Striped Sweater + Brown Cross-Body Bag + Graphic Print Pant/Skirt

Fall is finally here.  Though not my favorite weather, it is the only weather that affords me the opportunity to layer things up.  During the fall time – God willing – I will post pictures of me layering things up.

Have you noticed how fast fashion has evolved?  There was a time we were expected to color coordinate our outfits by making sure our shoes or accessories match the color of our outfit or a color represented in a print outfit.  I for one never fancied that idea.  I would always play it safe by wearing black shoes majority of the time to match whatever I was wearing.  Moreover, black is my favorite color.  I remember when people will show up at parties in green from head to toe.  How could they?  It was such a distraction for me because it showed there was little or no effort placed into styling themselves.

Thank goodness things are changing.  The outfits we used to see on hawkers on the street of Nigeria while I was growing up and referred to as iya o ba baba tan (translation: dress code disparity) is now in vogue.  A major designer flaunted banana and monkey prints on runway in 2011 and people wore them because they were Prada.  Ummmh! To each his own.  Will you ever wear that ankara (wax print) fabric with Oduduwa‘s face plastered all over it.  LOL!  Well if you can adorn your body with Prada’s banana and monkey dress, a nicely designed Oduduwa ankara dress should not be a problem.

There was a time mixing polka dots with graphic prints such as ikat was a no no.  Now streetstylers and bloggers are walking around and posing for pictures in clothing that some of us probably would never have considered hip.  They make them believable, right?  Should we applaud the street hawkers for starting these trends to begin with?

Anyhoo, moving on to the order of the day…

Everyone’s fave patterned sweater just got a lot more luxe.  A buttery soft cognac saddlebag makes stripes walk the line from natty nautical to smart sophisticate, evoking the style of icons like Ali MacGraw.  The duo plays well with crispy separates such as dark denim flares but you should try having fun with bottoms of a more eclectic mix.  A pant with a subtle graphic print, such as ikat, will guarantee you a chicly moment.  Be a risk taker and pair the duo with an African wax print skirt.

Inspired by Instyle Magazine