Going down memory lane
In 2016, my style was simplistic. I liked the idea of pairing a simple clothing item with a statement piece. I would pair dresses that were well-detailed with a shoe or bag that didn’t have much going for them. I got this dress as a gift - and I loved the fact that you couldn’t find it anywhere else. That made the dress unique to me. At the time, I hated wearing outfits or brands that most people were familiar with. I would shop from stores that people wouldn’t regularly visit when they are shopping for outfits - and that’s how I came to love Hudson Bay. Although it’s a common Canadian store, it is not people’s first choice for outfit shopping.
In 2017, I lost my sense of style. I had to learn to be financially responsible so I wore outfits that everyone else wore. These outfits were usually easy-to-get and cheap. I struggled with comparison as I would always look down on my outfits whenever I saw others were more stylish or expensive outfits. This affected my self-esteem and sometimes, I would just cry and pray to God for help.
At the beginning of the year, I was trying to regain my sense of style. As the year went by, a friend of mine started her brand this year. As I watched her do what she loves and grow, I was encouraged and began to fall in love with styling again. I started putting more passion and creativity in my outfits. I would use the limited budget I had to get a handful of clothing pieces and style them together to make something beautiful. With time, I came up with the idea and design for the custom-made traditional dress I am wearing here. I love the shape the dress forms around the neck and waist lines. To complement the Northern Nigerian look, I paired it with a scarf and pair of laced up low-heeled shoes from Aldo.
Here, I am wearing a rib knit dress from Suzy Shier. This picture was taken during the fall hence the colour of the dress (light-brown is a fall colour) and the choice of boots from Aldo. My favourite part of the dress is the slit. The slit gives the dress a more stylish look and makes the dress free-flowing. With this dress, you can dress warm during the cold months and still look good. The low-ankle boots can easily be paired with trousers or dresses and so, it’s a good bargain in the long run.
The outfit for the period is an all-white monochrome look that combines a short-sleeved dress from Winners with a pair of wedge slippers. I wore this outfit to a Winery during the summer. I was going for a simple yet classy summer look and this monochrome outfit was perfectly suited for that. The short sleeves provide comfort for arm movements and the shoes are suited for long walks. Simply put, this perfect summer dress embodies the sense of freedom that I want to keep living and working with.
