WISH LIST

I guess everyone has a wardrobe item you wish you could wear. You know like those short sheath dresses if only you had the legs, or those cleavage revealing dresses, but oops....you are an A cup (and that's with a padded bra). Some even have nothing to do with your body parts (or lack thereof), it's just all in your mind. While some  are just inappropriate because of our weather, leather boots anyone?
My Wish list:- 

LEATHER BOOTS/JACKET: I love leather boots and jackets, or at least the thought of them. I think they are so cool and always a classic. My favourite ensemble is the long pencil skirt paired with boots. It's enough reason to move continents.







TRENCH COATS: I know!! To think I don't even like black and white movies (they always seem to be wearing trench coats, don't they? or am I just thinking of Casablanca?). I think there's something so sexy about trench coats though.

 

OSCAR (COUTURE) GOWNS: Come on, can you honestly say you've never dreamt about wearing one of these gowns? with Jimmy Choos?

JUMPSUITS: Okay this is all in my mind......jumpsuits for some reason just remind me of dungarees. I do admire them on other ladies and keep trying to sum up the courage to wear one, though I know I'll still feel like an escaped convict or an unemployed painter.

pics courtesy;
www.a-shopaholic.com
that1960chick.com
www.stylebistro.com
 www.posh24.com
www.homeyguide.com

AGE APPROPRIATE: SHORTS

I usually have this argument with my friends about what not to wear when you get to a certain age. Some agree with me and some say if you've got the body/legs/arms.....go for it! Funny enough, during my usual blogs sighting session I came across this old picture of Nike Oshinowo wearing shorts. I remembered thinking, when I saw this, that isn't she a tad old to be wearing this? Then again I thought, if she were a Hollywood actress, it wouldn't be a big deal and lets face it, she looked damn good in it. Also she has the panache to carry off the look, it is Nike Osinowo after all.





So is it that some people should be exempted from this "age appropriate" dressing based on their.......shall we say job description? I say yes, to a large extent. Or else how do we explain the Denrele character and his outlandish style?

Also he has the gift of youth (for the time being) so that makes it more acceptable as compared to 'grandpa' Charlie Boy.....in who's case, it's just sad!

I do believe that you are as old as you feel, and I'm not advocating that once you leave your 20's, swap your shorts for sweatpants (though in many cases that wouldn't be a bad idea), but feeling young is far different from dressing young.

Rita Dominic. courtesy chacha corner

As far as I'm concerned I don't believe any woman over 35 40 should be caught wearing shorts to a social event and by social event I mean any gathering that involves people other than your immediate family. It really doesn't matter if you are a 'yummy mummy" and you weigh the same as you did in your teens or you've recently lost weight and you can fit into those slinky dresses you've admired from afar......fact is you are over 35 40!!!

Gwyneth Paltrow (far right) was 38, when she donned this ensemble on the red carpet

  Yes you can wear them to the beach or if you are in some tropical paradise (besides no one will probably know you there) but that should be about it. Short dresses (depending on the style and cut) yes, but shorts.....definitely no! 

Now, imagine you've managed to fit your 40 year old body into a pair of shorts, thinking to yourself "am I sexy or what"? and you are at the same event with the likes of Damilola Adegbite (left)  or Miley cyrus (right)........unless you are Nike Oshinowo, you'll probably be thinking, "damn"!

WHAT NOT TO WEAR - GLO SLIDE AND BOUNCE EVENT COVERED BY BELLANAIJA

I love reading blogs showcasing events in Lagos and seeing what people wear to these events. I've decided that a lot of people; 1) do get dressed in the dark or under very poor light at the very least and 2) they either have very wicked friends or these people so believe in their own fabulosity they are unwilling to listen to anyone. The former, one can just blame on PHCN and the fact that one always underestimates the power of having your picture taken under bright lights, but the latter.........self delusion or lose your friends!
I was reading on Bellanaija, about some Glo event that took place in Lagos last week Saturday and as usual it was underwhelming in the fashion sense. Some though were worthy of mentioning (and not in the good way):

I don't know who these ladies are (there weren't any names in the caption) but if they left the house together, the one on the right should take my advice above and lose her friend in green (who looked good by the way). I've never understood why women with bellies choose to wear tight fitting/figure forming dresses. Just because you are slim it doesn't mean you can wear anything.

She really has no business wearing this. Not because she has fat legs but because they are fat and doughy........and generally just not pleasant to look at. Which is a shame because she has a pretty face, and would have looked better wearing a long flowy skirt, jeans, anything that covers those legs.









Waje on stage

Chee on stage

Okay I'd really feel bad about this if I find out Waje (left) is actually pregnant, anything else would be inexcusable........Again you just can't wear anything because you are slim. Lycra/jersey material can (and should) only be worn by people with zero body fat...a.k.a Victoria Becham.
On the otherhand I liked Chee's (right) stage outfit. I thought it showed her good features like her legs and the dress/bodice isn't so tight as to reveal any bulges. The sheer pantyhose was a good idea too, because the bright stage lights will show all her leg imperfections which are nicely camouflaged by the pantyhose. I'm not feeling her hair though.

Also worth mentioning, but in a good way, was this unnamed young lady on the right. She was well put together. I liked her ensemble, simple yet chic. Make-up and hair were well done too. It's also probable that her legs may be as lumpy as the girl's above but you'd never know.......

Fashion Trends I'm Not Loving

charstyleandimage.com

bellanaija.com

courtesy of www.inkedandsewn.com


Mixed Prints: I really don't get this, it just seems like one got dressed in the dark and the person wearing this  should at least have the grace to look embarrassed once in daylight. Having said this, I have seen it pulled off sometimes, but then again only on models, young Hollywood and of course the queen of mixed prints.......Solange Knowles.


courtesy www.necolebitchie.com

 

HAREM PANTS: Thankfully this trend seems to be waning, or maybe it's wishful thinking, it was still one of this Spring's fashion trends. Am I the only one that expects anyone wearing it to break out in the M.C. Hammer "Chinese typewriter" step?












www.chicisimo.com

www.urbanislandz.com

Denim on Denim:  yeah this looks good on Rihanna......... but what doesn't? 

 

 

MATCHING SEPERATES: This isn't so bad in itself, but I just hate the matchy look, reminds me of matchy bag and shoe. I don't mind it as much when it comes in a single colour, though even that reminds me of p.js ( the only outfit, save from a suit, that should be matching seperates, and besides you wear them to sleep). I especially detest the floral matching outfits......ugh!

 

 



www.amazon.co.uk

DUNGAREES: I didn't like this in the 90's and I like it even less now. I honestly believe this outfit is only fit for toddlers and hillbillies. Okay maybe if you also decide to paint your house yourself, you can be forgiven, but anything else is what it is...........a crime! It's just so uncool. It doesn't look nice on anyone, not anorexic models, fat "big boned", slim, short, tall.......nada! The only thing worse is seeing a guy in a pair with one of the straps (gasp) unhooked. 



designyoutrust.com
 



 

Places: Coldstone Creamery

Coldstone The Palms, courtesy facebook.com

I remember when coldstone first opened on Saka Tinubu in VI, gosh I was so excited. I'd been to one of the ones in the states and bored my friends endlessly with my tales of how great the ice-cream is and how ridiculous the scoops were etc.......Needless to say I wasn't disappointed, at first, when they opened. They had a wide range of flavours which were all available, service was top notch and fast moving,  cones were crunchy and the cakes fresh, and the ice-cream (chocolate in my case) was divine. Fast forward to the present, about a year down the line, three more branches have been opened in Lagos and as far as i'm concerned the only thing that hasn't changed is the taste of the choc ice cream (which is the only flavor I eat). It's still divine.


courtesy www.omnomlagos.wordpress.com

courtesy www.reviewnaija.com

Now what really pisses me off about coldstone isn't the long queues, the inadequate parking spaces (lekki and saka tinubu branch) or their ineffectual, very poor quality plastic spoons (I always ask for the sample spoons, they are smaller but much better)...... no, it's the singing! Yes I know its a tradition (though I've never heard them singing in the U.S. coldstones, and I've been there several times) and its supposed to show some kind of camaderie between staff and customers or maybe just between the staff, I don't know and don't care, this isn't the barney show. This singing especially ticks me off when there are a throng of customers waiting to be attended to, and the staff is busy singing, especially while serving my ice-cream? isn't there some kind of health policy against this???
Also why do they have so many staff just standing around doing virtually nothing while people are waiting, even more so for the fact that the ice-cream isn't cheap. The branch at "the palms" is especially guilty of this practice, both the incessant singing and crap service.


courtesy of google pictures

I also avoid the cones as I've had them 3 or more times recently and they have been stale and soft, all this at the Lekki branch, so maybe its peculiar to that branch but I havn't bothered trying them elsewhere......
Needless to say i'm a big fan of coldstone (yeah I bet you are thinking, so what if I wasn't, right?), or more like I think their choc ice cream and ice cream cakes are one of the best available in Lagos.  As i'm a sucker for choc ice-cream, its actually almost worth the effort, and, its the most convenient from where I live.
Tip: I came up with this chocolate and sweet cream combo with choc fudge topping. the choc should be slightly more than the sweet cream, with the fudge spread in the middle..........ha! its divine! Unfortunately I keep forgetting to take pictures before I gobble it all up.
Icecream for one person at coldstone with toppings and cone will cost an average of 1,500 naira.

Wardrobe Essentials 2

The straight black skirt: this is definitely a must for the working woman. Like the sheath dress I mentioned earlier, it should be of a good fabric, with an inner lining. It shouldn't be too short or long, knee length or slightly below the knee is fine. I'd rather spend good money on a decent black skirt than tops or shirts any day. You can never go wrong with the shirt/blouse tucked into a well fitted straight black skirt look. It's suitable for Monday morning meetings, interviews, customers visits, just about any official function in which you are not sure what to wear or rather too lazy to put together an outfit. 


White shirt and the plain white t-shirt: I guess no one needs to be told they'll need a white shirt at one time or the other and even probably have one, infact I've come to realize one should probably have more than one white shirt and as much as possible it should be of good quality. Of course I wouldn't splurge on one as much as I would on say, the LBD or even my straight black skirt, as I believe you wouldn't get as much "mileage"  but a good quality white shirt is what it is......a good shirt.

As for the plain white tee, this is a personal favourite. I love white tees on jeans. Its my "go to" outfit for any casual event like meeting up with friends, going for a barbcue, running down to the store for groceries, attending my kid's school events like sports, casual Fridays at work.....It all just depends on the shoes and accessories. Like if i'm meeting up with friends or going for a barbecue etc I can pair it up with my strappy sandals, wedges or peep toe killer heels, for sports day i'll wear it with my converse etc.


The dark blue straightlegged jeans: Not just any pair of jeans but dark blue. Not washed or ripped, nor bootcut, midlength or cropped.....just a nice pair of straight well fitted (shouldn't every dress item be) long dark blue jeans. Now this doesn't have to be very expensive, but if you are going to spend money or buy designer jeans it may as well be this pair. It will never go out of fashion i.e. the style and colour, it could be worn formally, just throw on a blazer and pumps. Remember to always wash your jeans inside out, this keeps the colour better, and if its really expensive just opt for dry cleaning. Besides jeans are not (meant to be) washed often anyway, unless of course you've invested in a pair of white jeans, fashionable as it is, it's quite tedious to wear.

My favourite things....

Who has seen the film City of angels? There's a part in the film where the angel of death asks a little girl whom just died (as he was taking her soul to heaven), what was the best part of living......she replies "pyjamas". This has stayed with me for a long time and anytime I think of that question, a constant thing comes to mind...........chocolates! Of course there are many things that make life worth living:- family, friends, public holidays.........and one can't really compare chocolates to one's kids but I have a feeling that wasn't what the question was about, anyway I digress. So back to chocs and when I say chocs I mean anything made from chocs like choc cake, choc ice-cream, choc biscuits and choc bars. Funny enough I don't like choc and pastry, like choc coated donuts, choc croissants or choc coated peanuts, choc waffles (I don't even like waffles, period.) etc, Basically I like my choc pure and unadulterated, i.e, no mint, orange, lemon etc flavoured, no alcohol. I don't mind nuts in the chocs, but not choc flavoured nuts..........


CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES:- This are my all time favs.
 I can't say categorically which is the best brand of choc chip cookies but i'm sure if a survey is ever carried out, the Tesco brand of cookies should surely be top 10. I've tried several brands, from the popular American brand, chips ahoy to the Fox's brand with dark choc, milk choc, caramel (not very fond of caramel), and of course the ubiquitous Maryland cookies. Other very good brands are Marks and Spencers (then again what about M&S isn't good),  the Pepperidge farm brands and Sainsbury's brand.
Now, from my limited choc chip experience, I group them into three classes:-

 

 

The "gourmet" class:- this are usually packed individually in compartments and come in small cartons or paper wrappers and are no more than 6 or 8 in number, like they say the best things come in small packages. Infact if you had to choose between biscuits in wrappers or that in a box (containing the same things of course), opt for the better packaged one. They usually taste better. Now of these class, I still vote the Tesco brand, especially the 'Belgian triple choc cookies" or 'half-coated triple choc"........ oh my! this is just pure heaven in a box. Its not too crispy, that it will just crumble, nor is it soft baked (whats up with that? if I want soft biscuits, i'll just leave my biscuits open for about an hour or so and voila.....) its somewhere in between, so you taste every morsel and yet it sorts of melts in your mouth too.
 The Sainsbury's brand of this type is just as good, and frankly i'm sure if I don't see the pack, may not even be able to tell the difference.
 The M&S brand will come a close second, also very good but not quite as decadent as the first two brands.

I've tried some other choc chip cookie brands not even worth mentioning, but I honestly feel no one does choc chip cookies or even biscuits generally like the british.