African print scarves - get on with it!

African prints (Ankara) have suddenly become a bold statement. It is no longer limited to being worn in Africa but is worn all around the world and are even worn to red carpet events :-)

In Nigeria Ankara has always been around. Once upon a time, I wore Ankara only to church on Sundays or for special occasions. But now, I would gladly rock Ankara any time, any day. One of the things I love about Ankara is its versatility. I could easily have a jumpsuit, a pair of trousers, a skirt, a blouse, a dress and so much more made from it. 

There are lots of things to explore about African prints. Recently, I have noticed how head scarves and different accessories are so easily paired with any kind of outfit. The wearer just needs to know how!

Here are three tips to consider when pairing clothes with African print head scarves:

-          Colours matter – I know that colour blocking is one way to make a fashion statement but please note that many African prints are already busy, so try not to wear clothes that are too busy in order to avoid looking like a hot mess. If the head scarf is busy, try single coloured outfits or even if multiple, preferably, soft colours and vice versa.

-          The printed head scarves go well with bright coloured and sometimes chunky jewelry. Might be nice to choose a colour from the fabric to make your look pop.

-          Try not to overdo it. Make sure that your scarf suits the occasion so that you don’t stand out in a bad way. There are super simple styles that can be done as well as edgy ones.

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Photo Credit: Google images

Knowing your body shape/type

I have noticed that sometimes people are unaware or do not pay attention to their body types. It is not enough to want to wear every single thing that is in vogue. For instance, there was a time I was convince that flared skirts looked ridiculous on me, that was all in my head. I avoided flared skirts until I knew that flared high waist skirts were what worked for my slim frame. One other thing that has obviously not looked right a few times is pencil trousers. This does not work for all shapes or sizes.

To bring this home, in summary, let us look at five body types and one thing to always bear in mind for each body type . 

-     Triangle/pear shape – with a big under, you can get away with a lot but to balance things out, you could try wearing clothes that broaden your shoulders

-          Inverted triangle shape – keep details or anything that adds volume to your lower body

-          Athletic shape – enhance your waist, hips and butt with figure hugging clothes for instance

-          Apple shape – avoid details around bust, tummy and hips, give more attention to shoulders

-       Hour glass shape – This is the classic feminine shape and you could get away with just about anything so accentuate your curves by all means

   

I   I hope this has helped? Embrace and love your body, know which shape you have and look your best at all times! A great place to look which I used as reference is: Joy of Clothes

Feel free to have a look for more details of body shapes and how to dress each one. 

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Photo credit: Google images