Part I here
I’ve been making a conscious effort to post more of my outfits and style on IG and Tumblr especially because that’s the primary way I express myself and my creativity these days. I don’t keep up with fashion as much as I used to, in terms of keeping up with what’s been trending on the runways or what’s pieces are going viral. Instead, I’m more concerned with what I think looks good and feels good on me.
I take a lot of fashion cues from menswear trends and masculine silhouettes, believe it or not, I’ve always been drawn to men’s style and “androgynous chic” and lately I’ve been playing up to it a lot more, when I’m not playing in my feminine bag. I know the lines are pretty much blurred these days between what’s considered menswear and womenswear but I feel like the dichotomy is still important and necessary, well for me anyway and appreciating the intricacies of both.
One of the reasons I’ve always appreciated Teyana Taylor’s sense of style is because I think she has mastered the balance of combining feminine and masculine from hairstyles to outfits. For someone who has a very similar body type to mine, she almost always gets it right and while her aesthetic is mostly daring and bold and not necessarily what I would ever wear, I have to give credit where it’s due, the woman looks amazing in pretty much anything! The more I study her looks, I’ve noticed we share a lot of the same accessories, especially shoes. And you should know by now my love for shoes!
I love that there's an emerging space for female designers such as Bianca Saunders, Martine Rose and Grace Wales Bonner who specialize in menswear and have an amazing eye for intricate details as well as unique takes on cuts and fits on masculine figures but take clear inspiration from traditionally feminine aesthetics.
For the longest time, I’ve admired American basketball players’ off court style, so much so that I follow a few social media pages dedicated to capturing their unique and sometimes very much outrageous takes on fashion trends.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Russell Westbrook, Kyle Kuzma, Jordan Clarkson and Franklin Jackson are just a few that I look to for what’s in when it comes to men’s fashion. I love that they all have very prominent, individual styles, some bordering controversial (looking at you mostly, Westbrook 👀) but there’s a clear love for fashion, attention to detail, having fun with it and experimenting, regardless of whether they use a stylist or not.
One of my favourite hobbies now is to peruse Pinterest for inspiration and add it to my Men’s Outfit/Style board: https://pin.it/1KDmvEL
Having said all that, as we begin to head into spring/summer, don’t be surprised if you see me in a lot of hot pink/magenta and that colour family. I haven’t added too much colour to my A/W wardrobe and there’s nothing like warm colours against dark skin when it starts to warm up.
Some of my favourite fashion items right now are:
Mixed metals jewellery and mixing metals (e.g. wearing gold earrings and silver rings at the same time
Asymmetrical earrings
Leather jackets
Fur cutch bags
Textured cardigans
Bucket hats (knitted, furry - I will be accessorising well into the summertime 😍)
My favourite looks so far this year:
My Wishlist:
Ok
One of my favourite designers at the moment - I can’t simply pick a dress, I need them all!! I was sold after eyeing her recent showing at LFW (take a look for yourself and see if you don’t fall in love too). No clue what I’m doing for my birthday this year but what I do know is that I will be in a Nensi Dojaka number - so sexy and effortless.
2. Louis Vuitton Patti half-wedge boot:
I remember when these came out about 2 years ago and seeing them on quite a few of my fashion favourites such as Dess Dior, Christine Centenera and Shateria Moragne-El but I was so iffy about the heel and whatever is going on with the front part of the shoe. However, I’ve come to love them especially the navy/blue knee high colour way. I think they look so good paired with a mini dress - there’s something kind of futuristic looking about them so worn with something feminine and figure hugging creates such a fashion forward look. Now, there’s nothing wrong with a good dupe in my opinion, I’ve definitely bought a few in my quest to not go completely broke for the love of fashion but I’ll bypass the cheaper alternative offerings from the likes of Ego shoes and other budget friendly online stores. I’ve eyed some pairs in my size on Vestiaire Collective (yes, I’m very much still obsessed) so hopefully I’ll be purchasing a pair soon 🤞🏾.
3. A Bottega Veneta bag:
Bottega can’t seem to get it wrong with their recent bag offerings. I too have fallen in love with iconic intrecciato leather the brand are famous for… probably after seeing it everywhere and on everyone. I can’t decide between the Mini Jodie padded shoulder bag or the Cassette leather crossbody - The shoulder bag just screams, I’m grown, I’ve got my shit together, I stay dressed and I have the coins to do so! - I know that’s right. However, the Cassette bag is a bit more playful and effortlessly cool - which I think fits more into my wardrobe. Both are a pretty penny so let’s revisit this next year and see if it’s still on my wishlist!
4. Black Satin Cargo pants: Let’s face it, cargo pants are not going anywhere for the foreseeable future. Of course, they never really did, but the fact that just about any brand you can think of high to low, has a version - I think they’re cemented as a staple at this point. I don’t know why it only dawned on me recently that I need a satin version. I’m thinking paired with a barely-there heel or a sleek designer sneaker - satin truly elevates ANYTHING, you can never go wrong. I love these ones as well from Oh Polly.
5. Red or Black Leather blazer:
I don’t know where this sudden need for all things leather came from but it’s becoming a problem lol. The last 3 jackets I’ve bought were all leather material but what’s not to love about leather?! I’ve tried on blazers at a few different stores but none have the right fit I’m going for. I really want the waist portion to be snatched, synched, contoured and they’re just not giving that soooo the hunt continues. I know Zara are pretty much synonymous with blazers but I’m yet to find what I’m looking for there either. And if that wasn’t enough leather talk for you, I’m also looking for a fitted leather motorcycle jacket, can’t wait to cut my hair again I think it’ll be such a vibe! I love the look and fit of this one, the quality looks great and the jacket itself looks a lot more expensive than it is.
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