THE CULTURAL CLOSET

#WEDDING

This weekend I had the pleasure of attending my first Ugandan Traditional Wedding. I was a part of the bridal party, which meant I was dressed in full Ugandan attire.
From the prep to the ceremony, the meal and dance, it truly was a beautiful day to celebrate a union of love.

I arrived at the Mount Hotel in Tettenhall at 12.30pm. I was greeted by the bride-to-be surrounded by make-up artists, hair stylists and close friends. It was a waiting game from then on for me as I came semi-prepared. I was NOT about to be fighting for the mirror lol so I did my make-up ahead of time. The bride had a whole football team of bridesmaids; including myself, there were 9 of us. We all wore the same style of dress, however the colour palette and patterning was slightly different.
The whole attire reminded me of a Geisha, lots of floaty long satin material.

The bride (Jerolyne) had 4 changes altogether...anybody would've thought she was getting ready for London Fashion Week lol. With each change of dress, hair and make-up was also modified to complete each transformation. She looked like such a doll in each look. Stunning!

THE FIRST LOOK

Jerolyne had all her dresses made and flown from Uganda. Each dress was custom made exactly how she specified it to be. This pretty flush of orange was a soft choice against her skin tone.

The elaborate accessories were a bold yet elegant combination. 

Home-girl was decked out with the BLING BLING :)

Of course each look was not complete without the right shoe and she nailed it with each one. I unfortunately did not get the chance to get my hands on any of the shoes to show you all pictures, but take my word for it...you would not have been disappointed.

LOOK TWO

LOOK THREE

THE FINAL LOOK

We all changed into plain black dresses to compliment the brides final look after the ceremony and dining. Jerolyne wore a classic white dress to dance the night away and her hubby complimented her look wearing a cream linen suit with a white shirt. Philip's vows (the groom) were straight from the heart and tear jerking. It's always such a beautiful thing to see how smitten, in love and happy the bride is, but it's the most endearing thing to see the love in the grooms eyes towards her; knowing she will be taken care of, respected and unconditionally loved. I was honoured to be apart of such a beautiful day to witness their commitment to love each other for life!
Although it wasn't a typical church ceremony, the traditions were done and two families became one! Check out the pictures from the stunning day!

STYLE TIP- Embrace culture, learn, laugh, love and live in new experiences... it will make you a little more cool and interesting to talk to :-p

Weekend Away!!

#LondonLife

Time spent away from the pressures of life is always time well spent. This past weekend I decided to take a little trip down to London to catch up with friends and support my homegirl at her fashion gig.

FRIDAY was a fun-filled day chilling in the sun with my girl Julda. We ate, shopped, laughed and caught up on everything. I always wear basic comfortable clothing when taking the train ride, just so I don't have to worry about trying to look "cute".
I went for an all black plain fit, wearing an oversized men's top and some skinny jeans. I found these super comfortable flats in the summer sale and threw them on too. To add a bit of charisma, I accessorised with a green hat and some shades.

HAT- Forever 21

TOP- River Island (men's)

JEANS- Topshop

SHOES- River Island

BAG- Southampton Market

Glasses- EBay

I'm a big fan of Thai food, so Julda took me to Busaba Eathai on Bond St. A nice little restaurant to relax, eat, drink and be merry :). I ordered my usual Pad Thai, with a side dish of calamari. It was delicious. I washed it all down with Koh Samui (a mango, coconut and carrot juice combo)...so yummy!

I had to do a little shopping being that I was on Oxford St. I found a few steals and stacked up on beauty products. Julda and I strolled around Selfridges trying on perfumes and testing all the designer makeup, the usual girly stuff lol. If you caught my snaps you would've have seen the amount of giggles we had (shameless plug...follow me on snapchat: annies-world):-D

It really is a blessing when you can completely let your hair down with friends knowing there's no judgement, expectation or hidden agendas.



 Saturday morning I headed out to meet Julda to support our friend Sylvia at African Fashion Week. Being that I am a huge fan of London Fashion Week with the hopes to visit New York, Paris and Milan Fashion Week, I was looking forward to  seeing the African designers do their thing; held at the Olympia in Kensington.

I wanted to wear some type of African inspired ensemble, but it didn't work out so I opted for something fun! I pulled out my favourite vibrant boyfriend blazer, paired it with an embellished top and wore some high waisted wide leg jeans. These recycled heels worked a treat and tied the whole outfit together.

BLAZER- Charity Shop

TOP- A Gift

JEANS- Oasis Market

SHOES- United Footwear

THINGS I LOVE

#Cute and Comfortable

I'm sure I'm not the only girl that prefers comfort over everything when it comes to style. However it's  more than likely we're all guilty of suffering for fashion... or am I the only one whose bought a pair of shoes in a smaller size because they were too cute not to buy lol.
Lately, comfort over everything has been my motto!
As some of you may know, I am a big fan of oversized clothes, particularly jumpsuits, harems, floaty tops and blazers, all inspired by menswear style.  I recently went out shopping and picked up a few bits and bobs. These items have been treating me well and can easily be dressed up or down. I did not feel the need to style these pieces because they stood out on their own.

Each look has a sporty edge to it! I opted for these quirky white heels to dress up the looks. Let me know which look is your fav! Comment below :)

• Fashion Jockey

 

TOP- Oasis Market

JOGGERS- H&M

SHOES- EBay

BACKPACK- Cow Vintage

 

 

This look is ideal for window shopping with friends. I recently wore this outfit with trainers, furniture shopping with my mama. I'm not the type of girl to walk around in heels all day if it is not an occasion.. this casual look dressed with heels takes your outfit up a notch.

 

• A Minimal Flare

 

TOP- River Island (mens)

TROUSERS- H&M

SHOES- EBay

FANNY PACK- Cow Vintage

CHOKER- River Island

 

The twists in my hair have me feeling very 70s, I sometimes find myself dressing quite hippy and bohemian at times. This simple look stems from my desire to be comfortable. The top I purchased from the men's section. I fell in love with the material, it's loose fit and the fact that it is black means it will get plenty of wear. Teaming it with these wool textured flares, is a dream to wear. I have the luxury of looking effortlessly cool and minimal.



 

• Tom Girl

 

TOP- Cow Vintage

SHORTS- Primark

SHOES- EBay

 

 

I am in love with these harem shorts! They have been so fitting for the sunnier days.  I chose a basketball shirt to wear with them to follow through with the athletic look. I like how the shoes also take this fit from looking 'too masculine' to 'feminine with a little edge'.

 

 

STYLE TIP-  Less is more... sometimes the style, lies within the pieces you buy! You don't always have to do the most... think cute and comfortable!







FINDING THE PERFECT MATE

#RELATIONSHIPS

Being that I am a single lady, I find myself often in situations where I have the option to accept or decline a date.  As simple as it may seem to make the decision to answer yes or no, I have consistently (recently) resisted and said no! ...Let me tell you why.
Now that I am 20 (ahem) something years old, I have made a conscious decision to NOT SETTLE. As women, we sometimes tend to limit our standards when looking or waiting for the "perfect mate" mainly because we feel we're getting old, our body clock is slowing down, the chance to have kids is getting slimmer... blah blah blah.  These common thoughts and feelings should NOT be the reason why we don't allow ourselves to be truly happy and satisfied with the decision we make towards settling with the one. Now don't get it twisted, there is no such thing as the "perfect mate" but there is someone out there for all of us that we are capable of loving deeply, unconditionally, for a lifetime because of compatibility.
So when I answer no to a date, the main reason is because I see no point in entertaining small talk or giving a guy a chance if already there are a few deal-breakers. It not only leads the guy on, but wastes your precious time... you could have read a book or painted your nails!

DEAL-BREAKER: a factor or issue which, if unresolved during negotiations, would cause one party to withdraw from a deal.

For instance, a fine young man with no pimple could be extremely pleasing to the eye but, if you are a non-smoker and would prefer to be with a non-smoker, compromising your standards because you think/feel you won't have that amazing chemistry with someone else, will only bite you in the butt at a later date.
It's ok to wait, it's ok to be a little high maintenance, it's ok to have standards. If your potential suitor doesn't understand them, oh well!

It has become foreign in today's society for things to be done in order. We tend to no longer get married, move in and have babies. The general norm is to live with your partner, accidently have kids and 'may as well' get married after several years or co-habiting. For me personally, I would like to be pursued, I would like the (lucky) guy I am to marry, to ask my mama for my hand in marriage etc. etc. I feel it shows a ground level of respect.
I do believe that living with someone 100% gives you the opportunity to really get to know that person, find out what they're about and determine whether or not you are willing to tolerate the annoying sides to them and love them anyway. With that being said, I however personally feel that if you reserve yourself from intimacy, it is clear to see, feel and tune into your emotions towards that person without the cloudiness of sexual desires. Finding someone that also is willing to really get to know you on a mental and spiritual level will enable yourselves to connect in the most authentic way.
The down side to living with your partner means, if it doesn't work out, you are surrounded by the memories of what could've been and should've been. You become comfortable, with no real commitment!

COMMITMENT

Committing to telling you the truth, committing to making time for you, committing to you is A BIG DEAL. Really think about if you're ready to commit to calling that special one, in pursuit of something concrete. "Seeing what happens" is the wrong way to go about commitment in relationships... you would have already destructed the foundation, before building something genuine.

Being with someone is a choice. I believe God puts people in our lives or allows our paths to cross with people for a reason...ultimately you will meet someone in the most natural of ways (unless you're on tinder or plenty of fish)and things will just happen, but remember, you're in control of what happens next!

Communication is one of the most vital parts of any relationship. We can at times get so wrapped up in each other, we neglect he important conversations. Questions like 'do you want kids, do you want to raise a family in the city, are you planning on working in McDonalds for much longer'... these conversations need to be had. Interrogation is not the way forward, but an easy breazy chit chat over a calm coffee would suffice. Ladies don't be afraid to go there, guys too!

 

If you're serious about settling down and would like to share your life with someone sometime soon, don't be afraid to dive right in with the tough questions. If that person is for you it will be all gravy baby :)


STYLE TIP- Remember to love you first! Learn from the past, embrace the present and look forward the future!


 

FAMILY AFFAIR

#DIRTY30

HEY Y'ALL!! Hoping everyone has been enjoying the sunny days God has blessed us with! The weather's been a little up and down lately... it's left me real stuffy and bunged up, but hey I'm alive and well so can't complain.

It was (my brother) James's birthday on Sunday, the eldest of the 2 of my siblings. He has reached the big 30!! I wanted to throw him a surprise birthday party being that 30 is another milestone in age. I unfortunately didn't get round to planning anything major, but I did organise a dinner with my family.
We started the day by going to church where a few of his friends were. James is quite a quiet character with a big laugh, so if you don't ask him anything directly, he won't tell you. I made sure to let people know at church it was his birthday as a lot of them didn't know... everyone kindly sang to him :).

I decided to take my family to eat at the Botanist, a very rustic, quaint and chilled restaurant. I reserved a table in the corner for the 7 of us to eat. James had no idea of the plans, or that his immediate family were joining together to celebrate his life!! It was all somewhat of a surprise :D.

I chose to wear a very casual and comfortable fit. This simple long jersey dress over the top of my skinny jeans, paired with a cropped two-toned corduroy  jacket was the right amount of minimal, to go with these statement pink heels. I reached for a black business bag and my outfit was complete. I decided against any jewellery as I wanted to be as understated as possible, it wasn't my birthday haha.

LEVIS JACKET- Vintage Shop

DRESS- H&M

JEANS- Primark

SHOES- EBay

 

We ate, laughed, caught up and reminisced. It was a really nice chilled environment. Of course my little princess angel face (niece) was present...she stole the show with her cuteness :).

I think James thoroughly enjoyed hanging out with everyone, his big smile was unmissed! Considering the majority of the time he showers me with 'little sister needs' lol, I'm sure he appreciated being treated to dinner!

 

Age really ain't nothing but a number however progression is key. We all (I'm sure) have ambitions, goals and things we're striving towards. The bigger picture is to live out our dreams, be happy and surrounded by the people we love doing what we love. Although there isn't necessarily a time restraint on success, being complacent only keeps you in one place.

James's birthday allowed me to refocus and think about where I want to be and what I would like to accomplish by 30...I see it as time frame to work towards achieving certain dreams of mine. No matter how big or small your vision is, never give up hope or let your age deter you from reaching those dreams!

 

 

He's single and ready to mingle ;)

STYLE TIP- Be confident and fearless no matter what! Embrace the new and improved you! The older you are the wiser you become(hopefully).