Your Style

Today, marks my 20th post milestone.

Ladies we've had some really good discussions and have shared our personal preferences and experiences over the last 19 articles.

For each working day we are blessed with, we face the never ending rituals of dressing and grooming ourselves. Some of us wear our own pieces while others wear the uniforms that were provided to us. But whatever we wear, we make it ours!

I asked you guys to submit photos of yourselves in your favourite office wear and I was pleasantly surprised to have received over 35 submissions from women in various industries with different styles. Thanks so much for participating.

Today's post will be a bit different. Instead of me sharing my thoughts in our virtual community, I decided that you guys would do the sharing, by showcasing your style.

Just press play

Hope you enjoy!!!!!

Thanks for your support.

Don'ts in the workplace

The majority of my posts thus far covered fashionable work wear items BUT we cannot discuss the do’s without making mention of the don’ts.

Disclaimer. The views expressed in this post….well….. are mine J. However, my intention is not to offend anyone who practice any of the following items I am about to discuss.

There are things that you see women doing and wearing that leaves a perplexed look on your face. Like this 

Just because it is not included in the official company policy does not mean it’s not a part of the unofficial one. There are unspoken or unwritten rules in every organisation.

These are some of my, for want of a better word, pet peeves:

1.     Wearing a sheer blouse without a cami or vest underneath. Why you feel everybody must see your bra? Stop it!!!

2.     Speaking of undergarments. Why is it in 2017 panty lines are still an issue??? It’s ok if you like tight pants and skirts but why should I be able to tell what type of underwear you are wearing?

To me the simplest solution is to wear thongs. “But Keisha not everybody like to wear thongs”. I know! Seamless underwear is another option. These right here are my holy grail.

Very durable and comfortable. You can get them at Macy’s or online at Amazon.

3.     Upside down Capital V. Now ladies….we all like to wear skirts that would show off our silhouette and absolutely nothing is wrong with that. BUT…..you see when the slit in the back of your skirt forms a letter in the alphabet without you even moving, you need to give it away to someone smaller or discard it. Ain’t nothing sexy about this look.

On a serious note though, once your skirt or pants are too tight, you run the risk of the ENTIRE back seam bursting on you. Don’t let what happened to me on 2 occasions happen to you!

4.     Clubbing or Working?

What type of work are you going to do ma’am??? While the pair of shoes on the left is hott…..it is not appropriate for the work place. Lets leave the gladiator sandals for the clubs nah.

5.     Knitted stockings for work?

I know many of you would disagree here but to me these fish net stockings give the appearance that you are doing the same job as the woman wearing the gladiator sandals.

6.     The Human Rhythm Section

Why must you wear all 10 bangles from the set to work. It is very noisy and distracting. As the ole folks say “ladies must be seen and not heard” hahaha. I don’t need to hear you before I see you….walking  about the office with your own lil rhythm section. I am a lover of bangles too, I just really think it’s too much for work.

7.     The Human Air-refresher

It is annoying and downright discourteous to spray down yourself with perfume or continuously use a saccharine sweet lotion while you are in an office. Meh gyul….we are in an air conditioned environment, there is nowhere for those scents to escape too. Further, it aggravates people’s sinus’ man. Why must I know you reach to work because I could smell you. Ease me Up!!!

8.     Over accessorizing.

I get that we may have so many accessories that are not being used *guilty* but it does not mean that you need to wear all at the same time.  For instance why wear a statement piece and chandelier earrings. There is a reason why those necklaces come with small earrings (really want to use another S word).  This is also distracting and confusing. Like where is the focus, your neck, your ears, your outfit??? Where family?

9.     Mismatched Prints.

It’s no longer necessary to be “matchy matchy” (Tamika Elcock-John, 2012). We are now seeing ensembles put together that we were told years ago was a no no, like plaid and strips. Absolutely nothing is wrong with experimenting however one must be careful that the pieces don’t clash. Why wear plaid, polkadot, leopard print - altogether - to send people in a trance?

Yuh see dis----->>>>>

 

  

No Ehhhh

10.  This is my biggest pet peeve. It’s not an “Office Don’t” for me, it’s more like “Doh Leh Meh See Yuh Doing Dat”. Black Stockings and White Shoes. I am sorry but I am yet to see anyone looking cool wearing this. Don’t get me wrong, black and white can make a beautiful combination…..but not like this

Stop it!!!, Don’t Do It!!!, Ease me up!!!

Whoosaahhhh!! 

Ok, those were some of my office don’ts. Hope I did not offend anyone and you saw at least the comical aspect to it. Do you have any pet peeves or don’ts for the office that I did not mention. I would really like to hear them

Have a great week ahead and enjoy the holiday tomorrow.

Oh….don’t forget to send me a photo of yourself in your workwear. All photos must be submitted by the end of today.

This post is brought to you by Ebuzztt.com

For all your entertainment news on celebrities, fashion, carnivals, music and so much more from Trinidad and Tobago and the rest of the Caribbean,

check them out at www.ebuzztt.com

Your Handbag and You

In my last post I discussed caring for your handbag. Hope you have begun that de-cluttering exercise.

But Ladies…..do you know that the way you wear your handbag says something about you…….yessssss gyul.

<--------Apparently this is true; as Body Language experts express that the decision for us to wear our handbags in a particular manner says a lot about our personality.

Now there are several ways to wear a handbag. I know many of you may say "well Keish girl it depends on the handbag or the mood I'm in on that day etc."  

I am referring to the one method you usually gravitate towards for work.  I have narrowed them down to three options:

In the crook of the elbow

Status and position are priority to you. Women usually use this method to show off a designer brand because it’s a status symbol. You like structure.

"You're basically de-operationalizing one of your arms in order to carry something of that size, telling everyone you don't need to use both arms as you move around in the world."

In Hand

It's the equivalent of carrying a briefcase and communicates how keen you are about showing off the importance your job. You take your career seriously.

Or it could be that you want to show off your new handbag and wearing it any other way would prevent others from seeing it. LOL

On Shoulder

You are very practical and a multi-tasker. Freedom of movement is a priority and you are about getting things done. 

Power is not on your mind.

 Ladies.....who are you are? How do you generally wear your handbag? 

Let me know by participating in this poll.


How do you wear your handbag?

How do you wear your handbag?

Handbag Care

Ladies, have ever your thought about how many special attributes your handbag possess? I am just gonna name of few of them:

Functionality   

It carries your essentials such as make up, money, cell phone and keys. It even acts as a personal pharmacy.

Companionship 

It’s pretty much an inanimate friend that carries some of your personal secrets.

Statement Piece

Some say it’s the most important part of your wardrobe. You could have on the most simple attire, but once you have a lovely handbag, your whole look is enhanced. Also, it’s the only thing that fits whether you loose or gain weight. Hehehe

Status Symbol

Luxury brands such as Hermes Birkin, Balenciaga, Celine and Louis Vuitton (not the bootleg eh ladies) carry with them a connotation that the individual using it is of a high financial status. Or she could be one of those who are broke but  are trying to impress others. 

Regardless of what your handbag means to you, if anything at all, how you take care of it will determine its longevity.

 These are some of the tips to keep your handbags lasting longer:

Use a leather cleaner

This is particularly for the non-leather handbags. Because we live in the tropics 

the weather pattern causes the material to expand and contract a lot, which 

eventually leads to the bag peeling and cracking. Applying a leather cleaner 

once per month to add moisture will keep the material supple. You can get it 

at any car parts place, Bhagwansingh's or some groceries. I use this one, but 

any brand will suffice.

Stop over packing your bag. 

It is a known fact that we women love to be prepared for anything hence the 

reason why we store all kinds of items in our bags that we don't ever 

use....but just in case we need it, it's there. We single handedly destroy our 

bags by doing this. I have a colleague (won't call her name) that carries with 

her a zip lock bag full of accessories which she never uses. Another one 

keeps with her a set of plastic forks "just in case". Ladies, consider 

decluttering!!! 

As a matter of fact, let's do a challenge today. Take this as an opportunity to 
clean out your handbags. Identify the items you use daily, weekly, monthly 
or never at all. This should give you an idea of the stuff you need to keep 
in your bag.

     

Or if you insist that you need to have all those items on your person, consider 

investing in a tote bag.

Storage of your handbag. 

While we are on the topic of too much pressure, it was only recently I realised 

that the straps on my bag were the first to go because of the fact that I hung 

them up while they were filled with items. The combination of the weight and 

gravity causes a strain on the straps, which will eventually lead to them 

bursting. I now remove all the heavy contents from my handbags before I 

hang them up.

 Use a Handbag Organiser. 

How many times have you experienced rummaging through your bags for 

minutes, looking for your keys, lip gloss, mints etc. I am a strong advocate for 

any device that organises your stuff.  The handbag organiser, to me, is an 

amazing inventory that allows you to compartmentalise your items. It make 

the inside of your bag look tidy and also enables you to switch handbags 

easily without the fear of forgetting an item.  These can be found on amazon 

at prices ranging from $US 8 to $US 30.

Pay Attention the Care Instructions. 

Most designer handbags come with care instructions that we usually fling 

away *guilty*. Taking sometime read them may change the way your care 

for your handbag.

Weather Protection. 

I have never used this but I found it too interesting not to share. There are rain coats for your handbags now ladies!!! This has taken handbag care to another level, and understandably so. For those of you who spend thousands of dollars on a handbag, you want to protect your investment right. You can click the link below to see where you can get these.

https://www.amazon.com/Handbag-Raincoat-Womens-Clear-Medium/dp/B00W7FEJHG/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1501360914&sr=8-4&keywords=handbag+raincoats

Hope these tips were informative and that I provided you with some motivation to not only take care of handbags but to clean them out.....like today :)

Just a reminder ladies: To mark my 20th post milestone, I am inviting readers to send a photo of themselves in their favourite work wear.

Happy Sunday

Workwear for Emancipation Day

It is customary in our country that we dress up for work for religious holidays such as Eid-ul-Fitr, Divali and Emancipation Day. There's an excitement that exists within me the last working day before any religious holiday to see what outfits my colleagues and other women are wearing.

Recently, I was telling my co-worker Iyanna, that every year for Emancipation Day, I promise myself that "next year for sure" I will dress in one of those regal African ensembles for work. Let me tell you, I have been saying this for about 10 years now.

Then I started thinking to myself  "Self, why can't you fulfill this promise. I mean look how many of your colleagues do it year after year." After pondering for all of 5 seconds, I then I realised why. As sad as it sounds, I think the process seems a bit overwhelming for me......Yeah.

Wondering whether I could pull off one of those outfits or if I can wrap the head piece properly or if I can find a nice piece of cloth that I would not see everyyyybody in or if I can locate an excellent seamstress to produce one of these outfits and if I do what would her price be. These thoughts often result in me wearing a dress with some kind of abstract print thinking that it will look culturalish *shame face*

Then I thought to myself again "Self why not wear what you are accustomed to, but for this day use an African print" *mind blown*

I decided to go on to Pinterest  and to my freaking surprise, there they were. Familiar pieces in African print. I am going to share with you some of the many images I found:


This chic is wearing a Blazer

Pencil Skirts (Don't dress like the one the extreme left for work eh ladies)

Add caption

Flair Skirts

Look.....she has on a bow tie :)

Ankle Pants allyuh!!!!

Wrap Dress and Wrap Skirt too!!!

You can even make high-waist pants. Why didn't I think of these before???

OMG.....Look at this Romper

*Keisha picks up her handbag and heads to a cloth store*