FASHION ICON

You always hear people talking about their "fashion icons" and I honestly say I don"t have one. Like, I can't think of any celebrity or anyone I'd like to copy her (or his) fashion style. I think like most people I like bits and pieces of people's outfits and in some cases a total ensemble, but I cant say there's a particular person I look up to as a fashion icon. Or so I thought until it occurred to me maybe I do have an icon after all.......... Victoria Beckam. 

www.millionlooks.com

I know what first comes to mind is an anorexic woman toting a birkin bag who's in dire need of a steak, maybe then she'll smile, right? I mean it must be because she's hungry she always looks unhappy in her pictures, at least that's what i think. Also let me say I'm not particularly a fan, I never thought much of the spice girls, and even if I did my favourite would have been scary or sporty spice. Yet I can't deny that she has many admirable qualities, apart from marrying David Beckham (yes, that's an admirable quality), she has 4 kids and seems to manage balancing that and having a successful fashion empire.......ok you can't really compare that to the millions of hard working women who do all that and more without the money and other advantages she has, right? What can I say? I like her clothes, I like the way she dresses, I even empathise with her unsmiling picture faces. I read somewhere she doesn't like the way she looks in pictures, especially when she's smiling, hence the serious, side glances she always seems to adopt as her signature pose. I hate taking pictures too, I never like the way I look in them, though my friends have told me, that's how I really look, so "deal with it"!

So anyway back to Victoria Beckham's fashion, what I like most about her clothes is the fit. Of course one can argue that her fashion line is made only for stick thin women like herself, though I've seen Jennifer Lopez, Kelly Rowland, Beyonce (to mention a few) in her clothes.

www.tomandlorenzo.com
Kelly rowland in a victoria beckham sheath dress at the David Jones spring/summer collection 2012

 I also like the timeless elegance of her clothes, they are obviously made for women not girls.

www.intheircloset.com
jennifer lopez, victoria beckham and abbey clancy in victoria beckham stretch crepe dress
I think no one wears victoria beckham like victoria beckham herself

www.alkaofficial.com
Cmeron Diaz (extreme right) is also wearing the same stretch crepe dress as above, though hers is longer for a more red carpet look.

I like the fact she's rarely caught without heels, even when it seems impractical. I love heels, there's just something about heels that completes any outfit, of course you have to know what kind of heels to match with the outfit, but heels nevertheless.

www.becauseiamfabulous.com
p.s. how fab are those shoes?

So here are my top five favourite Vicky (yeah that's what we her pals call her) looks:

This is from her 2012 fall fashion line. I just love the knee high boots on this dress.

www.thefashionhive.com

www.mycelebrityfashion.co.uk

I love this look above, though it was slammed on fashion police (that's my fashion bible) and lets be frank, this outfit would be ideal for a buffet. Though victoria beckham at a buffet is as incongrous as Kim Kardashian saying she's going back to school! 

www.femininechic.blogspot.com

www.metro.co.uk
London Fashion week 2012

Gosh I love this look below, it's timeless and so chic and elegant (i use these words a lot), but seriously.....the hair, shoes....

She rocks the casual look too. 

stylenews.peoplestylewatch.com

So there you have it, my top five Victoria looks. Of course I have loads more but we'll be here all day, infact  it would have been easier just to write about her looks that I don't like, but there won't be that much to talk about. Oh and before I forget, 

her outfit to the royal wedding last year. Come on, this woman knows how to dress! 

BELLANAIJA Africa Magic at 10/AMVCA 2014 Nominees Announcement: The bad and Ugly



I term the following the bad because I feel they should know better as they are actresses or celebrities of some sort :
 
 
Where do I start with this oufit? The colour combination, that orange piece of cloth in the groin area, the length of the trousers, the black lace on the sleeves and is that a belt round her waist? The whole thing is just a mess and her hair......Honestly it's like a blind person made this outfit.

 

 

Leonora Okine in House of Marie

  

 

I now saw another picture of this outfit which put it in a better perspective. No, it's still awful, but I now see the orange piece of cloth is actually part of the belt and the whole outfit is a jumpsuit. The hair is not any better up close either, maybe she should have worn some kind of jewelry to distract from this "get-up", I mean it cant get much worse at this point.



Leonora Okine and Joselyn Dumas

  

 

 Joselyn Dumas on the other hand Looks good in all white. Though I did see the back of her outfit (in another picture) and her bra showing through the open back style of her top is tacky. Geez, there are bras for almost any outfit available now.

 

 

 

 

 

Damilola Adegbite and back view of joselyn dumas

 

 

Damilola's isn't a bad outfit, but it was the only picture I could get to show the back of Joselyn's dress with her black bra (ugh!) peeking out. Though while we are on it, this dress seems more befitting for a summer garden party and pairing it with silver drooping earrings or pumps doesn't turn it to a red carpet gown.

 

 

Ivie Okujaiye

 

Dabota Lawson in Rika Oto

I don't know who she is (guess I don't know anyone) and really I'd have named her a best dressed nominee, if it's not for ......lets just say unattractive display of drooping boobs. I am always baffled by this when I see it and  its becoming a growing trend amongst our celebs, showing their droopy breasts in outfits. My question is .......WHY???????? Who needs to see this? It's one thing to be confident and believe in your own fabulosity, it's another thing to just be inconsiderate and subject people to what i'll just term as wickedly indecent exposure. If I want to see droopy breasts I'll look at mine in the mirror thank you!

 

 

Uche Jumbo

 

This ensemble isn't bad, I like the fact that she made an effort. I like the tousled hair and the make up looks nice. I just don't think the dress suits her. Her breasts actually look nice, ( at least from this angle) in the cut out, I think the problem is with her legs. They are too thick and chunky for this particular outfit and something about the cut of the dress and her hips...................

 

 
I'm calling the following "The ugly". Note I'm not referring to the individuals, just merely
their outfits. I believe the pictures say it all.....
 
 

Helen Paul


 
 
 
 

Efya





 
 
 
 
 
 

Ono Bello in Ella & Gabby


 
 
 
 
 

Liz Yemoja in Sally Bawa


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

All I can say is she looks like a sardine!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BELLANAIJA Africa Magic at 10/AMVCA 2014 Nominees Announcement: The good

I am always bemoaning the fact that our naija celebrities rarely seem to get it right when it comes to red carpet events. With the exception of a few (I can count them with two fingers), they seem to revel in wearing ill-fitting or inappropriate outfits. Then again maybe its me and "red carpet" in naija means literally, there would be a carpet that is red in colour present, and I've just been watching too much E-entertainment and the "FASHION POLICE". 

So anyway I was checking out Bellanaija's coverage of the African Magic viewer's choice awards nominees announcement (it's not the actual awards, just the announcement), but still it was termed "red carpet" and as usual I was not pleasantly surprised by the fashion turn out.



Ugonna Omeruo in House of Nwocha

 

So lets start with the Good:

I don't know who this chick is nor have I ever heard of the label she is wearing but she will be my best dressed nominee for this occasion. I love the outfit, its chic and elegant at the same time. I like the fact that she kept it simple with the black accessories and didn't try to colour block or ruin it by adding some other colour.
I love the shoes, they totally match the outfit and her hair and make up is spot on.
Of course I only have this picture to go by, and the back of the dress may be awful, but I doubt that. 
Infact, I lied, she's the best dressed.



Toke Makinwa in April by Kunbi

 

 Ok, so I've been hearing and seeing quite a lot of this Toke on social media and she usually looks good and dresses appropriately for the occasion. At least she got the memo that it's a red carpet event and seems to understand it too. I can't see her shoes though but I have to say its a pretty decent effort.

 







 

 





Michelle Dede in Clan

 

This is another pretty decent effort, I'm not loving it but compared to most of the other outfits worn at the event, this is quite good. I liked the fact she kept it simple, though I also cant see her shoes and I like her eye make up.

 



Adunni Adewale



 

Again I don't know who this is but I like certain aspects of her enesmble. I like the bold wristwatch she had on, seems almost incongruous with the outfit but somehow it works. and she has nice legs, smooth and spotless (or at least the parts of it sticking out). the slit is high enough to be sexy and not skanky. I'm not loving the hair, or maybe I just can't see it properly, it looks slightly untidy and I'm a bit undecided about the yellow shoes, I do like the style but the bright yellow and black sequined dress............



Fashion trends i'm loving: the peplum

www.stylyt.com

I think the peplum is becoming a staple, like a pair of jeans, and what isn't there to love about it? It fits every body type, it's chic, can be dressed up or down and it's suitable for any occasion (ok almost any occasion, cant exactly see myself wearing a peplum to a kids soccer game).

My favourite peplum looks:

Peplum top with a pencil skirt

www.serpentinestreets.blogspot.com

This is my "go to look" for  Monday mornings, meetings, presentations etc. In short when I want to portray my smart, "to be taken seriously" yet feminine sexy look.    

Is this look totally fab or what?.
www.thedazzdiva.com 

         

www.wardrobetrendsfashion.com

www.dailymail.co.uk

www.ericabunker.com

http://eyesofacouturier.com

Peplum top and skinny jeans

This look is also appropriate for any age.

                  

www.chictopia.com
                                                                                               

Of course it's not all peplum styles I like. I'm not a fan of the half  peplum, reminds me of gills on a fish.                                                                           

 

I term the following as Peplum gone wrong:

www.fashionhoob.com

The peplum is also my favourite style for traditional outfits, much to the chagrin of my tailor, but really its not the same material so........... I wore this recently, funny enough to my same tailor's wedding and yeah, she also made the outfit.  

The Maxi Pleated Skirt

I recently took possession of a maxi pleated skirt, navy blue, all long and flowing, but to my chagrin I've discovered it doesn't really go with any of the tops I thought it would. At least none that is appropriate for the office or without me looking like some 19th century missionary teacher. I eventually checked out some looks online and my favourites were the following:

With the t-shirt and leather jacket: Guess there's no need to reiterate my love for the leather jacket.......I so love this look, its just how I would convince people it's a fashion statement and I'm not crazy is the problem. I did try replacing the leather jacket with a normal work jacket, like Rachel Bilson below, but somehow it didn't work.......

 

 

I like the midriff baring top matched with the maxi pleated skirt. The demureness of the maxi skirt paired with the midriff top totally works. Again this is just a wish, because after 2 kids, I doubt anyone (least of all me) wants to see my midriff.





*Word of advice; do not try this look unless you have a super-toned midriff.



 I like the effortless look of pairing the skirt with a plain tank top and sandals or flats. Though I've learnt from experience that this look is not so easy to pull off. You could just end up

 

looking frumpy and lazy, besides its ok for meeting up with your friends but not the work place.

Anyway, after much searching, I realized none of the above ensembles worked for me, so working with what I have, I settled for this look.

pics courtesy of:
www.notdressedaslamb.com
www.classyandfabulousinhijab.blogspot.com
www.raqueldaily.blogspot.com
www.lookbook.nu