Memoirs of a Closet Freak – Going half on a baby…

Hey y’all! So I have been in hiatus for a minute…I had a whole winter-fall line up for you until fate threw a wrench in my plans. Uncontrollable circumstances, or so they call it but a good one at that! It seems my figure is being threatened by the demands of motherhood again! Seeing that Fall is my favorite fashion season, I broke out in a brief panic because I realized that this development could have the potential to stump my personal expression of style. Just as fast as that fleeting thought came to me so did it dissipate! Lesson learnt – ones style should never be compromised…despite the situation or circumstance. I mean its your style so why should a couple of extra baby fat redefine what is yours. So my ‘midnight cravings’ were matched with my unwavering love for boots, jackets, scarves, gloves and other Fall goodies. My mission: simple – to accommodate my baby bump in a very fashionable way. There was no way I was going to let my temporary growing girth dictate my style and have me fall victim to unflattering maternity attire. Nine months was too long a time to put my style on hold!

To commence my ‘baby bump watch’, my style of choice gravitated towards leggings, tights and sweater dresses – very appropriate for the season at hand. However, already half way through my pregnancy, my love for pants could not be ignored. It was inevitable, I had to deal with my possible fashion nightmare – maternity pants!!!! Yikes! Or so I thought until my visit to my neighborhood Motherhood Maternity store. To my fashionable mothers-to-be…there is hope…and a lot of it! Can you say stylish designer pants, leggings, jeans and wait for it…skinny jeans…yup, I said it …maternity skinny jeans that actually fit even better than normal skinnies! I was like a kid in a candy store. As I literally ran from one end of the store to the other, it just hit me… my panic of a threatened style was so unwarranted. Who said pregnancy was all about comfort and no style! Here you could have both!

So in addition to the surge of hair and nail growth, and the so called ‘pregnancy glow’, I still have my style to rely on!

Here are some of my favorite pant picks so far….

My cheesy grin says it all…these black skinny pants make a wonderful closet companion during the work week and during leisure outings! It’s no surprise this item got a seal of approval from Heidi Klum, the world’s hottest mother! I mean she has had her share of pregnancies so you would only think she knows what she is talking about! With such an endorsement how could you possibly go wrong! More importantly they are affordable and comfortable as hell! Definitely a must have in your maternity collection!

Next item on the block (below) is this uber fitting designer jeans. The thing that tickles my fancy with this item is its fit and length. I can still wear my heels (yes I still wear heels and I’m not ashamed to say it) and it definitely passes the pant length to heel ratio (no high waters or hanging pants in these parts)! Of course I love the dark blue color that makes it appropriate for the day and night time and definitely a perfect contender for work as well.

A girl can never have too many skinnies…still on the hunt for some white ones but in the meantime I will settle for these denim skinnies that allow expectant mummies to also be stylish or better yet join the skinny revolution even during the nine to ten months of incubation.

No baby was harmed or squeezed during this production. All featured pants have a control spandex top that perfectlyaccomodates, covers and holds belly in place, and allows free movement and uttermost comfort for both mother and child.

Memoirs of a Closet Freak – Take 8 – Bidding Summer Adieu…

Wearing the right outfit is only half the battle…knowing what fits you and the colors that complement your complexion goes a very long way in graduating an okay outfit to a ‘stop dead in tracks’ outfit! Now there is no rule book out there (as far as I’m concerned) that states one must go all out when dressing for leisure, and just leave dressing to work to chance! I mean think about it, as adults we spend about 70% of our lives at work - now that is a very large fraction of your life you are leaving to chance! 

As the last bit of summer finally leaves the building, I wanted to close our summer chapter with some food for thought – Remember style is all about how you wear your items and not necessary what items you wear!

Today, to officially close out the summer, let me introduce my colleague Lauren. She definitely knows how to work with pieces and colors to accentuate her features and does this effortlessly. Still basking in the influences of the summer we have left, Lauren is in her flirty patterned dress. The floral undertones of greens, browns and white matches her light complexion perfectly. The solid brown accent belt provides the outfit the contouring look it needs, emphasizing Lauren’s full-figure hourglass shape. The final touch comes in the form of her lime green mid-heel pumps.

This outfit spells comfort and definitely sass! A great ensemble for work which doubles as a perfect afterwork piece – a causal drink with the girls or a quick bite with the beau!

Memoirs of a Closet Freak – Take 7: Best of Both Worlds

I not only marvel at or write about  traditional African fabrics cut into more modern applications and styles, but I do practice what I preach! I think as a fashionista in the diaspora, in my humble opinion, the two greatest inventions  ever made (2) Skype (1) modern styles cut out of African fabrics!  Back in the day, the only time I would don a full set kaba and slit (ceremonial clothing for Ghanaian women) is when celebrating International Day in school, and even with that I couldn’t wait for the end of the day to literally ’hubble’ back (the slit were always a challenge to walk briskly in) to my dormitory and peel off the sweat inducing outfit! Don’t get me wrong, I totally adore the beautiful patterns and colors that are always representative of African fabrics and I always felt proud strutting down the student center representing where I come from and the admiring looks I did get from some of the students! But lets face it, anyone who has worn a traditional kaba and slit knows for sure it’s definitely not too appropriate for a hot summer afternoon here in the States! So bravo to the fashion genius who started the revolution of creating more functional garments using African fabrics. Now African fabrics can be worn everywhere…even to work! (Haha, I chuckle at the sight of me in a kaba and slit at work). Not only does this application increase our wardrobe options but it also allows other people from other cultures to partake in our culture through fashion – don’t believe me…, check out my 5th update in memoirs as I showcased a colleague in a skirt made from Ghanaian fabric…and no; I did not pay her to wear that! (just in case anyone out there was thinking that!) lol.

Anyway, so I did take a page from Evelyn’s (my colleagues) fashion book and decided to bring ‘Ghana’  to work with me too! Needless to say, I did get some great comments about my outfit, but more importantly I felt great and proud representing my motherland:

 

Mucho gratitude to my homegirl (Yvette) for contributing to this outfit by way of my lovely mustard, red and black Ghanaian fabric skirt by aje Pomaa Design Gallery. The pencil cut makes it very appropriate for the board room and the pleated front definitely amps up the wow factor! I conveniently matched this piece with my black crew cut top (from my archived samples), my red beaded necklace to bring out the red in the skirt and my fav mustard heels that was a dead on match with my prized piece.

Still paying homage to my African roots, here’s another work favorite that solicited a lot of intrigued comments:

This full piece from the Exotic Collection of Ophelia Crosslands, a gift from my home girl Abby, is yet another Ghanaian masterpiece that shows how the modern styles and traditional fabric can provide a darling number for your work closet.  

So my dear fashionista in the diaspora, I wouldn’t get rid of my African fabrics just yet if I were you, send those bad boys back home with some measurement and see an increase in your work closet.

Memoirs of a Closet Freak – Take 6: Wearing the Pants…

Overall I would consider myself an avid ‘pant’ or should I say ‘trousers’ wearer. Don’t know if its because of the element of comfort I personally think it provides or its ability to conceal my narrow ankles – a part of my physical anatomy that I am not so proud of! I think the former stands firm because not only does a pair of trousers keep me nimble and a bit more active in the workplace, but strangely enough I do feel a sense of extra confidence in pants.

Or maybe its the different cuts that just tickle my fancy – the editor cut, the signature cut, the tapered or skinny leg cut, the painter cut, the wide leg or sailor cut….I could go on for days! What you will realize is that each cut has the most appropriate way to style in order for the cut or fit to really stand out. Now, this is my shameless two second marketing plug in for NY& Company - I love their pant selections! Not only do they usually have a wide variety of pant cuts but also sizes: the petites,the short, the regular and the tall! OMG! (NY& Company you can pay me now! LOL). One of my major fashion pet peeves are hanging pants!!!! I cringe at the sight of these! ( It really took me a minute to get used to the capri cut – for a second I thought the fashion world was playing some kind of prank on me!)  Anyway, thank goodness for NY& Company’s tall cut because I love my pants to drape over my shoes – thank you very much!  The tall works perfect for me because, although I am not the tallest dame out there -5’7 (normal height), I do love, LOVE my heels and I would rather step out in my unflattering nightshirt before I wear a pair of pants with hems bearly touching the the top of my shoes!

Anyway as I mentioned above, most pant cut have a more appropriate way to style. For example a wide leg pant cut best goes with a more fitted top or one that accentuates a narrow waist. This cut looks less appealing when paired with a baggy or more loose draping top. A baggy top on the other hand would go better, in my opinion, with a more tapered leg or skinny cut pant. A fitted top coupled with a wide leg pants allows for a more proportional look and prevents the less flattering ’sack’ look. This look might do wonders for a pimp or big daddy (or not!) but definitely does nada, zero, zip, zilch for us sistas with curves!

I prefered to match my black, white and grey patterned wide leg pants (NY & Company) (definitely a work favorite) with my black NY & Co waist coat and my Express white shirt. My Express white shirt also ranks high in my ‘work collection’ because the fabulous bow on top adds a little extra styling to a plain simple white shirt. To add a little bit of color and for further emphasis on a narrow mid-section, I solicited the help of my thin purple belt. For color enforcement, I had on my purple pumps and purse – just a little color for taste.  These pieces work together, in my opinion, to provide a more proportional flow and classy look that is ideal for a work day.

Now an example of a baggy top on a tapered pair of trousers: this stylish find I grabbed at T.J Max, goes very well with my Express tapered pants. Again this look provides a more proportional look, simple yet elegant enough for the board room.

So remember, pants (trousers) are definitely ‘news’ necessary for the work closet but more importantly knowing how to style a particular cut or fit is what makes wearing the pants fun! Now let the fun begin people – check out New York and Company’s yearly pant sales! Today is the last day!!!! See you at the checkout line!

The Essence of Adorable…

What better way to teach our kids about our culture and our identity then to bundle them in cultural art forms that are representative of the motherland. A marriage of the western styles and our traditional art forms are not only adequate for grown-up fashion but very necessary for that of our little ones. As a solution to a frustrated mother’s shopping misadventures in looking for more creative, expressive and stylish garments for her daughter, Kradle Kouture Inc. was conceived. With a mandate to provide mothers with a cultural infused alternative to children clothing, Kradle Kouture Inc. carries fun, expressive and modern styles cut out of authentic African designs, textiles and themes. As part of its philosophy, Kradle Kouture supports individuality, creativity and cultural expression by providing unique pieces for the trendsetter in training!

The designer and owner, Nana Adwoa Abeasi, combined her love for fashion and design with her native Ghanaian background to create a fashion house catering to kids and toddlers (boys and girls) from six months to eight years old. The vibrant colors, alluring styles and modern appeal provide an alternative to cookie-cutter, mass produced garments found in department stores. This yummy mummy understands the need to keep her little treasures repping their Ghanaian roots through expressive fashions that combine the best of both worlds – traditional and modern. Using her brand, Kradle Kouture, she looks to bridge the gap between other mothers and creative culturally infused alternatives to kids clothing.

Meet Nana Adwoa Abeasi – mother, wife, engineer, entrepreneur and designer….

AJ:        What inspired the Kradle Kouture Inc. line?

Nana Adowa:  Well to be blatantly honest, the inspiration behind the Kradle Kouture Inc. line is my fashion-forward 3 year old child, Ava-Mirre. Ava-Mirre has been my inspiration to start this business from the very beginning. Being a new mom of such a smart yet fashion-forward child, I was inspired to make cute clothes for her. She has always been my muse and motivation for the clothing that I create. I identified the gapping need for more creative and expressive clothing options for babies and toddlers after a number of frustrated shopping trips looking for outfits for her highly fashionable daughter. I wanted to be able to give kids an opportunity to be noticed in the glamour limelight by creating ‘miniature copies of adult designer couture fashion’ for them.

AJ:        Who is the ideal Kradle Kouture Inc. customer?

Nana Adwoa:  The ideal Kradle Kouture Inc. customers are the young fashion diva and hot lil’ dude in training, little fashion forward trendsetters and of course our fashion-forward and cultural conscious parents.

AJ:       What kind of influences/inspirations do you draw from when designing a Kradle Kouture Inc. piece?

Nana Adwoa:  First and foremost, inspiration is deeply rooted in my African origins and background. I get inspired by the bold colors, shapes, patterns and designs in our rich African fabric. Other inspiration comes from what is fashionable, modern and in vogue. All in all I use these influences and inspirations to create a safe balance between what is African and what is fashionable for our kids. Kradle Kouture is a functional cross between modern styles and authentic African designs to promote cross cultural fashion alternatives that keep kids styling while enjoying their day-to-day adventures.

 AJ:       What is your background and was Kradle Kouture Inc. an obvious progression in your professional career?

Nana Adwoa: I always laugh at this question because I’m one of those people who tend to do a complete 180 degree turn in my professional/personal life whenever I begin to feel stagnant or see that there’s some monotone aspect to my life. Believe it or not, my background has always been in the science field – Electrical Engineering and Mathematics to be precise. However, even as an infant, I have always been fashion-conscious and had an immense passion for fashion. Despite the fact that I have always actively worked and have been educated to be an electrical engineer, I managed to participate in several fashion shows; working as a freelance commercial, editorial and runway model most of my early adult life. I have had the pleasure of mentoring and training young adults in the art of cat walking. And funny enough, to this day, I do continue to work as a freelance print and commercial model.

So to get back to your question, NO, Kradle Kouture Inc. was not an obvious progression in my professional career but has been a passion of mine from birth!

AJ:        As a new designer, what have been some of your struggles or stepping stones in releasing a kids’ boutique and clothing line?

Nana Adwoa:  There have been numerous stepping stones as well as obstacles that I’ve stumbled upon during my journey to set this boutique up but the ones that immediately come to mind are:

With Stepping stone: Finding my niche market, target market

With Struggles: Developing sound marketing strategies, finding investors

  AJ:       What two words, in your opinion will best describe Kradle Kouture Inc. clothing?

 Nana Adwoa: The two words that come to mind that I feel will best describe KK Inc. are ‘UNIQUE’ and ‘ONE-OF-A-KIND’ kids’ apparel.

 Unique because you will find that KK Inc.’s clothing is in no way, shape or form like your typical departmental store items. Our creative team spend a lot of time putting these unique designs together and infusing them with very rich and authentic African fabrics, hence each symbolizing some African tradition and/or culture. One-of-a-kind because we stand on the grounds that you will probably not see the exact same design on the exact same fabric with any of our pieces. Simply put, they are all clearly unique and one-of-a-kind masterpieces!

Our clothing is a fun expression of modern styles cut out of authentic African design, textiles and themes. We use African fabrics rich in color, patterns and designs to provide our garments with a vibrant presence that adds to the authentic cultural appeal.

AJ:        What’s in the future for Kradle Kouture Inc.?

Nana Adwoa: Since we are very young (been in production for about a year now), we are looking forward to a lot in the coming years. In the immediate future you can expect to see more creative designs for the kids; we’ll be venturing into making baby clothing and shoes (all with African prints and themes); educative programs/newsletters for the kids; more fashion shows and photo shoots and just more fun, expressive clothing and accessories.

AJ:        Where can we find the Kradle Kouture brand?

Nana Adowa:  Currently we are an online brand and can be found on our website and etsy. Please see our website and additional contact information below.

For more information on Nana Adwoa and her Kradle Kouture brand:

Discover them at Kradle Kouture

Follow them on Twitter

Join them on Facebook

Keep up with them on their Blog 

Shop with them at Etsy 

Memoirs of a Closet Freak – Take 5: Something borrowed…

Memoirs, as you must have already gathered is a creative section of my fashion blog that showscases cool work outfits and personal styling if you will. To make it less about me and more about my audience, I will also be featuring work ensembles of other work colleagues and friends, who in my books have definitely got it right in identifying their personal style and look fabulous strutting their stuff in the office corridors.

My feature today is on my fabulous colleague Evelyn who definitely knows her ABC when it comes to looking great in the office. Her style exudes comfort and sassy and definitely a boatload of fashionable. I had to do a double take as I came across her looking fun and flirty in her African inspired outfit. Not only was her choice of colors a slam dunk thumbs up for the summer season but her piece selection blended very well with her personal style. To set off her funny bubbly personality, Evelyn matched her burnt orange, brown and turquoise African fabric pencil skirt (a great gift she got from Ghana, big ups to the motherland) with a turquoise ruffle blouse from Ross. Staying true to the color scheme at hand, she loosely wore a burnt orange scarf over her shoulders.

  

I like this outfit because it is very representative of Evelyn’s style and her personality. It is a perfect blend of chic and causal. Of course there is no doubt that I was more than pleased to see someone from another cultural background repping African fashion, Ghanaian fashion to be exact, with such confidence and flair. It is an example of how fashion does indeed transcend any cultural background.

This fashionista is no stranger to great style and working with pieces and definitely gets my stamp of approval! Apart from her styling abilities, Evelyn rocks a mean ‘penmanship’ through her blog Still Kissie. Very interesting read! Now don’t be inspired by just her style but definitely check out her blog and Twitter page!

Memoirs of a Closet Freak – Take 4: When in Doubt…Accessorize!!!

Every now and then, our outfits need facelifts; and what better enhancing tools to employ then accessories!!! Accessories add the fierce to any style! A simple pair of trousers and blouse combo can be transformed into a fashion piece guaranteed to turn heads. The fun thing about accessories is that they come in all shapes and sizes, all forms and colors – there is an accessory for every style! My fashion accessory of choice would be shoes, shoes and…oh yes more shoes. However, I do love scarfs, hats, jewelry, bags…and the list is endless. I recently fostered an attachment to thin belts and my collection is ever growing!

Accessories always keep me on track with being trendy and  fashion forward. Accessories are definitely ‘news’ that keep an outfit up to par and in vogue. I will admit it, I too am a slave to the ‘animal print’ frenzy that has taken over the fashion world! I have a feline fetish and I believe I made this quite obvious in my post  It’s a Jungle Out There…

 A nice pair of trousers and a simple blouse is the bare minimal for a corporate setting, but there is no rule book that prevents a little edge in the office …  or a little jungle fever to be more exact! Well, let me re-introduce you to my jungle pals, just in case you did forget:

'Lola' and the gang

‘Lola and the gang’ definitely handle theirs as they sprinkle a little fierce onto my corporate minimal – a little jungle upgrade if you will!  To be fair my Express tapered pants do not need much of an upgrade because they in their own stride, exudes  fashion forward and stylish as a result of their fitted cut and fancy side panels; definitely a favorite in my pant collection.  On the flip side, my tan sleeveless crew top can definitely benefit from accessorial embellishment, since it is a part of my pre-historic finds during my Big Apple days.

 Throw in a jacket or blazer and you’ve got yourself an ideal business, yet sexy and fashion forward ensemble for the professional looking to make a BOLD statement.

You don’t need to spend a million bucks to look and feel like a million bucks … first rule in my improvising handbook!

Memoirs of a Closet Freak – Take 3: Piecewise Functions

Don’t be fooled by the heading… in no way is this some kind of mathematical experiment. As a math major, during my college years, piecewise functions were my least favorite topic; however as a working woman currently, I swear by putting pieces together to get that decent look and style.  Hopefully, by now you may have caught onto the fact that I am a sucker for jackets, belts, scarves, blouses etc. I do love dresses; however I find that I personally can be a bit more creative with pieces. Pieces and layering go hand in hand; and in my humble opinion it is the most appropriate for a Corporate environment – a jacket, a vest or a sweater over a blouse, dress or tank top can transform professional into professional chic.

 Sometimes it is necessary to go heavy on the professional (usually when there are meetings scheduled), however it is important for me not to compromise on personal style or color, for that matter! Corporate colors can be a bit dull and boring sometimes; so that is why it is necessary to jazz it up with bold and defining accessories. I am definitely a sucker for the black, grey and red combination:

Here, I am wearing my patterned grey and white skirt (collection from a couple years back), my red ruffle blouse (2011 Summer Style Collection) and for a little dramatic effect, I also have my black waist jacket or vest, all pieces from New York & Company. To complete the styling I was going for, I am wearing my Express thin black patent belt with metal buckle. This is to give the outfit more personality and spank.

Using pieces personally gives me creative flair and also prevents me from being pigeon-holed into traditional corporate styling. You could enter that meeting room looking like everyone else…. or dare to be different with a little color and some creative pieces…. 

I may not be the overall boss lady (yet)… but I am definitely the boss of my style! lol

Memoirs of a Closet Freak – Take 2: Sassy Professional

You work in a professional setting, so owning a suit is quite inevitable; however wearing stuffy suits all year round could be a real drag. You may want to spice up your ‘professional’ a bit; especially in the summer months, so going to work does not seem like such a chore. Well, I for one love ‘sassy’ as my most adequate spice! Sassy professional is all about diluting your professional a bit with fun items, accessories and colors, that not necessary take away from the professional look but makes it more fun and inviting in a complimenting way.

This is how I wear my sassy professional:

In place of a boring stuffy jacket, I opted for my navy blue H&M blazer, definitely a ‘this summer’ must have piece.  As if the sleek navy blue color was not persuasive enough, this item had me at hello with its signature tailored cut and striped inner lining. The overlapping front panel accentuates a narrow waistline, opened or closed, which personifies a sassy yet professional appeal. The dual nature of this piece makes it a suitable companion for work… as well as play!

Now this is a perfect example for why it’s important to keep key old pieces. My skirt… a hundred years old!!!! Okay, not that old but it could as well be! Another piece obtained during my New Yorker days, I remember –  it was love at first sight and I can’t seem to rid myself of this piece. Not only is it a great piece to have but also a perfect weight gain deterrent to keep my hips and waist in check (I will cut myself before I decide to give up this skirt).  Anyway, it was a match made in design heaven when I brought these two bad boys together. The A-line cut of the skirt and the blue trimmings at the hem all spell sass!

A little color was the final piece of this ensemble. To offset the calming blue and stripes, I thought a couple red items were best suited for the job. My red tank from New York & Company and my red Aldo pumps made the cut! Both items pushing about four years of ownership. With that I was ready to tackle the world in my sassy professional!

Memoirs of a Closet Freak – Take 1: Fashion Inspired…

Inspiration…

I recently came across a copy of the May issue of Gotham magazine with Daniel Radcliffe on the cover page. Not much of a Harry Potter fan but definitely a fan of Radcliffe’s style! Lets just say inspiration was tugging on my inner stylist! I am a sucker for the nude color or I guess tan to some folks and there is no doubt that I am nurturing a summer romance with stripes. But a combination of the two; just blew my socks off! There is just something about the neutral tones set against the calming stripes that screams modern, trendy and fashion forward.

Well inspiration had me mind-sifting through my closet for pieces that could, to some extent, replicate this fetching ensemble without breaking my piggy bank or running off on a shopping binge (one I cannot afford at the moment). After some olds, news and a boatload of imagination, I made it do what it do!!!

The Old…

My Express tan summer jacket gives a new meaning to old yet still fashionable. ’Old’… yes, (pushing eight years when I snagged this bad boy during my young professional New Yorker days)… but definitely a keeper for a rainy day. Its functional flaps and pockets coupled with stitching details and modern zipper in the front gives this item an ever modern appeal and a style that transcends fashion eras.

The New…

In order to make this outfit ‘work appropriate’, I replaced dark blue jeans with my dark navy blue New York & Company signature pants. This piece has been part of my closet for about a year, so still got its new appeal.

The new comers of the ensemble include my striped tank top from H&M, a great find within their summer sales line, (definitely appealed to my new found love for stripes as well as my limited budget) and my pride and joy caramel heels representing the Zara woman, also on sale.

Imagination…

I have a new fascination with thin belts and within my growing collection, I found a nude/tan belt, a perfect contender for representing my style and giving the ensemble a little more pizzazz. The belt cuts the flow of the tank top and gives the outfit some contouring if you will.

And voila!!! This is what I call the old, the new and some imagination: A conservative, yet stylish ensemble for work!