Tunnel Vision I must tell you, this is the most challenged I’ve been fashion wise this winter because this past week was the coldest we’ve had in NC. You know I’m not the fondest about the cold weather so when I saw the weather predict -17 degrees celsius. No. Just no. Of course all I wanted to do was hibernate and we did have a snow day so classes got cancelled (woop woop!) but now it’s really annoying because everywhere is crazy slippery and not the safe. The motivation to dressup was low mostly because I had no idea where to start in my wardrobe and I have been stubborn about doing winter shopping. Anyways, I was arguing with two of my friends (one from Colorado and the other from Chicago) on how to look stylish and not catch pneumonia. They challenged me and this ensemble. The temptation to wear all black was strong but I resisted haha. Speaking of black, I tried black nail polish for the first time. I had been reluctant for the longest because I thought it’d look weird on dark skin. However I was inspired by a fellow blogger and now I’m in love. It’s so different from the usual bright colors I use on my nails like red, purple and blue but it is gorgeous! I also used a matte top coat and I was hooked. I guess you can say I’ve joined the dark side haha. I hope you had a great week and have a restful weekend. I’ll talk to you in a bit! Outfit Details Ankara Skirt: Custom-made (purchase some here) Winter Jacket: New Look Coat: Windsor Sweater: Target Earrings: Fulfill Jewelry Always, Miss LAJA
LAJA Unseen #3 #LAJAUnseen the 3rd. I’m think of adding photos of when I was younger. That’s when things get really rough, haha! Yes? Don’t forget to check out LAJAgram (@miss_laja) for the name of the pose above. Also, I’m so happy to say I’ve finally set up my online boutique called LAJA (yasss!) so you can order ankara skirts and more while stock (yassssss!) lasts AND yes babe, international shipping is available. YassssSSSssssss! Enjoy and I’ll talk to you in a bit! LAJA Unseen 1| LAJA Unseen 2 The “Boy’s So Fine Imma Have To Lean” Pose The “Did I Hear You Right?” OR The “Oh No She Didn’t” OR The “Flamingo LAJA” Pose The “I Might Look Like A Chameleon But Brows On Fuh-Leek Da What?!” Pose The “Friday Is That You?” OR The “Look At The Monkey I’ve Been Looking For” Pose The “Tell Me You Got Me Whipping My Hair Back & Forth” Pose The “Wagwan, You Feel Me Bloodz” Pose The “Hold Up Let Me Stylishly Sniff My Wrist” Pose The “You Don’t Say?” Pose The “I Don’t Care, I Offically Have #LongHairProblems” Pose Always, Miss LAJA
PS I Love You Join LAJA as she discovers the beauty of love and all the emotions that come with it… This project is so close to my heart because this is my first time doing a post like this. Coming up with the “storyline” and being able to capture my message through pictures was really fun and I hope you’re able to see it or interpret it as you like. Adding my own twist, I got creative with the Valentine season (while including ankara, of course) so I could do something different from last year 🙂 I decided it’s not every time, blabbing, blabbing from my end. Sometimes, I just want the photos to speak for themselves. What do you think? Do you want more posts with “story lines”? Eeek, I definitely want to do more like this! They’re so exciting! Happy Valentine’s Day, my love. Enjoy it to the fullest regardless of your relationship status. Outfit Details Ankara Boubou: Custom-made Orange Sandals: Ralph Lauren Silver Heels: BCBG Earrings/Bracelet: Fulfill Jewelry J: Hey… LAJA: Hey, you… J: You got my message… LAJA: I did, thank you but… J: But I want you to know I meant it, I love you. LAJA: I know… and I love you too… Always, Miss LAJA
Plum I hope you had a great week! Mine was really sweet over here but I’m super glad it’s the weekend. Yesterday, I stayed in and read novels till my eyes turned dry and crispy because it’s not every time I get free time to leisurely readddd as I please. So yes, I dumped my phone somewhere and swallowed as much words as my eyes could take till I literally collapsed in bed haha. Fab way to spend my Friday night if you ask me 🙂 What did you do? I love this outfit, very chilled and laid back. I wore my crop sweater over the ankara dress I wore here. Honestly, I can’t wait for warmer weather because I miss wearing maxi dresses SO MUCH! They are my go to pieces for Spring/Summer because they are really classy and you look great without having to think too much. That’s a win, win for me so Spring/Summer, show your face! I’ve been waiting for thee since the end of fall and the beginning of winter!! Anyways, have a great weekend, my love and I’ll talk to you in a bit. Outfit details: Ankara dress: Custom made Crop Sweater: Windsor Bag: Paul’s Boutique Shoes: Rocket Dog Earrings/Bracelet: Fulfill Jewelry Always, Miss LAJA
Sky Full Of Stars Because wearing a croptop in the cold is always a good idea right? Wrong. Wrong. Oh, did I mention how wrong I was? Haha, I literally slobbery cried my way through this shoot. It wasn’t the cold that got me (lies) but the wind. That chick was crazy and she just kept blowing away everything… including my hair so on the bright but teary side I got some really cool hair-flowing-with-the-wind shots.Very worth the tears. I wore these ankara trousers in the same print as this dress and I was feeling very daring so I added the hounds-tooth coat. I really like how the patterns meshed and the laissez-faire feel of the whole ensemble. I can imagine myself wearing this to a fashion show; maybe I was delirious from the wind but I still feel that way while writing this article. It was recently Paris Haute couture week so excessive creativity really rubbed off on me. I also managed to pull off (for the first time) a strictly black and white look including ankara which is almost impossible as African prints usually come with several colors. Woop woop! As much as I love this coat, I won’t put down where I got it from because I was sooo disappointed in the quality; more specifically the finishing. This surprised me because I really like the brand and I’ve never had issues quality wise with their items. However, it was my first time buying a coat from them so I know to be weary in case of next time. If there’s even a next time. It looks so great in the pictures though 🙂 I hope you’re all having a swell week and I’ll talk to you in a bit. PS, Happy New Month! Hellooo, February!! Outfit Details Ankara Trousers: Custom Made Croptop: Windsor Shoes: Body Central Chain: F21 Always, Miss LAJA
Primary Colors I really enjoyed playing with colors here. It was not planned but I was pulling out the outfit and I thought, wow, I really like this! Just a few updates because a lot has been happening and I don’t want things piling up. I was recently featured on KonnectAfrica and did a style post on West African LifeStyle where I shared my tips on how to slayyyy in ankara so I hope you enjoy and learn a couple new things about Miss LAJA and ankara 😉 This is the fourth and final design from the skirts available for sale (see the others looks here, here, here and tell me your favorite!) I hope you’ll see that show you that wearing multiple colors doesn’t have to be dreadful. Yes, it’s quite challenging but once you get the hang of things, it’s not as bad. When wearing colors, think contrast but check out my style feature for more tips 🙂 The coat tones down and pulls the whole look together. I was pinching myself while buying it because whites/creams are too high maintenance for me as I stain stuff easily. I almost ran back to buy the black one but I refrained. However, the coat is fairing well so far, thanks for asking. This is very random but on music, I’ve been replaying Placebo’s version of “Running Up That Hill” and to some it might sound really depressing, well the lyrics are but I feel it’s a lot deeper than that. The original version by Kate Bush is a lot more cheery but I think Placebo’s version really brings out the emotion of the lyrics. Can’t decide which I prefer though, haha. If you’ve heard one or both versions, what do you think? I always find myself stumbling across sweet tracks on Spotify. My taste in music is a blend of all sorts of things, hehe. Maybe I’ll be sharing my current favorites more often? Yay or nay? Hope you have a restful weekend! Outfit details Ankara skirt: available for sale 🙂 Coat: Windsor Croptop: Body Central Shoes: Mee Too Always, Miss LAJA
PurplePhunk Of course, the first few skirts I’m selling had to include a variation of purpleeee! It’s back to tights and layers with the weather but I’m not complaining that much. What’s really giving me a headache is my scalp. It’s SUPER dry because of the cold and I don’t know what to do about it. My usual products aren’t holding against the weather and I don’t want to destroy these lovely braids before their due time so if you have any tips on keeping your scalp hydrated in these rough times, please sharee. I’ll literally try anything at this point. Seriously. Anyways, I have on multiple layers with a turtleneck + cardigan + biker jacket + bad-ass booties + ombré bumbum braids + ankara skirt. The girly girl meets biker chic and the winter layering is giving me so much joy I’m liking the cold weather a tad bit more than usual. This is another skirt available for sale so you can email me if you’re interested. See the others here and here Just by the way, I have a love/hate relationship with my lens because some days, the images are a dream (today is one of those days) and other days it hurts my eyes to even look at the photos. Sometimes I reallyy want to upgrade and other times I’m like nah. I guess I need to get to know my DSLR to a tee before making that decision. Does that happen to you or is it just me? Oh, be sure to check out my feature on West African LifeStyle where I share my tips on looking great in ankara all day err’day. Woop woop! Have a great rest of the week and Happy Hump Day, my love! Outfit Details Ankara skirt: for sale 🙂 Turtleneck shirt:similar here Cardigan: similar here Biker Jacket: Bongo (sold out) similar here Bag: Paul’s Boutique London (The baddest) Booties (in the game): Mix No. 6 Sunglasses: my Aldo ones broke, got the replicas here Always, Miss LAJA
Baby Doll I’m reveling in the playfulness of this outfit. I decided to bring some summer to Miss LAJA since I can’t have it in real life with this cold. Oh well… I love how both patterns mix well with each other. Another example of how wearing pattern on pattern (florals+ankara) isn’t as horrible as you thought it to be, haha. I matched it with a stunning Fulfill Jewelry set that reminds me of nets for some strange reason and I borrowed my mum’s purse to complete the look. The perks of having a stylish mum that you share stuff with, woop woop! You might have already noticed from my past post that I did ombre braids. I’ve been wanting to do them for over a year after spotting a lady in the airport. I literally stalked her just to take a picture of her hair. Not creepy at all. This is another one of the skirts that’s available for purchase so hit me up if you’re interested. There were lots of ups this week that left me feeling so grateful. I can’t wait to share with you and I hope you stick around to find out. Till then, have a swell weekend and I’ll talk to you in a bit! Outfit details Ankara skirt: available for sale 🙂 Bodysuit: similar here Shoes: American Apparel (similar here) Sunglasses: Kensie Jewelry: Fulfill Jewelry Purse: Mummy LAJA (similar one on sale here) Always, Miss LAJA
Éventail I recently released on Instagram that I am selling ankara print skirts in 2 designs; this one and a flare design like the one here. They come in 4 different prints and I’m really excited to share this with you! You can learn more about it here and email me for more details. There’re limited in stock so hurryyy! I will be giving you guys ideas on how to style them so I hope you find it useful. I kept things really chic and minimalist with black but you can always play of the recessive colors on the skirt (green, black and brown). Another way I would have worn it would be with a red or orange (crop)sweater or top to add more contrast and a pop of color, of course. Just have fun with it. On to other things, you need to see this video. I already passed out twice (and counting) from laughter. I just can’t get enough of it. I hope it brightens up your week like it did mine. Sometimes all you need is just some stomach-aching, rainy-eyed laughter, you know? Have a swell week, my loves and stay tuned for the rest! Outfit details Ankara skirt: available for sale Kimono: similar here Shoes: Guess Sunglasses: Kensie Bracelet: Fulfill Jewelry Always, Miss LAJA
Hi-Low Welcome, welcome back. You made it. I have a really good feeling about 2015 and it makes me nervous thinking about it but 2014 was a year of discovery and really deciding what direction I wanted Miss LAJA to go in. Yes, she’s still evolving but I believe that now, there’s a lot more focus. This 2015 I really want to push myself, step A LOT more out of my comfort zone, say yes more and take more risks. I don’t know what the future holds but whatever happens I want blogging to always remain enjoyable. That’s one of the reasons I started in the first place; I got to use a different part of my brain, like an outlet. My own space to create what I want, whenever and however I want and share it with you. Again, thank you for the support in 2014 🙂 I’m not the biggest fan of “New Year Resolutions” but I do believe in setting goals and working towards them whether you’re going into a new year or not. This isn’t to say you shouldn’t have things you’d like to start/drop this 2015 but the whole “New Year, new me” confuses me a lot. Where did the “old” you go? How about “New year, improved me”? After all, you do get a new chapter not a completely new book. Anywhoo, I really want to take my eyebrow grooming a lot more seriously. For real. I am blessed with lovely, full brows so I don’t need to fill/draw them in (thank God) but I do tend to neglect them a little to often, haha. This year, I will TRY my best to have “on-fleek” brows as often as possible. Just clean them up a bit and maintain them, you know, haha. It might seem funny but that’s one of my personal goals. What are some of your goals for 2015? It doesn’t matter how silly you think it sounds. As long as it’s important to you, do share! If you follow me on my Instagram (@miss_laja), you’ll know I started 2015 in Dubai! This is my first time spending the New Year outside Nigeria and it feels exhilarating. I’ve been loving Dubai so far and don’t worry, expect a couple of posts and a whole lot of pictures on Miss LAJA but till then, you can join me on my adventures on Instagram/Facebook. As for the outfit, I wore it on the 1st (duh) and it’s just giving me life. I’ve had this skirt for the longest but it had me confused and I didn’t want to wear it anyhow. I’m glad I waited and I’m loving the contrasting high-low top/high-low skirt combo. Woop woop! What did you wear on the 1st? This is a new chapter for Miss LAJA (she’ll be turning two soon! Eeek! :O) and I’m more than excited to see where life/God takes us. When I say us, I mean you, me and Miss LAJA (who is still technically me) cause this is one crazy, fun roller coaster of a journey I want you to be a part of. Woop woop! I pray the start of this year meets you well. No matter where you are in your life, count yourself blessed. You made it. Welcome to 2015 Always, Miss LAJA