The Nation Newspaper

Category: Fashion

ROCKING IT LIKE CINDERELLA

BALL gown is a full-skirted gown that has a waist portion tapering like a corset. It has a full silhouette which gives a dramatic and regal vibe. Ball gown is an exquisite dress worn by ladies to formal events like black tie and award events.

Complement your ball gown with minimal accessories but do without wristwatch, comfortable shoes and clutch. Might be a little tricky to pull off if you don’t pick the right style for your figure. Wrong colour can make you look pale and drab. It is important to pick the right colour for your complexion.

March 24, 2017
Gentlemen at AMVCA

THE dapper gentlemen brought their A game to the 2017 AMVCA, serving us all shades of hotness.

From coloured tuxedos to classic black suits, white blazers, three pieces suits, the men showed us their stylish sides.

Some also took a risk by pairing their outfits with sneakers and it turned out well. Well trimmed hair and beards, perfect use of accessories couldn’t make us stop drooling at the gentlemen.

Fashion rings are also varied. Gold rings with pearls or stones and crystals will also be relevant as well as cheap. The main focus is on big and unusual geometric forms.

Just like bracelets, vintage and retro style rings will be very popular.

March 24, 2017
BOLD STATEMENTS FROM RED CARPET

THE 2017 AMVCA red carpet was definitely on fire as the celebrities had their A game on. Few trends were spotted on the red carpet as natural hair was one of the major highlights. From up-dos to low buns, natural hair kept us swooning. Some ladies were also seen rocking ponytails and sleek laid back hairstyles.

Gorgeous looking ladies showed off their styles in princess-like ball gowns, long thigh high slit dresses, monostrap and off shoulder dresses with asymmetric sleeves and backless cuts. They were also bold enough to rock fun and vibrant colours like orange, pink, mustard, purple, green and blue. Stunning face beat and minimal accessories kept their looks together.

March 13, 2017
Show off your tiny Waistline with these Tips

Every woman wants an hour glass figure, unfortunately, not all of us are naturally endowed with tiny waistlines, neither are we all enamoured of hitting the gym for some serious core work. But what if you could create the perfect waistline without all that effort? Here, what to wear for a smaller-looking waist.

A Sheath Dress with Paneled Sides

First seen on bathing suits, this fashion trick draws the eye in to your middle and makes your torso appear much smaller by creating the hourglass shape for you. The magic of design.

Anything High-Waisted

The ultimate waist-cincher, high-rise bottoms smooth and shape in all the right places. Find yourself a pair of pants or a skirt that hits right above your belly button to draw the eye to the smallest part of your torso.

Vertical Stripes

You’ve probably heard that horizontal stripes can make you appear wider, and the opposite logic applies to vertical ones. The elongating design on a blouse or cotton tee is both slimming and fashion-forward.

A Wrap Dress

Diane Von Furstenberg popularized the look in the 1970s with her curve-hugging jersey dresses, which quickly became a cult classic. Today’s styles vary greatly in material and aesthetic, but no matter the designer, a flattering V-neck and waist-minimizing fabric tie work wonders for every female form.

Wide-Leg Pants

The wider silhouette down below does wonders by creating contrast between your waistline and the bell-shaped pant legs. Look for a pair of culottes or trousers with some serious legroom and a high-rise closure to define your torso at its narrowest point.

Anything Peplum

This classic 1940s silhouette has stuck around for decades, and for good reason. The figure-hugging waist seam followed by a flare of fabric is a no-brainer in the curves department.

A Belted Jacket

What better way to shrink the appearance of your abdomen than to tie up your coat right at your middle? Aim for a style that, when closed, hits right at your waist.

Or Just a Belt

The absolute easiest way to achieve hourglass perfection? A belt secured around your middle is a visual anchor, drawing the viewer in to your defined midsection. Go for a medium-sized, Western-inspired one with your favorite denim and tucked blouse to stay on-trend without looking like a pre1996 high schooler.

March 10, 2017
9 Interesting ways to rock a Suit

Suits are a work wear staple in the wardrobes of most professional women, either because it’s a required part of your office dress code, or you simply love how you look in one. It can however get boring. Here are nine ways you can put a new spin on your suit game, simply by playing with color, silhouettes and accessories.

Consider other colours aside Black and Navy

Even though you don’t have to wear the rainbow, but adding more colour to your work wardrobe rather than the usual neutral palette is a great way to go. Rich colors like burgundy or olive green is refreshing without being too crazy.

Wear a Printed Shirt Underneath

If you’re wearing this in a work environment, make sure the neck is cut a bit higher or cover up with a brooch. But the general idea is that layering a blazer over a printed blouse makes an otherwise plain gray suit much more fashionable, and modern.

Consider a Looser Silhouette

There’s a time and place for fitted pencil skirts, but how can you say no to an equally delicious wide-leg pant? To avoid entering “kid wearing her dad’s clothes” territory, make sure that, even if roomier, your suits are always tailored to your body , especially the shoulders and the waist.

Dress It Down with a T-Shirt and Sneakers

If silk blouses and heels aren’t really your thing or you need to travel for work, pair your suit with casual basics like a plain white tee and simple sneakers for some airport chic. There’s something so effortless about this look that makes the whole concept far more approachable.

Don Loafers

This is kind of the women’s look of our dreams. Instead of fighting the masculine connotations of a suit with feminine shoes, embrace the menswear trend and pair it with a cool pair of loafers. The bare sliver of ankle is the icing on the cake.

Or Rock Something Striped Underneath

If you’re like most ladies you already wear striped shirts regularly, so why not wear one under a crisp suit? The resulting look is slightly more casual and really cool.

Mix Feminine and Masculine

This look is proof that you don’t need crazy colors or dramatic details to make a classic suit look perfectly modern. The contrast between the androgynous buttoned-to-the-top shirt and the undeniably feminine pointy-toe pumps is really interesting, and the cross body bag makes it even more so.

Wear It With a Skinny Scarf

A super-simple way to jazz up a plain black suit is to wrap a trendy skinny scarf around your neck. Think of this as a more feminine (and chic) version of a guy’s tie.

Or Try Rocking a Bandanna

This might not work at a more strict work environment, but a bandanna is an even more fashion-forward alternative to a skinny scarf, especially in cold weather. Best of all, you can get one for, a few hundred naira.

March 8, 2017
Street style trend

One major trend to rock during this season is the street style. It is a laid back look, a break from the business casual/corporate style.

Street style is incorporating high fashion into practicality yet keeping the essence of it all intact. It is unique, stylish, edgy, versatile and quite comfortable. Street style trend is quite easy to rock, doesn’t need a lot of effort. All you need is the right attitude to pull off the trend.

March 6, 2017
Mule shoes fashion trend

Mule shoes are backless shoes often closed toe. They can have high, sleek stiletto, low or chunky heels. It dates back to the early 50’s and 90’s. Mule shoes were considered to be old fashioned worn by older women. Not anymore, mule shoes are back, better, more stylish and can be pulled off by the young and old.

Mule shoes give your outfit a laid back look, completes a chic look as well. Pair your shirt, pants, jeans and dresses with mule shoes for that elegant, sophisticated look.

March 6, 2017
Dress this way to look professional

The office is where you spend more than half your time, especially during the work week, and dressing the part is of utmost importance. Unfortunately not all of us seem to have gotten the hang of the right way to dress for work. Every industry has a dress code of its own, from the business formal to the business casual code, but its always best to dress to impress, as you can never tell if your next boss is looking out for you.

Major tip: the best way to decode your office dress code is look at your boss to master the art of office work wear.

Dressing down is a no no

In certain industries like law and the financial sector, dressing down is a crime against humanity. If you happen to work in such industries, you owe it to yourself to dress with fearless flamboyance. As someone once put it, “it’s a form of good manners.”

Ditch immobilizing shoes

One of the biggest style errors many make on the sales floor is wearing shoes they can’t walk in. You are paid to work, put on shoes that will ease mobility and enable you do your job. The other style errors are too much makeup, too much cleavage, too-short skirts/showing too much leg. It just doesn’t work on the sales floor.

Ripped denim

No matter your industry, ripped denim is a professional no no. Save yours for the weekend.

Wearing head to toe designer stuff

It never makes sense to show up on your first day at work or at or an interview dressed in head-to-toe designer duds. You want your work and ability to be the focus, not the fact that your outfit costs more than a small car.

No hems undone, no soiled collars or cuffs, and your shoes must be well heeled and polished.

The key to looking professional is not about spending a fortune on clothes but looking well groomed, clean and appropriate to your vocation. Your professional wardrobe should always be well maintained. For example, your clothing should be cleaned and pressed, no undone hems, no soiled collars or cuffs, and your shoes must be well heeled and polished.

Ditch your trouser suit

Except you are interviewing for a bank job, you might want to ditch your trouser suit. Instead know the industry you are interviewing for, and tailor your look accordingly. You want to dress relevant and develop your own sense of style. You don’t want to look like a victim, but you do want to appear like you actually follow fashion trends.

February 27, 2017
Things stylish women never do

Every woman has her morning routine, the things you do from the time you get out of bed in the morning, until you head out the door to work. From taking a bath, tohitting the gym; meditating, or having a cup of tea, we all have our peculiar routine when it comes to starting a new day. But, one thing we all have no choice but get dressed for whatever lies ahead. With our constant daily to-do lists, it’s not unusual to spend an entire day running from responsibility to responsibility, which is why this year afunctional wardrobe is a must.

When it comes to the dos and don’ts of getting dressed, the most inspiring women share a common trait: They choose comfort and versatility when picking out their outfit.Whether that means never wearing heels, or staying away from anything too restrictive, here are a few dos and don’ts to note when getting ready. We hope these tips will make dressing up in the morning that much easier.

Don’t: Wear Anything That’s Not Versatile Enough to Survive the Whole Day

One word that should define the modern woman’s morning outfit decisions should be comfort. Strive for comfort at all times. For some, it may mean never wearing heels. For others it could be wearing platforms or wedges. And don’t forget that those sneakers are in right now.

Don’t: No visible panty lines please!

“No visible panty lines” is another important rule to keep in mind when preparing for the day. That way you can do your work, or go about your business without worrying that you are scandalizing anyone, or giving a negative image.

Don’t: No overmatching.

And while picking the right underwear for the day ahead is crucial, another big no-go when getting dressed, being too matchy-matchy (except for denim on denim). Except you are doing the monochrome thing, your clothes, and accessories don’t necessarily have to always match, that is so old school.

Don’t: Sacrificing comfort for glamour.

Always dress in pieces that make you comfortable. For some it may mean not to dressing too young, or flamboyantly. Its okay to wear trends, but not at the expense of comfort. For work, avoid pieces that are restrictive or uncomfortable, for the simple reason that they will just irritate you within an hour.

Don’t: Putting on makeup before getting dressed

When it comes to dressing for work, when getting ready in the morning, never put on makeup before getting fully dressed.

Don’t: Wearing leggings to work

And whatever you do, never wear leggings to the office, except you are off to the gym. And when you do, wearing a G-string would be a good idea.

Don’t: Wearing anything distracting

For busy professionals, and entrepreneurial women a busy schedule means that you are constantly on the go, it’s all about clothing that can get you through anything. Entrepreneurship leaves you much less time for everything else, so versatility and comfort become increasingly important filters for one’s personal style. Avoid anything that distracts you from focusing on what’s important; instead choose to gravitate toward real, beautiful clothes that you can live and work in.

Don’t: Getting dressed without considering the weather

When it comes to morning rituals, one often overlooked factor is getting dressed without considering the weather. Walking to work every day means that being prepared is key to making through the day unscathed. So you can choose to consider the weather forecast, or face the consequences at your own peril.

February 23, 2017
15 wardrobe essentials
If you like to look good all the time, then it is important to understand things that would help you achieve your dream. First you must know what to wear at the right time as well as identify the fashion pieces that look great on you. To do this without stress, it is important to invest in some items that can be regarded as timeless pieces.

Once you have these assets in your collection, then you can rest assured that you will never be at a loss for what to wear whenever the occasion calls. Luckily, these are stuffs that will never go out of style. They are actually the building blocks to a perfect wardrobe.
1. Flat shoes
2. Little black dress
3. Black pumps
4. Classic white shirt
5. Handbag
6. Basic white shirt
7. Blue jeans
8. Sunglasses
9. Denim jacket
10. Pencil skirt
11. Blazers
12. Wallet
13. Belt
14. Sneakers
15. Black pants
February 20, 2017