10 fashion items Kenyan Ladies have killed :-)

I can safely say that Nairobi is not the fashion capital of Africa but I recognize the long way she has come and I am proud of the growth I have seen in the industry over the years…

There is one thing we Kenyan ladies do myself included… we know how to exhaust a particular fashion items that is considered trendy or in more Kenyan terms that are “in fashion”.  Do you remember the infamous Kenya uniform? The skirt? It’s grotesque fabric and it’s shapelessness… yet the Kenyan woman stuck with it until it’s death…very sad J

So many trendy things catch on especially in the city but Kenyan ladies take it a bit too far… here are a couple of fashion items that I think should be taken down a notch or just completely do away with them…

Disclaimer: I might be a bit rough/tough on this topic… only because these things really disturb me…

      Plastic shoes

When I was a kid I loved my Bubble Gummers sandack shoes and when Bata or whoever introduced the plastic flats I felt like I was in heaven… I wore them everywhere, they were comfortable and even thought they were essential in everyone’s wardrobe…this changed though, when did it become okay to wear them to work??  #enoughsaid 

Empire Waist belts

This is an awesome trend… however; I think we need to watch how we pair our outfits when we decide to wear one. Empire belts are supposed to give an illusion of a small waist so if you have back fat and muffin tops all cascading on the poor belt means it aint working for you.

1.     Colourful skinny jeans/jeggings

Purple, luminous yellow and green, red etc. etc… lets just stop!


P.S skinny jeans were not made for every body type… so if your legs look like chipolatas or you spot a muffin top just quit wearing them… 

Big Handbags

Ladies what do we really carry in these bags?? and do we really need them to be that big??

     Mary Jane's

I sincerely have no problems with Mary Jane’s in general… when I was a little girl I loved them and the feeling is still mutual.  I actually think they are classy and stylish! However, the Nairobi market has these patent leather (read extremely plastic) Mary Jane’s that look like were manufactured in gikomba (a Kenyan flee market) and are cheap and tacky…I am sorry if you own a pair

Gladiator sandals

We just need to move on… as comfortable as they are, our market is filled with so many fake and ugly looking sandals I just think it’s time for this trend to end!

 Hosiery

                                                         

Ladies pantyhose, stockings or whatever you call them are NOT a substitute for trousers!!!!

     Boots/uggs 

Ladies in Nairobi make me happy J why do we wear ugg boots or boots in general when it’s hot??  

   

    Tights/leggings

These are sooooooo 2008 lets get out of this funk… but I must admit they are very comfortable J

Maxi dress

 J I do not have much to say about this… just go to any event weddings, party’s even funerals… you’ll see what I mean 

The Greatest Accessory

As a young girl I was always fascinated by big watches… at that time my favourite brand was swatch (then famously known for their big round faces) I had them in all colours and I adored my big round yellow as if it were my blanky. The bigger the watches were the more they intrigued me…By default I had to wear men’s watches since ladies watches were much smaller than I desired. I think I only wore a ladies watch once while in high school… you know the tiny ones that you have to squint to tell the time…yeah ☺

Like always, I tried to do some research on the history of clocks and time keeping appliances but to be honest… the information was a bit out my league. Physics was never my strong point, but this is what I got from it… The current system of time keeping, also known as sexagesimal timekeeping was developed circa 2000 BC by the Egyptians (it had to be them ☺) where they divided the day into a 12 hour system using the suns movement. Many other methods of time keeping emerged from different societies e.g. timestick, hourglass, candle clock shadow clock etc etc. and have evolved through out the years… So please by all means, read more on this and educate me…

My love for men’s watches has never diminished but rather grown by leaps and bounds. I literally dream of when I’ll own my 1st Vacheron Constatin watch maybe a Pattek Phillipe or even a Audemars Piguet… I think of when I will attend my 1st Basel-world exhibition (if I can ever afford it ☺) or any other watch exhibition especially in Africa. The other day my friend and I were discussing how he spotted this Michael Kors watch and how he is trying to decide whether it’s worth the $300… I think any watch is an investment! Some are collectables but others are timeless accessories, so if you can afford it my dear friend…go ahead!

I think there are three types of watches that one should have in their closet…

The Everyday watch: this is a basic watch that is more functional than stylish… what matters here is the size of the face, features it has and it’s durability. It cam be a digital watch, leather band watch or a stainless steel one it really does not matter…Brands such as Rado, Kenneth Cole, Seiko, Wyler Genevive, MT-G etc come to mind!

The dress watch: this is basically a watch that you wear with your smartest outfit, this watch shows your status in society, your fashion sense, your self esteem… this watch should set you apart and exude power ☺ (I like that)… brands such as Omega, Brietling, Tag Heuer, Corum, Jean Richard, Cartier, Sturhling, Longines, Rolex (original) etc are what you need to look into…

The high-end watch: this is an investment, something to collect and pass on like an heirloom. They are definitely expensive and delicate and should be worn only on very special occasions. There is really nothing much to say about these watches as they speak for themselves… Patek Philippe, Louis Moinet Magistralis, Audemars Piguet , Hublot, Vacheron Constantin are just but a few names to note…

How do you then pick which watch suits you?


Body Type
I know I have said this before and I may be preaching to the choir but again, knowing what works for you and your body type is very important! Same thing applies to watches; the size the watch you wear should be relative to your body size/wrist, so if you are a big man/woman wear a watch that has a slightly bigger face than a standard watch as this will make it look smaller.

Personal Style
Are you into rainbow colours, earth tones or muted colours?? Do you prefer silver or gold? Leather or metal strap? Knowing your preferences will ensure that you pick a watch that suits your personal style and one that also does not clash with what you wear.

Profession/lifestyle/functionality

Scubba divers or mechanics prefer durable water resistant watches, Lawyers and lawmakers much dressier watches, sports men and techies are definitely into more casual pieces… it’s important to have several watches that are functional depending on where you work or what you do in your free time. A dress watch and a casual watch are a must have in everyone’s closet men and women alike…

I hope I have helped you in some way or the other… I’ll write more on watches as I learn more about them! Stay tuned ☺




Apologies if the pictures are not gender sensitive ☺








*pictures retrieved from the internet

MY NEW LOVE....

My best friend has this thing where, when she gets a new pair of shoes they never get off her feet… she will match every piece of clothing she owns to that shoe for at least a month! I consider this one of my pet peeves, which she has heard me go on and on about…Anyway, you know how they say that bad habits are like a comfortable bed or birds of a feather… Yeah, so I caught on to that bad habit… good thing is, I found the most perfect, trend proof and classic unisex pair of shoes ever created!

The classic brogue

I know am a couple of seasons off on this one…seeing as I made a point of jumping off the trend carousel many styles and trends have gone past me without notice. But now I have caught on! The brogue is arguably the most comfortable shoe next to Bata bullets (my Kenyan audience can attest to that)…when I first saw a pair in one of the thrift shops/markets they reminded me of old British men, my grandad and Dr. Quin the medicine woman (remember that show?)… I thought they were ugly and could not think of anything to pair them with and then I saw this black pair…and the rest they say is history!

So the brogue originated from the Gaels and it was an outdoor or country shoe worn on semi formal and casual occasions. The shoe was normally made from untanned leather and had little perforations that allowed water to drain from the shoes. It was a shoe mostly worn by men but in time it became acceptable for women to wear them. They come in various styles, the most common being the wingtip brogue commonly worn by Jazz fellows (the black and white classic brogue), Longwing, semi and Monk brogues etc

Today, the brogue has become a wardrobe essential, they come in different styles from dress shoes, high heels, flats and boots all embedded by the perforation of the material used to make the shoe…You can pair it with a dress, a fitting suit, trousers, a collegiate look, geek chic look, jeans, skirts, Capri’s and many more. They are even formal enough (depending on the industry you are in) to be worn to the office… Join the fashion revolution! Get a brogue :)

*pictures downloaded form the internet, no rights reserved :)