hello everyone,

How are y’all doing today?? I just hope you are well and observing Covid 19 preventative measures, for instance; washing hands regularly, using hand sanitizers and observing social distance because guys, Covid 19 is real and it’s very important that you stay safe.

Anyway- bet you are ready for today’s topic coz you already know Tabie is always ready and in the mood to make it right 😉

Today, we are going to talk about your to go 2020 denim fashion ideas – it is with no doubt that denim is one fashion trends that will never ever go out of style because it was there maybe since everyone of you was born and it is still gonna be there till whenever- I personally have never seen jeans going out of style, have you?? All it does is switching up alil bit, to fit in the particular season of the year –

This post is just to highlight some tips for rocking denim on different occasions – for starters, let’s talk about :-

1. Denim on Denim

.This is a fashion trend that keeps on coming back season after season “denim on denim” also known “double denim”. This trend generally involves mixing and matching separate denim pieces, in one outfit to look put together especially on casual occasions.Wearing denim on denim needs one to be cautious though because there are some dos and don’ts which if ignored can make the whole outfit look messy –

The first and most important tip for rocking denim on denim is to observe the thickness or darkness of the jean. That’s is to say that -“if one of the pieces is darker, the other should be light jeans” and it is the top that should preferably be light and the bottom be darker.

Double denim can be worn with heels or trainers to complete the whole casual look

2. Denim for Work

Yes Yes and Yes, denim can also be worn at work or official meetings if played simple and smart.
To do this, office denim should be paired with business wear, for instance; a well buttoned shirt worn with a Blazer and some open heels, stilettos or ankle boots that are not so high

Also, denim on denim should be avoided at the office at any cost including ripped jeans, holes and frays -The length of the jeans is also relevant to check, it has to be long enough and make sure the bottom fits, it looks smarter that way- darker denim also works best for office wear

3. Casual wear

Going somewhere fancy? Travelling? Girls day out or at a party?

Jeans worn casually can never go wrong!!

Denim jacket, likkle black dress and sneakers

Denim skirt paired with some Gucci

Dirty denim pants, jacket and heels

4. Denim for summer

All you need is all the fresh air around you right? Wear anything simple and light!!

5. Denim for winter

Uwww finally my favorite part of the year !!

The tip for this one is simple and straight forward…Just keep it warm and stylish- but mind you, don’t look too heavy!!

.Denim on Denim and knee boots

.Sweater, denim pants and boots

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For other occasions like dinner, galas even weddings, nothing should stop you from rocking denim- just make sure you wear the right shoes and something shiny se, a black blouse with glitter or anything to add statement to it.

For more fashion ideas on how to style Denim – Rihanna is the answer!!!

(Nobody does it better than Riri😉)

Thanks for sticking around guys, see you on the next post for more fashion goodies!! Have a blessed Sunday❤️

THE FLATTERY FORMULA!!

Hi guys

It’s been forever since my last post “know your style” (I hope you enjoyed it) but am back now with another goodie to thrill you. All thanks to #carlyphenomenal one amazing blogger whose post I came across, she talked about “procrastination”She defined this as an action of delaying or postponing something and no doubt, I felt attacked because that’s exactly the desease I was suffering from the past months, ‘procrastination‘. So I said, you know what? I am resuming my blogging routine asap and here we are with “the flattery formula” feels good to be back!!

Enough of the chit chat – I hope you are good and you’ve already tied your seat belts, ready for todays ride, coz y’all already know Tabie is always ready and in the mood to make it right ✔️Like i said, today we are talking about the “ flattery formula”
I know you are probably wondering what am up to right now – so stick around up to the end coz you definitely don’t wanna miss this tip.

For starters, the whole flattery formula tip comes in order for each of you fashion slayers to make the most of your figure regardless the color or material of the fabric you are wearing. There are so many fashion myths out here and trying to clear them now one by one can take us the wholeeeee day (we might need to write a book for that)- in short the flattery formula cancels all the myths that come with all sizes of clothes worn on all body types in the world; big, small, short , tall, pear shaped, triangle shaped, hourglass and all the others.

The formula seeks to make a balance between your body and the clothes you wear in order to bring out that sexiness and flatter your body regardless the shape or size.

WHAT IS THE FLATTERY FORMULA??

it’s simple and straight forward..

“ If one piece of your outfit is spacious, the other shouldn’t be”
And trust me this math really works for each and every body type.

Basically this formula advises that if the top is roomy, the bottom should be lean, and vice versa- Once you do this girl, u are good to go😉

Tight off shoulder top and wide bottom pants

Don’t panic- this is not as hard as you think and everyday can be ur “flattery formula day” because all you need lives right behind your closet…
Need a quick guide?? I got you!!

Let’s start with the easiest –

by now, if you wear pants Its obvious you have a lot of skinny jeans hanging on your hangers – Once you put on those skinnies with a loose top, then welcome to the “flattery formula world”

Ever heard of that myth that says, “where u are big, wear big” … No No and No!! Don’t do that-
The flattery formula is here to save you-
It only goes with ‘top and bottom’ .
It disregards the big tummy, wide waist, small legs or big hips. And is simple because u only have to pick out two pieces that are big and small considering how you are feeling that particular day- whether to wear a bigger top with tight bottom or to make the Bottom bigger and the top tight.

That was the easiest and obvious combination that almost every girl can rock- (skinny jeans and wide tops)

Now, If you wanna take the flattery formula on a next level this year especially on ur bigger bottom and tight top days;

Bell bottoms are also a way to go!

These are advantageous because they’re simply universally flattering with no minus .
This is because the volume at the bottom of the leg makes your legs look longer and flatters any body shape.
Bell bottoms are a fashion that brings in that retro effect (especially when in denim fabric) and for that reason, they are not going out anytime soon- we all know how the 90’s fashion still remains a trend till date.

These flare pants can come in different fabrics-

Bell bottom pants can be worn with clop tops, heels if you want to bring a high definition say at a party or evening outings. Slip-ons can do on an easy spring day.

We cannot talk about Bell bottom pants without mentioning;

Palazzo pants

Just like bell bottoms, palazzos are not perfect for winter because the silhouette is light, airly and flowing. Therefore, summer and spring is the right time of the year to rock these pants.According to the style caster, palazzos look really good if worn with a crop top, off shoulder tunics and blouses including fitted turtlenecks…

Palazzo with crop top (google.com)

Palazzo with off shoulder blouse(google.com)

Palazzos come in different fabrics, can be floral, vertically or horizontally stripped, velvet, denim etcetera etcetera

Floral print parazzo

However, just to be on the safer side short people can wear any bigger bottoms with tight tops for instance boyfriend jeans, but should avoid palazzos because the line of the pants is blurred and this makes them look “lower and fuller”

This is the whole “flattery formula” phenomenon in brief with extra Bell bottoms and Palazzo tips to spice up your flattering look

It is important to note that loose everything can kill every look especially for people with a well balanced shape … That to die for hourglass shape can look trashy if you do not apply the flattery formula unless that’s the style u really like and cannot change it for flattery sakes- yes, tight top to tight bottom goes but you do not need to be mediocre in the fashion world. All you need to be is stunning and outstanding right??

Then what’s stopping you from adopting the FLATTERY FORMULA today ?!!

That’s all I had for you, have a happy stylish life of using the flattery formula-

KNOW YOUR STYLE 👗 👠👒‼️

OMG! can’t believe it’s been months since I posted anything but, hey y’all!!- I am back with another hot topic about “style” and I hope u are good and ready coz ya already know- Tabie is always ready and in the mood to make it right✔️Most People tend look at Style as something closely and I mean closely related to fashion. Some even go to the extent of thinking these two words are synonymous but tell you what?? There’s more to style than just the 5 letter word that we all know and maybe think of everyday.“Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak” quite interesting right? Style defines who we really are, it is a reflection of our attitudes and personalities. By just looking at someone’s style of dressing, the way they present themselves through their day to day outfits, I swear to you it is very easy to tell what kind of person they are. Style speaks more about someone without even having to conversate with them personally. A person who is always in official clothes can certainly not be a gangster or say a stripper lol, that person has quite a lot going on, say work or something that has to do with being a successful bussiness tycoon. official clothes oftenly speak power and sometimes are church related- christians ‘specially. U can tell someone’s faith by just looking at them, take a Muslim devotee for instance.The examples are endless, we can take all day listing them but what is important to note is that – unlike fashion, style is something that is internal.. Fashion says me too, but style is personal, it says ONLY ME‼️and that is what gives it the power to define someone coz it’s rare, my style cannot be exactly like someone else’s. My style acts as a link, a connection between what’s in here and how it is being reflected through my dressing. Does my clothing match my sense of self? My identity and my perception of who I am. Style is the answer to such questions- it is the answer to everything actuallyI was reading a piece on style and fashion posted by Jill Chivers and I picked out one or two things from there. Jill writes that,
“fashion is always shifting.” If something you are wearing is considered the one trending at that particular time, it certainly won’t be the same case tomorrow, or let’s say the other week or in the near future. Take Denim on Denim for instance, this is one fashion trend that keeps coming and going. As am talking right now, in my country Malawi that is, double-denim is not in fashion but just wait and see how it comes back later through the year or the next. Yes, style is dynamic too but it takes quite long for one’s style to shift to another. Whatever the case, its still about honouring your uniqueness and having your insides match your outsides. So, generally, style might change but might not be as completely as fashion does because at the end of the day, you are still you- ur attitude and personality cannot shift to something completely different overnight.The piece also says that fashion distracts while style connects. Fashion takes our attention away from ourselves whereas style brings our attention to ourselves.(Jill refers his readers to Dr Quibell’s piece from the Melbourne Saturday Age in it’s entirety) google.comMoving on…Style is something that each one of us has, all you need to do is find it and of course, embrace it.

Now, I’ll share with y’all more about my style which will also hopefully help you to discover your own(if you are not really aware of it yet) taking from the few things I am going to mention about myself.First and foremost, if u know me well, u’d definitely tell that am not really a dress and skirts person lol. I don’t have a specific reason for that but am only crazy about pants and jumpsuits on me than any of those two. Makes me feel more comfortable, I mean, u can sit and play around anyhowThis is how my Instagram looks lol, just noticed am really barely into dresses but pants. (My IG handle is @tabie99 if you wanna check it out)

And secondly, I love to look ‘Iight’. Heavy fabrics are not really my thing so, I prefer sleeveless tops, crop tops with jeggings, and not forgetting likkle black dresses if am out on a weekend or somethingand if it’s jeans then not the heavy type but soft jeans. Boyfriend pants are always my first option- they’re comfortable af💯Let’s just say I love going casual. Am the sneakers type. Crazy about boots also – umm high heels are not really my thing but a model can’t really run away from heels right?😂

I usually go with “black on black” and that’s always the dominant color in my closet. Yellow and red are my other favs

Talking of make-up.. ERM, i can say am not really a fan ..I love my eye brows bushy as u can see in this picture (probably because I suck at drawing eye brows)😂

This is my simple daily make-up routine lol

I think wings are loud. That’s one reason I don’t really do wings but that’s just me- ( I know wings make eyes look quite sexy) anyway lol. Am also not really into loud highliters and brushes unless there’s a particular occasion of course but I am a crazy fan of lipstick! I think red lipstick looks really good on me so it’s undoubtedly my favorite. (sometimes I feel like I invented it😂😂😂)I bet u can tell am not really a make up freak, but there are other moments we raise the bars up lol..

What else? Oh, I don’t have any rare piercings – can just say I don’t really do rings. Except the Normal ear rings we all know – and I don’t plan on getting more piercings now- maybe later haha

Hair, well um, I don’t really do colors. I usually go with black or brown and my mixtures are mostly black with gold or maroon ends. No straight gold or straight maroon lol I don’t like any dramatic effects that can attract attention on my head 🤣.

Apparently, am in dreadlocks and I really love them coz it brings in the natural effect, they’re so easy to handle and this is like the second best choice I’ve made this year lol.. u don’t have to worry about changing hair every weekend.All in all, I simply hate looking official. Unless I have a presentation or something but on a normal day- casual is always the way to go. Or I should say ‘simple casual’ coz I don’t usually have things wrapped around me, no excess jewelry and what not. Bare neck, bare fingers, natural finger nails – not necessarily bare hands, I love hand made Rasta blacelets- everything that goes with true colors and yeah I gec that’s it!So, from the few things I’ve listed about me- I bet y’all can tell am not yet on the first class “bossbabe” level lol rather just a Uni student still on her journey to make the most out of life and be the miss independent we all hope to become. As for my attitude and personality, let’s take that as a challenge :-hint:- (I don’t smoke weed btw lol) comment what you think about me from the things I’ve shared about my style. Also, tell us more about your style and we’ll take guesses about the kind of person you are- “style is a reflection of your attitude and personality” let’s find out if the magic really works😉!!

TRY EVERYTHING!!!😇 (new level unlocked)

University of Malawi, Chancellor College: Zomba

Hey!

Been a minute ya? I hope y’all good and ready coz u already know- Tabie, is always ready and in the mood to make it right👍

It’s another Monday, another day to kill it but, i can’t let this week go without talking about my weekend lol. Hol’up! How was your weekend? Mine had a lot going on and believe me it was fire🔥

We had this crazy social weekend held at my school ‘the mighty Chancellor College’, which involved all Universities of Malawi (my first since first year) and it was amazing. Just like any other social weekend, the whole thing started on Friday night with an open air party by the sports complex. We all danced from dusk to dawn with DJ Mask one of the illest DJs in town- shout out to DJ Mask!!

Now, Saturday is the whole point about this piece am writing today. Somehow, Saturday taught me one or two interesting lessons that I want to share with you guys so, I hope you stick to the end- this blog might be for you-

Saturday night was the great night that we crowned our Mr and Miss UNIMA 2019. A special congratulations to Matio and Vuyiswa for taking the ‘well deserved crown’ home!

The first princess was Catherine from the Polytechnic(congrats to you Cat) and guess who the second princess was?…. Meee! Yes, I was the second princess and trust me the journey was soo amazing.

Modeling has never really been something I thought I’d pull off in this lifetime but if you know me well, you’d know I’ve always been interested in watching fashion shows, following some fashion designers from all over the world especially our very own Malawian made, Lily Alfonso and many more. Creating this blog ‘Fashion with Tabie‘ was also one effect of my crazy obsessions for fashion and anything/ everything that goes with it- modelling included!

This was literally my first time modeling on quite a big stage as this and yes, thinking about the other girls (almost all the other 5 contestants) who were not new to this thing racked my nerves a bit. This being my first time, nervousness was my buddy lol but hey, it’s okay to be nervous, I mean, it’s just another aspect of being ‘human’. All you need to do is take a deep breath and embrace your ‘nervousness’. Funny thing was, once I stepped on that stage for the introduction category, all the thrills were G.O.N.E – yes, all my nerves relaxed the moment I faced the crowd and ironically, the fear turned into total excitement!😇

Erm, I was excited about a lot of things- firstly because I was out there, cat-walking Infront of a crowd from 4 big Universities here in Malawi and most of all because a new level was unlocked in my life. There is nothing so exciting like doing what you love, I love fashion and being able to do this with an audience watching was legit. Ye, the thing was just for fun and all but to my side, I don’t take it for granted because believe me, I am not the same person I was before Saturday night. I used to be this girl doing what I love in a closet, locked in my room, hiding in my blog but Saturday night made me spread my wings a little and now I can fly atleast a mile than before.

It’s crazy how Navabi, my best friend gave the idea of me contesting for this thing after we saw the poster calling out for models. I looked at her for a moment and literally said NO!. Well, she has her own tricky tactics that ended up in me giving in to the trying and trust me I don’t regret it. I never knew I had such confidence until I Saturday night. I surprised myself too and ofcoz, if it were lesser, I can assure y’all that it even got better because of Saturday night. Lesson number one:- u never know what you are capable of until you try. I am a living testimony lol, my excuse to my best friend to run away from her suggestion was ‘i don’t have the confidence for this thing and I can’t’ Navie is so cunning, she was like No, u can and u will do this. There’s always a first time for everything. She was right, if you are out there, scared to do something coz you have never done it before, today am telling you honey, ‘sky is the limit’ spread your wings and discover what you are good at. You wouldn’t know unless you tried. I for one, didn’t know I can be such a good model until Saturday night lol TRY, TRY and TRY !!

With all the love I was getting, I also realized that it’s very exciting to be part of something. Something bigger than your usual self or usual routine. Being part of this beauty pageant made me discover a part of me that I didn’t know existed- it made me embrace the beauty in me and it made me be Rihanna for one night😂😂

This was the celebrity look alike category- which was also my favorite category and I did Wild Thoughts by Rihanna. She is my favorite artist and I chose her because she inspires me in a lot of ways. Riri is aggressively confident and she knows exactly what she is doing. Her fashion sense is always on point and she is a lot of things.. I wanna be a lot of things too not only when I grow up but starting now I feel like I can do a lot and grow with it as we go. I wanna have my own ‘Fenty beauty’ in form of ‘Starlight’ I have a dream!

The other categories were, traditional wear, office wear, and dinner wear. I loved my dinner dress too but oops! I have no pictures of it on this day so, will just show you one of the pictures I took of in it

. All in all, I loved the experience- and I’d do it over and over again until I become perfect in my cat-walk, composure, and confidence.

In appreciation, the king and queen were awarded ‘the’ brand new P33 from Itel and k50,000 each. The 1st runner ups were given k50,000 and we the 2nd runner ups were awarded a k30,000 each. This was enough motivation for me (plus considering the fact that I was broke lol) and next time, I hope to do better.

I want each and everyone whose reading this to know that ‘ACTUALLY YOU CAN’ If a new blood like me took the 2nd place, y’all can also unlock new levels u didn’t know u can. Explore, life is full of surprises- I had fun doing what I love in a tangible way, wouldn’t hurt to congratulate myself ya? Lol and congrats to all the other contestants, I learnt a lot from each of them in a way!

Have an amazing week guys- remember u are unstoppable- TRY EVERYTHING!

CLOTHES AND SKIN-TONE!

50 shades of beauty!

Hey guys!!

Hope u all good and ready for today’s topic coz Tabie is always ready and in the mood to make it right✔️

As stated above, we are going to talk about one of the most interesting and at the same time, delicate topic in the fashion world ‘clothes and skin tone’ – by just looking at the topic, am sure most of you are like -uh this ain’t new, pss! we already know who should wear what and whatnot to flatter their skin tones but hey, this piece is kind of different.

I mean ‘different’ in such a way that I choose to differ from all my fellows who believe that, some colors are specifically suitable for some skin tones and write about what colors you must not touch at all ‘specially being a colored girl (or a white girl in rare cases)- am talking about equality in all angles coz I see a great sense of unfairness than awareness in most writings- and of course, this includes men too! I want you to take a second and look at this picture below:-

Yes, for flattering reasons, u can wear clothes that match your skin as is in the picture above, where u see a face representing a skin tone and the colors labeled wear these. However, it’s not like your life depends on it- I don’t really feel the don’t wear these part coz people talk about matching clothes to skin tone as a rule when it is just a bonus. I mean, coz of such rules, people limit themselves to some sick taboos that does nothing but only steal their shine. U wouldn’t know how great u look in brown unless u tried it- stop hiding under a shell because someone said you can’t, get out of them shells, see the world outside the guides, break the rules and explore!! If you study carefully, that guide recommends nude colors for the white(generally), and deep colors for blacks. I mean, is nude not for blacks too? And are deep colors not supposed to be touched by whites at all? Personally, I have seen a lot of colored people rocking nude, should we say these rules or guides rather, are just made up? (Anyhoo, that’s food for thought lol).

As am talking right now, some people went and got their skin breached because they were told ‘white is the definition of beautiful”.

Mshoza is a South African model who got her skin bleached to look beautiful

You see a lot of black women today hiding their true identity, Mshoza for instance, in order to fit in a society where people are always giving them the, “Yikes! that dress don’t suite you, maybe if you were a little light in complexion” erm, “blown or maroon hair don’t look good on you coz you are black.” Wait a minute, that reminds me of Ajiona Alexus at Song Association by Elle, small cookie as most of us prefer to call her lol. (Y’all can watch the vid on YouTube)

She wore blown hair and there were some disturbing comments like,”I don’t like her hair, black is better on you” – “she is pretty but the hair doesn’t suite her as well” – “I love her but this hair color ain’t it” – “she is gorgeous but absolutely hate when people choose a hair color close to their skin color”

But there was one comment that I really liked,

At first, I only thought she was looking different of course not in a bad way, but after seeing those comments, I thought, “am I just bad at judging hair or are these people really trying to mean that blown hair is not for black girls” I mean, yes according to them, the hair might not have suited Ajiona as a person, but generalizing the whole black race not looking good in colorful hair is trash. Truth be told, make up is very dependent on skin tone yes, but clothes, hair, accessories and anything close to that, has little or nothing to do with skin tone. There is no magic at all, you just need to master how to do it right in accordance to how you look, know what effect colors bring about, learn how to mix the colors well(topic for another day) and you are good to go!

where I come from, I hear a lot of people saying,”‘yellow suites light in complexion people coz it matches their skin, it shines” errm, i remember how a certain guy in my class once threw shade at some dark girl coz she wore red lipstick saying, “red is for laiskins.” So, I took a second and asked myself, ‘are colors really skin tone specific or is it just something we were taught to believe in, being a white owned world?- As a black girl, does it mean that yellow and red lipstick was not meant for me at all?

how about this picture of a dark girl and fair girl pulling off yellow jump suites below- I don’t know about you but I don’t see any difference. They both killed it. This question pops up again; were these ‘wearing clothes that matches your skin tone rules’ really just made up?

There are a lot of examples I can give of people (models) of different skin tones wearing same colors and all looking so good in it- contrary to what people told us and made us believe-

And of course, we can’t talk about this topic without mentioning our very own Lupita Nyong’o, a lovely lady- if she does not inspire you in a way, u might wanna start reconsidering your choice of role models (lol just kidding)

We watched Black Panther, and for a minute- I felt the black energy, the beauty of being black screaming ‘we made it’. Everyone talked about it, blacks were atleast appreciated and there is no greater feeling than that of being recognized and respected in a world that u’ve always felt like you don’t belong. Lupita is one of the black girls who represents us with her stunning style, fashion sense and enthusiasm- if there is one thing I’ve learnt from her is, being comfortable and confident in your skin. Beautiful black child, you can rock any color regardless your skin coz there are no rules to who wears white, yellow, green, black or red and who doesn’t.

-take the case of the girl in my class who was told to stop wearing red because she is dark, Suppose red is her favorite color, how is she gana feel about red after what that guy said to her?” Clearly, it all favors the fair skinned, it’s very rare to hear someone throwing shade at a white girl coz of what she is wearing. Should we assume that, all colors look good on laiskins but not the same case for blacks? – so unfair right!

Enough of the black society, I don’t wanna be bias, its not like whites are spared in these ‘fashion taboos’ (in rare cases though). A certain white girl somewhere avoids wearing black which is sadly her favorite color because she was told it doesn’t go well with a person that’s fair in complexion. As far as am concerned, I find this so ironic because if at all there is a neutral color that looks good on everyone, black comes first on my mind and I think in as far as fashion is concerned, your skin does not in any way define you. All these color rules we see are just ‘myths’. Colors speak word, they are symbolic and I repeat, so long as you mix them well regardless your skin tone- u are unlimited! U can pull off any outfit of your choice and shine in the black or gold people told u not to wear!

To conclude, I’d say color sets the tone- as in, if u wanna look brighter, u can pull up in a bright color and if u wana look dull, dark colors are the deal. But skin tone does not necessarily set/determine the color. Makes sense ryt?

Below is a quick visual guide to what colors communicate!

Thanks for sticking around 😉 that’s all I had for you on clothes and skin tone- remember that there are no restrictions In fashion- challenge yourself and embrace all colors on ur skin because they were neither made for the fair skinned nor the dark skinned- ALL COLORS WERE MADE FOR EVERYONE!

y’all know the deal, comment what you think about CLOTHES AND SKIN TONE- all views welcomed! Have a great day😊

ABOUT ME

Hey everyone!!

My name is Tabitha, but y’all can call me Tabie for short. Thank you for checking out my blog and I hope u’ll decide to stick around coz I have a lot of fashion goodies coming your way😉

Um honestly, I am not a fashion guru and this journey is a little nerve racking for me, but I know it will be an exciting adventure with your views dropped down below- I want this to be a discussion, I give you what I know, u grasp some tips and add on some spice to it coz I believe nobody in this world knows everything.

I know am definitely not the only one who wakes up with the illest mumble of, “Yikes, what am I going to wear?”😓 If you know better, u’ll agree with me that it sucks, right?- I am a girl who loves creating my own style- in a way, we can Just say I LOVE FASHION! So, take some chill pills coz this blog is your rescue for all the panicked responses of ‘yikes’ and ‘damns’ that come out the minute you think of taking a shower and stepping out of that door.

Seriously, what to wear lives right behind the doors of your closet- all you need to do is work on getting yourself a perfect wardrobe, well organized with everything in its rightful place- a perfect(well organized) wardrobe always does the magic!

I am currently a third year student at the University of Malawi, Chancellor College studying Bachelor’s of Arts in communication and Cultural Studies. A Public Relations major and believe me it is absolutely amazing. Lol, u can see am an arts person and Fashion intertwines with art in every which way!! U can break, u can create, u can go to an extra mile with fashion because everyday unlocks a new level- there’s no limit so long as you are in the right track- u don’t wanna end up looking like a joke by the end of the day lol.

I can’t wait to share all my passions with you guys and of course for you to share yours with me. My main objective is to inspire you with what’s trending? Let you know the, “how to’s ” and the “Dos and Don’ts” of some fashion trends we see in the streets everyday, just to mention a few. I am truly excited to hopefully inspire, motivate and most of all give a sense of confidence to y’all. Are you excited as well?? 😊

Always in the mood to make it right✔️

Tabie!