The Cubed Woman

Hello Everyone, Happy New Week!

Hopefully your week is hitting a cherry note! Today I'm back to talking about the Economic situation. Yes! That’s our topic for today. Being a country heavily dependent on imports and with the dwindling exchange rate powered by a “silent devaluation” of the naira we are really not smiling. The direct impact being that prices of goods and services have increased significantly depending on the item in question.

On a daily basis, small businesses are shut down because of their inability to restock as suppliers have hiked up prices. Medium to large businesses struggle daily to stay afloat, likewise a lot of popular names have been forced out of business as a result of poor performance. Consumers - ultimately everyone falls under this category - have cut back on their expenses, buying only what is needed and managing without the wants. Inflation rate is comfortably in double digits.

The common slogan has become “Buy made in Nigeria, Grow the naira” and I’ve joined voices in chanting this slogan. As much as I agree that not all imported products have their indigenous variants in terms of quality, specifications and all that qualifies them for standardization, we have to find a balance. I personally do a lot of shopping online for myself, family and clients (as an image consultant) but sincerely the conversion rates haven't been in my favour lately, also taking into consideration the recent restrictions on daily/monthly spend from the bank end.

Truth is, we really have to start patronising our own, and this is the reason i've tagged this post the "The search from within". We have gotten quite impressive as I've seen a lot of creativity spring up in this generation, especially in the fashion and style industry. Talents are discovered daily and social media is filled with loads of these designs/creations.To this end, I'll encourage us once more to support our local brands, so we can someday soon as a nation, make the list of "global economy influencers".

Ps:If you produce anything and you are willing to use this platform to showcase your product, contact me (details on profile).

Enjoy the rest of your week, and remember to keep that image untarnished.

Hello lovely people

I definitely missed writing and reading your comments in the past year. Its been a very intense year, so much going on in my life which I would be sharing in due season. I trust everyone is doing well and enjoying this very rainy season. I wonder what happened to August break?! Maybe our meteorologists will help answer that question.

As a Nation, our beloved Nigeria has been faced with major economic hardships ranging from the impact of the fall in oil prices, to increase in pump price of fuel, slow economic growth and further depreciation of our "dear Naira", to name a few. Furthermore, Inflation rate has almost doubled and is expected to rise further. Ultimately, times are not the same! I'll pause here with the discussions on Economics, not like this post is about that, I'll be back to this in my next post.

I'm just excited to be back on track with all the good stuff and I promise not to go AWOL again, its not nice "that's me warning myself".

Have you ever wondered why August is so eventful? In case you haven't I'll like to make us think it through; August break, August meeting-that's for my Igbo Women though. hehe....and Wikipedia has it that August has the highest number of births in America. Interesting, huh!

Personally, it's a very special month because it started a very important chapter in my life. My husband and I got married in August so we celebrated our 7th Marriage anniversary last week and this year's celebration was most spectacular because we renewed our vows.

I also know so many special "Augusta's" and "Augustine's" in my life, hopefully you know this is only an attempt to rhyme, those aren't their real names, and they would probably bite me when they get to see this.lol

Lastly, God bless all my special August celebrants with happiness, long-life, good health and their heart desires. I appreciate you all so much for the roles you play in my life.

I wish you all a splendid week and remember to Stay Stylish!!!

What's your "Style-spiration" - (Part 3)

Happy Sunday Everyone!!
Trust your weekend has been as expected. I bring you the last in the series of the above topic. Sit tight and read. 😀

Timeless Style (Classic style); Have you ever outgrown a dress size, yet you want to acquire same dress in a bigger size or even get a designer to repeat the style for you? That’s called TIMELESS. Style that stands out, regardless of the season, year or environment. With timeless style you can own it in several colors, or gladly replace pieces when they get old. They often come in “handy” and we mostly refer to them as “must have pieces”. Quality is best when choosing timeless pieces because you will own them long enough and even pass them down when you chose.

I like to refer to it as “cheap style” because you can own a timeless piece for decades and each time you wear it, it comes across as up-to-date. By cheap, I don’t mean the item is necessarily cheap; sometimes it can cost an “arm and a leg”. Pieces like denims, shorts, LBD (little black dress), the casual tee, fun blazers/boyfriend blazer, are examples of these pieces.

Writer's Style-spiration; It is possible to fall within all three categories, and that’s where I belong. I love vintage, occasionally I try my hands on In-Seasons, and I also indulge in the classics a lot.

Have a cherry week!

What's your "Style-spiration" - (Part 2)

In my last post (see here http://thecubedwoman.blogspot.com/2015/06/whats-your-style-spiration-part-1.html), I began a three - part series titled "What's your Style-spiration". The goal is to help identify what inspires your style decisions. Today, I'm sharing with you the second part of the series which is;

In-Season Style; is style right off the oven, fresh and very modern. It’s not for the faint-hearted, rather it’s creative and experimental. Creativity gives rise to fresh styles and rids off limitations. Typically, some rules have to be broken to display creativity. Examples include, the concept of floral and pattern, pattern-on-pattern, color-blocking (the bold mix of colors you never thought could be blended), prints-on-stripes, lace on velvet, e.t.c

Usually designers, fashion industry leaders and trend-setters fall under this inspiration type. Here's an example of an "in-season style" creation put together by me using Polyvore.

See you soon with the third part of the "Style-spiration" series. Till then, Stay inspired!

What's your Style-spiration (Part 1)

Style-spiration is a customized word I came up with and it was coined from two words “Style inspiration”.

Try to answer the W’s that lie ahead. WHAT drives you to put together clothing pieces and step out confidently? WHO is your style icon and WHY? WHY do you want to look a certain kind of way? WHAT will you never be caught wearing?

Many people have a signature look, while others just keep an open mind and inhale whatever comes their way when acquiring clothing pieces. I would be taking you through a few of my re-searched most common style inspiration types:

Vintage (often referred to as Retro fashion)is style from a previous era usually ranging from 20 years and beyond (20 -100 years). Its style that was synonymous with the pre-90’s era considering that we are in 2015. The term is “liquid” since it’s defined within the context of time.

You may be considered a vintage lover if you’re a fond of frills, pleats, red lipstick, tie-neck blouses, tweed, ruffles, mid-length free flowing bottoms or dresses, peplum, bogus hairstyles, ball dresses, our good old lace fabrics, and things that scream 80's. Here's a dose of my classic vintage styling for you to admire, the pictures are courtesy Polyvore.

For sometime I tried to understand the idea behind the various Mother’s day celebrations marked all over the world. I guess it’s because, while growing up I don't recall hearing about these many dates. However, social media has brought everything to the fore-front and as such ignorance is no excuse.

Going by the history of Mother’s day; the Greek, Egyptians, Americans, Romans and British had their symbolic representations which made it memorable. And as a result, it appears as though we have so many days to celebrate our mothers.

Mothers are an integral part of our lives and we can’t deny the fact. They are typically the vessel God uses to bring every creature into the world. In my opinion, what matters most is that we make it count and celebrate them in actions and words (Mother and Father) everyday as opposed to once a year.

I decided to share a picture of my last Sunday “Mother’s day look” below. Please feel free to send a picture of your Mother's Day style or anything that signifies a beautiful Mother's Day to you. My e-mail address is stylemergers@gmail.com. Any picture sent will be shared on the blog in honor of the parties.

Thanks for stopping by and remember to Stay Expectant!!!

Thursday, May 14, 2015

The Comeback

Hello Esteemed Readers
It’s been a long break from blogging and I'm grateful to you all for standing by amidst the lengthy absence of activity on this space.

I took time off to attend to my ever evolving lifestyle to care for our new baby, assuming a new job role at work, and considering the hassles involved in getting domestic help not to mention the associated risks, juggling all of these required some sacrifice.

Thanks for your understanding J

The big announcement is that "The Cubed Woman" is back and it promises to be as exciting as ever. You’ll notice the blog site has an all new outlook and there’s more to come. Stay tuned and watch the transformation take place.

Thanks and have a relaxing weekend.

Stay Expectant!!!

Styling is about telling a story with your client; translating what she feels on the inside outside, I styled this piece telling a story about a lady who's a guest at a wedding party and desires to be a stunning guest indeed. She's going to the event a guest, but will probably be hosting the next wedding event. That is The plan!!!

Girly fever by stylemergers featuring a lace cocktail dress

Quiz lace cocktail dress
$41 - debenhams.com

Alexander McQueen leather clutch

$1,630 - net-a-porter.com

Bonnie Star gold bracelet
ahalife.com

Links of London freshwater pearl earrings
$1,050 - linksoflondon.com

YOURS TRULY IS CERTIFIED

Hi Esteemed readers

I'm so sorry for the long silence, it wasnt planned at all. Trust me! I was all fixed on completing my certification as a Fashion Stylist and Personal Shopper.

It's been quite tasking yet a very worthy investment, lots of knowledge gained. I'm also pleased to say that you all can expect some professional advice from this blog or personal consults from "Yours Truly" Certified Fashion Stylist aka Impression manager aka Image Consultant *winks*

I missed blogging & sharing tips, also missed your comments, views/opinions. But "The Cubed Woman" is back with a bang.

As part of giving back to society, I'll be having a free consultation period for the next one month. If you require any of these services, consulting, fashion styling, wardrobe edit, personal shopping hit me up on stylemergers@gmail.com and I'll be glad to assist with your styling needs.

Much love!!!

This post is dedicated to my mother - Lady G.A Awunor , mother In-law - Mrs Patricia O. Amadi-Emina, Ebi Abiyou and all those who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection.

Welcome to the month of love - February, and as is the culture at this time most persons are busy strategizing, budgeting and window shopping gift options for their loved ones.

As much as this sounds good, my observation in this part of the world is that most people are afraid of being expressive about LOVE every other day. Simple words like" I love you" go a long way to pacify a scared partner, parent, sibling /friend or better still assure them that someone truly cares.

Whenever we bottle up these feelings it back fires with a dose of guilt when we lose them to other people or life's circumstances. Expressing your love by way of saying it or showing it doesn't make you a lesser man or woman than your peers. It's simply the wise thing to do.

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”

― Mother Teresa

"There is no fear in love, for perfect love casteth out all fear"

―1st John 4:18a

Make a resolution today to tell someone you love them, if you really do and don't wait till you have them no more, also show some love to someone in need no matter how little.

The 70th edition of the GG has finally come and gone, and we saw our fave stars glam up the red carpet in some truly flattering designs. Many entertainment portals have aired the event and made it accessible to all interested to make their input on fave celeb outfit, hair, accessories etc.

While we are still at it, i.e observing the best dressed, best hairstyle, outstanding color combinations, lets also understand that trend patterns for 2013 are being created from the sightings at the red carpet. Though some of the trends we can see already exist, a few others are pretty new like the full body lace worn by Nicole Richie, the complicated black lace dress worn by Eva Longoria (that dress sure has a lot going on, though cute but in my opinion would have been better if it showed less thigh)

Eva Longoria in a black lace/sheer Emilio Pucci dress. Key features of the dress "wider than"key hole bustline, backless & high leg slit. Not for the faint hearted.

Nicole Richie - Exhibiting vintage glamour in a Naeem Kham embelished dress straight from the runway.

For the hair styles, I notice a come-back of the side swept waves in 2013, It was quite common on the GG red carpet.

From top left: Heidi Klum, Jeessica Alba, Racheal Weiss, Jennifer Lopez & Megan Fox rocked this look.

To achieve this hairstyle: Simply choose an 18 inch and above weave, the longer the length of weave the lower it drops to create the red carpet look you can see above. You can also choose two weave lengths as desired. For Human hair weaves a straight one will require curling for this wavy look, for naturally curled weaves you just need to use the flexible rollers daily.

Decide on a suitable part, or allow your stylist make that decision. After hair has been fixed, use the flat tongs on your natural hair to create a nice permed finishing. The outcome should look just as good.

I love the styling of this white one shoulder dress on Heidi, STUNNING!!!

We look forward to the month of February which hosts the Oscars. Wishing you a blessed week ahead.

Jessica Alba in ombre hair color

Quantity of Clothing Vs Quality of Clothing

This is a highly controversial discussion, but my intention is to also make it very interactive. To achieve this I am creating a poll to put it to test. I'm carrying out a survey on the preferences of individuals in our generation with respect to their thoughts on Quantity of clothing Items vs Quality of Clothing Items.

This has possibly crossed your mind at some point, and for many it is a hard decision to make while for others in their dream they'll probably have an answer. Just in case you have never considered today's poll title, here's food for thought.......-Think about it;

I believe in life we all go through phases and our preferences change with each phase. Many factors such as age, budget, status, interests, values & beliefs e.t.c affect our fashion style/sense and this informs our choices when making wardrobe decisions.

Interestingly, some persons may have both options as preferences depending on the item in view. Here's a piece of advise for anyone in this category, for common use items such as camisoles, socks (for the guys) or the daily black flat shoes or "knockabout" as they are commonly called, it is advisable that quantity is made a key consideration while purchasing these items as they are subject to a lot of wear and tear due to frequent use. However this is not in any way suggesting that quality should be compromised. Balance has to be found in making this decision. The reason quantity is a major factor is to ensure that there is a variety of alternatives among stock of these items as this will reduce constant usage of a particular pair and extend the active life.

The bottom line is everyone has to make this choice at some point, and what you decide will either pay off or guide you in future similar decisions. Good luck with your choices and have a FABULOUS week ahead.

Please take out time to participate in the poll.

Thanks and Stay Expectant!

A baby bump isn't one of the easiest things to style, but over time it has gotten easier with the invention of many styles and trends in its favor.

Loose fit outfits like the boyfriend shirt and maxi hemlines to mention a few are some of the quickest styles that come to mind, however many others can be mixed and matched to suit that lil bump. Fitted tops and gowns are also a must have for any preggers sister out there.

Showing off the bun-in-the-oven is stylish, did I hear you say huh! Sure it is, check out Kourtney Kardashians bumpy look and you'll totally agree with me.

I've been able to extract a few tips which will be helpful in styling all the preggers ladies out there using my personal experience as a guide and also infusing my experience as a stylist.

Dress up in breathable/comfortable fabrics especially during the warm seasons. Your comfort is key, because it affects your emotions and mood. Chiffon tops, leggings, shorts, denims fall under this category.
Stock up on flats, if you must wear heels non-slip wedges are preferred. I personally recommend flats since the weight of your body is on the rise and the shoes guarantee your stability to a large extent.
Accessorize to your taste: who says an expectant mum can't look her best? Be the judge, play with accessories to style up your overall look. Always remember "Less is more".
Always wear makeup: the strain of the bump on your body may cause some expectant mums skin to appear dull. To brighten up your face a little makeup is recommended, also regular touch ups with lip gloss and maybe white powder will help you stay fresh all day. Use a moisturizer to revive your skin.
Don't buy all your maternity clothes at once, it's highly recommended you shop in phases because you never know how big you'll get from the start. This also applicable while shopping nursing bras.
Empire waistlines & clothes with belt ties behind are perfect on a belly bump, buy into this trend and you'll be glad.
Wear minimal frills so there's no collision with your bump thereby increasing its actual size.
Always wear comfortable, effortless hair styles that suit your face shape.

In summary, you can stay stylishly expectant practicing all of these tips & more, you can also share a picture of your preggers style via email to stylemergers@gmail.com.

I'm sharing one of mine with all of you precious readers

Have a splendid week.... Cheers!!!

Ladies, how powerful is your undergarment Undergarments shape up the overall look of an outfit, this implies they should be carefully selected.

The "hour- glass" figure being the ideal body shape can wear many silhouettes and therefore needs little or no reliance on clothing camouflage tricks which are used to create a flattering figure. This "camouflage tricks" can be achieved using many styling tips one of which is wearing the right undergarments.

Here are some key undergarment pieces every girl should own.

1. The supportive bra - gives the correct lift to every downside. Invest in at least 3 quality sets.

2. The Corset - is worn to hold and shape the torso/or upper body frame into a desired shape

3. The girdle - is worn to hold firmly the lower waist, it may or may not extend below the hips. It also shapes the butt.

4. The panties - lingerie designers have designed several types of panties making it easy to decide which to wear bearing in mind the outfit. Visible pant lines (commonly referred to as VPL) can be avoided by wearing seamless or boy short panties on soft fabric. VPLs are no good to the beholders eyes.

5. The full body shaper- while you are at that weight loss plan, you can still appear chic in your fave dress by getting one of these shapers. It slims your silhouette and smoothens all that extra fat zone. Also worthy of note is that a shape wear should not feel restrictive and affect your breathing, if your's feels so try a size larger till you get a comfortable fit.

Above all, make it a duty to feel good in your body type and watch out for more camouflaging styling tips.

Please share your personal undergarment experiences in the comments section.

Hello beautiful people!!!!! Sure you all had a relaxing weekend. I spent most of my sallah break with family, visiting friends, baking, hosting guests, and attending events.... the activity chart seems endless. However, it was a good time off work and I'm looking forward to another holiday soon. Lol

I spent some time doing a wardrobe raid on myself and discovered a skater skirt I've owned for a while. The skater skirt/dress is characterized by a cinched waist, and a pleated bottom. It is actually a trendsetter at the moment and for all trend lovers it's a must have. Another timeless piece back in vogue with a touch of elegance and class.

Please note that if you have a pear body shape, a minimized pleat is more suitable, while the angular body shapes are great in fuller pleats.