Style & Fashion with Lahmeet

Once Again on Yspot, I’m glad to let you know we have Lahmeet Andrew-Giwa in the house. The Last time she was here she rocked this boat. She is here again with some juicy stuff…..did I hear some people question the juiciness of the article below….well read on and if it is not juicy please leave a comment and if it is hmmm you can also leave a comment or better still a long note…lol. So I present to you Lahmeet herself with her article titled THE MOTH AND THE BUTTERFLY! Here she goes…………

You are probably wondering what these winged creatures have got to do with fashion and style, abi? I have my personal opinions about these insects but in order not to impose them on you, I had mighty fun carrying out a poll. The question I asked was this: “between a moth and a butterfly, which do you prefer and why?”

Correct JAMB question, abi? LOL… I got many interesting answers. Here are some of my favorites:

“Butterfly, because it’s more beautiful and visible than a moth”

“Butterfly: because it’s really beautiful and pretty… moths are so destructive and ugly”

“I think I prefer the butterfly because from the little I know of the moths, some have this powdery substance on them unlike the butterfly”

“A butterfly because it has beautiful wings and is an agent of pollination”

Hmmmm… So many answers and opinions, but what stands out clearly among all these is one thing: People usually draw their first impression of things based on APPEARANCE!

Think about it… A butterfly and a moth belong to the same family (Lepidoptera). They have the same basic structure…wings, antennae, abdomen… But the similarities, as regards appearance, end there. 

A butterfly is beautiful, colourful and attractive… a moth is drab, unattractive and dull looking…It was on this premise that my friends up there formed their opinions. Just a glance did it for them.

 

Now you cannot say you don’t care what strangers think of your appearance… first impressions do matter. The reason why a first impression is so important is because it's hardwired in the human brain to assess a person within a time frame of about 30 seconds of meeting them. We tend to use the information we glean in those first few moments to make other types of judgments, like whether or not a person is stylish, or is financially buoyant, or is well educated; but those first impressions are made because it’s how our brain works. In all of this, the undeniable thing is that first impressions imprint on us deeply, positively or negatively, that we still do need be mindful about the kind of impression we make.

Studies show that in most cases, an unfavorable first impression is enough to cause us to not bother looking more deeply at a person, or really getting to know them. That's why so many people warn about the dangers of "judging a book by its cover." What that means is that not only do we need to self-monitor, and be sure to get to know a person a little bit better before we write them off; we also need to be aware that we are going through the same assessment ourselves. While we are checking out a new person, they are also checking us out. Regardless of how nice, smart, fun, friendly, and clean you are, you still need to try to make a good first impression, because it's going to stick in a person's mind, even if it's not quite the real you.

Everyone wants to be attractive. You know you do… Go on, admit it! Being attractive involves many things, among which your dress sense ranks high on the list. How many people do you think will take the time to find out if you have a great personality? They will not take you serious because they cannot get pass your sloppy outlook. The truth is this: The image you project to the world determines how you are treated.

Now let’s talk about that image...

You don’t have to rob a bank to achieve an impressive look. Sometimes even the so called “bend-down selects” can be laundered and perfumed well and adorned in such a way that you come out looking fab. Yup!

Wardrobe

First and foremost, you have to see your appearance and image as an investment. Take time to think about your wardrobe and save money to buy clothes. This is not vanity, it is very crucial! We all seem to find money for what is really important to us, don’t we? Well, your image SHOULD be important to you.

Invest in a basic wardrobe that can be dressed up or down with accessories. A basic wardrobe is just that… basic. These are clothing items in black, white, brown, navy blue and grey that can be paired with clothing in other colors. Don’t be afraid to pay slightly more than you are used to for your basic pieces and please pay attention to quality. It’s wiser to buy 1 good pricey blouse than to blow your money away by buying the same inexpensive blouse over and over again.

And have you ever thought of engaging the services of a tailor to make your shirts? You don’t have to go to all those boutiques. I, for example, have a brilliant tailor who makes my shirts. This works superbly for me because I end up with shirts that are my perfect fit. I gladly bade farewell to TM shirts (I’m not saying TM is bad oooo) and I get to save a lot of cash too. It also affords me the opportunity to come up with unique designs for my shirts (yeah there is a designer inside of me too! *wink*).

Accessories

Choose your accessories (jewelry, belts, sun glasses, hair clips etc) carefully. Your accessories should complement your outfit, not overshadow it. The rule here is: Less is more…

Hair

Your hair is also very important. There’s a saying that goes thus: “the hair is the woman’s crowning glory”… I don’t know about it being a crowning glory o, but I do know that the way your hair looks impacts a lot on your overall appearance. Please carefully select hair styles that fit the shape of your face (this information will be featured some other day). Whether it is braids, weave on, Ghana weaving or perm, make sure that it is neat and well arranged. Also, find a hair dresser that you like and stick with him/her. Experimenting with different hair dressers can be dangerous.

  

Wow… so many things I want to say, so little time… I guess I’ll just have to break here and bring you the rest tips some other time. Soon… *pinkie promise*

But before I zap, let me leave you with this: What you wear says a lot about you. What is the impression you would like to leave behind? Well then, present that image going in.

“Oh wow! Look at that pretty moth!”… Said no one…

Anita Andrew-Giwa

Follow me on twitter @lahmeet 

So what do you think? Juicy right! Ok! comment, we had an agreement oh.....wink! 

Next time (Friday) on Yspot! We have African& Intercontinental Delicacies.