Now that winter is here…

03 June Pattern And Style

I DON’T quite feel like I’m slaying enough!

Dressing up every morning has become taxing. I literally get out of the shower, stand in front of my wardrobe and stare at my clothes for a while before I figure out what to wear.

It suddenly seems like my clothes are not good enough. The temperatures keep dropping and it’s not just about a pretty blouse and a basic skirt anymore.

A girl has got to stay warm! Well, and look good in the process.

I have to think about which coat to wear with what shoes and scarf. If it’s going to be a skirt, I have to think about stockings and if they’re pants, will my feet be warm enough in my shoes.

I sometimes find myself wearing the same coat a couple of times before it makes its way to the laundry.

Don’t judge; we all do that. I mean, there’s not always enough sun to dry out heavy fabric.

It has been generally cold although it gets a little warm later in the day so sometimes a coat doesn’t cut it. On other days, I may need the coat in the morning and later in the evening so whatever goes under the coat must be lit.

There’s nothing as depressing as having to keep a coat on because you wore an unsightly T-shirt under it.

I’ve started using my iPhone’s weather application to gauge the temperature. It’s a little cheesy, I know, but I do check for temperature highs and lows every day.

For example, if the high for the day does not exceed 20 degrees Celsius, I know it’s going to be a pretty cold day so I snuggle up in something heavy.

But, if the high is over 20 degrees Celsius, the afternoon will be quite warm so I wear a lighter jacket or jersey. I make sure I wear pieces that I can comfortably separate and still look good in.

Never make the mistake of applying your fragrance onto your coat, jacket or jersey.

Because these are not necessarily washed as they’re worn, they’ll reek of alcohol. Nothing smells as bad as old perfume. The fragrance settles onto the fibres of your clothes and doesn’t mix with the chemistry of your body.

Invest instead in a good roll on and apply your fragrance directly onto your skin as you would during summer.

Because of the fragrances’ chemistry with your body, it’ll still come through perfectly well. Avoid wearing sleeveless pieces underneath your coats and jerseys. You do sweat a little during winter.

Once you sweat directly onto your coat or jersey, it’ll be difficult for you to wear it a second time without washing it first. Instead, wear cotton pieces with sleeves — cotton is an excellent absorbent.

It’s important to maximise on protective hairstyles like braids when it’s cold. Besides them being easy to manage, they protect your natural hair from low temperatures.

When it’s cold, your hair doesn’t hold moisture as well as it does when temperatures are warm. The moisture quickly diminishes leaving your hair hard, brittle and susceptible to breakage.

That’s never a good thing. If anything, it’s stressful watching your hair fall off your head, onto your bathroom floor or comb. You may not necessarily like braids but have your hair plaited in one way or the other. Wigs could also do the trick. Do cornrows with your natural hair then slap on a wig whenever it pleases you.

Having your hair covered up doesn’t mean you pay less attention to it.

You need to religiously oil your scalp and hairline. Doing so will keep it moisturised, protected and healthy. A healthy scalp will result in a healthy head of hair.

As you wash your face every day, the oils on your hairline are also washed away. Make sure you apply some hair moisturiser onto your hairline every other day to replace these oils.

Maybe you’re thinking the moisturiser will eventually cake and start looking like dirt. It won’t if you use an aqua-based hair moisturiser.

This usually comes in liquid form so you can spray it onto your hair.

A petroleum-based moisturiser will eventually cake and leave your hair dirty and smelly because you might not be washing it over at least six weeks.

Petroleum-based moisturisers tend to make hair smell when it’s not washed regularly because they’re a bit on the heavy side.

Until next week, flaunt your pattern and style and don’t forget to catch up with me on Twitter handle @Yolisswa, visit my blog, www.stayera247.blogspot.com or like my Facebook page Pattern & Style.

You Might Also Like

Comments