Cuts for Him and Her – Men’s fashion on the modern woman

Creative director Rita Colson and Model Jennifer Kamara – make up session just before the shoot

The short story

This article is not so much about me and what I am wearing but has everything to do with the look model Jennifer has on. You can read about the description of my look and it seasonal significance in my previous article “How to stretch your summer into autumn with a suit”. Right here right now, I just want to say men’s clothing rock. I mean how else can a woman wear an iconic piece of men’s item like a dress blazer and completely own it with such elegance and grace? One word, versatility!

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Model, Jennifer Kamara

The long story

Ok now hear me out for a few minutes at least. This shoot or indeed this concept of sharing my wardrobe with Jennifer started off as a necessity which quickly turned out to be a total blessing and a revelation to me personally. I picket up the phone to style consultant and creative director Rita Colson two days before the shoot was due to resign myself to the fact that the shoot might be called off as the male models I casted to feature with me could not make it. Sensing the massive disappointment in my voice the genius that is Rita quickly turned my fortunes round by suggesting the use of a female model instead. I have to be honest and say that I was very wary and apprehensive of the idea at first for the simple reason that I wouldn’t know what to do if I should style a woman using my wardrobe. I mean I already planned and styled the male models so I struggled to replace that idea at such a short notice.

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Model, Jennifer Kamara

 

You can image the relief and excitement I had when Rita offered to style Jennifer. With an entire floor to ourselves, we spent the whole day shooting and reshooting to get everything right. Because the shoot was a great success, I was able get enough content for four distinct articles two of which explores men’s clothing on women. I made the shoot with Jennifer into a mini two-part series with the first being this article and the second to follow soon.

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Model, Jennifer Kamara

Anyway, who better to talk about this look than the person who put it together herself, Rita Colson. Below is a few paragraphs she put together for this article.

Designers from Dolce & Gabbana to Ghost have sent dresses reminiscent of nightwear down the catwalk, and some stars have even worn nighties out on the town. It’s a real favorite on the red carpet.

There is nothing like a sexy slip dress with a masculine jacket to balance. As demonstrated by Rose Huntington when launching her collaboration with Marks and Spencer earlier this year.

This is the ultimate effortless look for the confident woman who likes to switch it up every now and then. 

A Perfect solution for the festive seasons upon us. If a slip dress or a ‘nightie’ is too daring, this look can also be achieved with a bohemian or a Victoriana twist with a masculine jacket to balance.

Why not try it in one of this seasons must have hues ‘Masala Tones’ Paprika, plum, and burgundy to give it an autumnal touch

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Model, Jennifer Kamara

So there you have it. Here i was thinking the shoot was doomed only for it to turn out to be one of the best so far. Never underestimate the power of men’s clothing.

Please let me know your thoughts in the comment section below. I will try to reply to every comment or question

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Model – Jennifer Kamara

Stylist – Rita Colson

Photography – Mista Skee

Location – West thirty six

How to stretch your Summer into Autumn with a suit

Well look who is here, seems like I got your attention with the article title. You are most welcome and please keep reading. By the way, if you have not subscribed to this blog yet, i encourage you to do so as i have a lot to share in the coming weeks and months which you don’t want to miss.  Just in case some of you are wondering what makes a suit a summer or winter or autumn or whatever season suit, let me give you two main pointers before I move on to talking about my super cool suit. But why does summer have to end in the first place? It would save us so much hassle if it was summer all year round right? Anyway, quick back to the suit. Two quick pointers to always check for when determining a seasonal suit are fabric and colour.

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Summer suits are generally lightweight with weave that are slightly looser allowing breathability. Remember it is hot during the summer months so breathability is absolutely essential when choosing a fabric or indeed buying a suit for that time of the year. The second pointer is colour. Summer colours for suits are usually either vibrant or light shades and naturals like beige and stone as oppose to charcoal grey, navy and other darker colours suited to the cold seasons. Get these two rules right and the rest will fall into place.

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However, I am in the mood to break some rules today. There is no way I am going to spend hundreds of pounds on a beautifully crafted suit and be expected to only wear it during summer. It just does not make financial sense neither would I be doing justice to the suit itself. So guess what, I am going to stretch my money by wearing this suit in all its splendour until that cold wind really start to hit my bones. Besides, who made these colour rules anyway?

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As I was saying its rule breaking time so stick with me for a minute or two while I explain myself. Quick word of caution before I proceed. Before you break a rule, make sure you know what the rules are first of all. Going against the grain is sweet but make sure you know the direction of flow before going against it. That way, you can do it like a boss.

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The suit I am wearing is made with a linen-wool-silk blend fabric that provides comfort and luxury at the same time. The linen provides strength and breathability to the suit, whiles the wool and silk gives durability and structure. What you basically have is a suit made of fabric that is lightweight and breathable but not saggy or droopy. It maintains it form and structure and with the right cut, can look like you were born with it.

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So to stretch my summer suit into autumn, I have done two main things.

The first is simply and straightforward as all I had to do Continue reading How to stretch your Summer into Autumn with a suit

How to stay warm but stylish for Autumn

Just in case you have not noticed, we are smack-bang in the middle of autumn (or Fall if you are American) and the chilled weather is a testament to that. To be honest, autumn has been very kind this year so far as far as England is concerned. The weather has thrown up a pleasant surprise and stayed relatively warm for the the time of the year.

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One thing I always look forward to during autumn is the falling leaves and how nature paints beautiful images all around us. Living in a concrete jungle like London unfortunately robs one of this natural beauty.

Anyway before I digress any further, this post is part of my autumn collection shoot I did a couple of months ago with three other incredible talents (a model, a creative director, and a photographer) whom I will introduce to you later on in other posts.

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For this post, I will share with you an alternative autumn look which I think works very well for mild weather conditions. Continue reading How to stay warm but stylish for Autumn

Mind the details: Socks

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If by any chance you missed the pocket square post on the “Mind the details” series, i recommend you catch up with it here.

Socks are by far one of the most underrated pieces of items which are not given much attention for many reasons. To appreciate the value of socks compared to the rest of your look, one much first of all understand the use of this accessory. Are you wearing socks for protection, for athletics, comfort or for style? Once you decide the main purpose of use then other things will start to fall into place. As you would have guessed, my focus is on style and how dress socks can be used to greatly enhance an overall look.

You might be thinking whats the point of paying attention to a piece of item that is barely seen. Well first of all, if your socks is never seen when you wear a dress trouser then you might be doing something wrong and the chances are your trouser length is longer than it should be. Granted when standing straight one might not always see your socks but I guarantee this will change the minute you put one foot in front of another and start walking or when you make good use of your bottom by sitting down. Continue reading Mind the details: Socks