WWW—What We Wore to Church: Ankara Family Style

From solo slays to squad goals. Now see what the Lord has done!

Once upon a time, it was just me showcasing my Sunday outfits on the What I Wore blog series, finding moments after church service, and setting timers on my camera. Now? It’s the whole fam! A family of 5!

A Bold Approach to Pregnancy Style

Pregnancy has a way of teaching you resilience. It’s a beautiful reminder that God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness.

This season isn’t without its challenges. There are moments of exhaustion, discomfort, and uncertainty. But through it all, I’ve leaned more into God. God has been my constant, my anchor, and my guide. In His presence, I’ve found strength to carry on, even when the days feel long.

I honestly didn’t feel like going to church today, but I went anyway! The spirit was willing, even though the flesh was weak. Kachi prayed for me, and just like that—boom! I jumped out of bed. Hallelujah!

I whispered, “There must be something packaged for me amongst the brethren today. Lord, I receive all that you have for me today in the name of Jesus!”

These pictures being captured were part of the packages. . .

PREGNANCY STYLE: Tips for Styling Your Baby Bump in Brown

After church that Sunday, I decided to take a few photos. Nothing fancy—just us, in our Sunday best, with my growing baby bump taking center stage.

Styling Pregnancy in Shades of Brown

As someone who is pretty practical when it comes to investing in my wardrobe (and who is almost positive this is my last time doing this?), I really made an effort to maximize the number of bump-accommodating pieces I already owned to the fullest…while also still maintaining some sense of…togetherness — and personal style.

I’d been more than intentional about how I wanted to tend to and celebrate my last pregnancy. It was almost addictive. The pictures weren’t always enough. Lol. 

There is a glow that only pregnancy can give. Brown is one of the colours that effortlessly complements that glow. It’s a neutral that feels rich and sophisticated, yet it’s soft enough to evoke a sense of comfort. Plus, it pairs beautifully with earthy tones, or even pops of colour.

To elevate my look, I wore an Ankara scarf. You know I live for that fabric. 😉

STYLE: Decide What Story Your Family Will Tell

I’ve mentioned a couple times or twenty that What-I-Wore Sunday feature posts have been a little bit of a challenge since I moved to my husband’s church. Thankfully, today's post-church pictures turned out better than usual; our faces didn't scream, “I am hungry and I want to go home!”

Decide What Story Your Family is Going to Tell

Everyone who knows me know that I love the fabric called Ankara. I practically live in it. You should come visit me sometime and see the wonders my family does with the fabric. The beautiful colours and patterns inherent in Ankara is how we want our family story to be. 

Bright. Vibrant. Colourful. Attractive. Glamourous. Expressive. African. Bold. Versatile. Unique. 

You know what I mean. All those good stuff.  

I like to imagine my children being asked, what do you like about your family?

STYLE: Mummy and Daughter In Ankara Skirt

Last week, I told you I’d be sharing more pictures of me and my girl(s) matching. Yeah? That’s just what today’s post is all about.

I love to match with my girls.

No doubt, having a baby is one of the biggest
joys of life, one that is beyond words. However,
there are plenty of reasons to rejoice in having a
baby girl(s)! There is something very different
about playing dress-up with your little girl. The
beautiful dresses, the varied patterns, the
cheery colours, the accessories, it just never
ends.

STYLE: You Don’t Have To Buy Maternity Clothes (Stop Wasting Money)

I’ve come to discover that being pregnant is an interesting season— emphasis on “interesting”.

What’s interesting during those 40 weeks can be so out of the ordinary — it's nice to do things so you still feel like yourself throughout the season. For me, that meant holding onto my personal style, even though I couldn’t wear most of my clothes anymore.

Maternity Clothes Without Spending 

Can you wear regular clothes when Pregnant? — and the answer is absolutely YES! In fact, I make it a point to wear non-maternity clothes while pregnant. Not only is it totally possible to wear non-maternity clothes while pregnant, but it is also flattering. You can find regular non-maternity clothes that will accommodate a bump to be just as comfy and supportive as maternity clothes, and that you can continue to wear postpartum.

Judging by my imposed sedentary lifestyle, I spent a lot of my pregnancy in my birthday suit. When I was clothed, my go-to pregnancy looks were the same clothes I have always had in my wardrobe: I actually wanted to buy new clothes that would grow with my belly but I find most maternity clothes are pretty expensive and not that cute. So buying too many pieces I probably won’t wear again just didn’t make any sense to me. I decided to explore creative ways to wear non-maternity clothes as a mum-to-be.

It was challenging at times, but it turned out to be the same kind of strategy I used to repeat my clothes without anyone knowing.

STYLE: Ankara Maternity Outfit Ideas For Couples That Enjoy Matching Beautifully

Deciding what to wear is hard enough as it is! When it comes to matching outfits with your spouse, there are lots of things to consider. .

Couple Maternity Outfit Inspiration

I promised to share how Kachi and I were consistently matching our outfits throughout our pregnancy journey. Well, here it is. 😊

What I Wore To Church Today (After Lockdown)

Woo-hoo! Happy Sunday Sweethearts of my blogosphere! How are you doing?! Guess what's back? Going to church is back! 'What-I-Wore to church' is back! And Sunday Style posts are back! I am so. . . excited!

Church After Lockdown

First, let me take off my mask to show you pictures of what I wore to church today.

Your guess is as good as mine; I wore (more than) a touch of Ankara to church this Sunday. Ankara is my happiness plug. (Lol. What does that even mean?). Whatever. I am always happy to wear the most beautiful fabric in the world. Yeah, I said that.

STYLE: How To Make Simple Ankara Face Masks Without Sewing Machine

Hi Sweethearts! How are you doing this Sunday? With highly contagious COVID19 rapidly spreading throughout the world, many people are shopping for surgical masks to protect against this dangerous disease. 

I had a cause to go out to get groceries and didn't like the face mask Kachi bought for me to use for protection. Days later, I playfully crafted with Ankara and it turned out to be just great! I would be making more. Excited much!

Quick Ankara Face Mask

If you have been a keen follower of my blog (or any of my social media), then you already know that I love love love Ankara. The African print fabric (mostly known as Ankara) can reflect your stylish personality while helping you stay safe on the streets.

First, I trust you are aware that the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission. Wearing home-made face masks is a voluntary public health measure in this epidemic.

Having said that, I can now go ahead to show you how I made my Ankara face mask in twenty minutes.

What I Wore: Black Never Goes Out Of Style

Hello beautiful people! How are you doing? I hope you are smoking hot for the Lord in this moment. You already know what Sunday's post is about; to give some style inspiration, especially as it concerns Ankara fabric as well as What I wore to church. Let's go right into it. 🙂

Black + Ankara

Black here.
Black there.
Black here and there.
Black everywhere.
Need I tell you how much I love black again?

What I Wore: Sneakers With Ankara

So he asked me yesterday, "babe, what are we going to wear to Church tomorrow?" "I don't know. I think I'm going to wear those sneakers you got for me." And it happened.

Happy Sunday!

Ankara And Sneakers

You all know your girl loves loves loves Ankara fabric. And that love is not dying anytime soon. I planned to wear some of that to church today with the new pair of sneakers Kachi got for me.

I personally like to rock sneakers with pencil skirts, shirt dresses, flared skirts and chambray dresses.

The first rule for me was: Don’t let it be too casual or too short. We are trying to praise the Lord not raise curiousity! Amen?

What I Wore: Long Ankara Jacket On Straight-Cut Ankara Skirt

Happy Style-Sunday! Today is the last Sunday in October. How has the month been for you? For me, October started slow but it's ending in a rush. So much is happening at the same time. I'm staying thankful.

Here's what I wore to church today.

Ankara Jacket

Ankara bumper jackets, kimono jackets, blazers, just name them. You can’t go wrong with them. And you can rock them with skirts, jeans, shorts/bumshorts, pencil skirts or short skirts. They are valuable pieces to have in your wardrobe.

I have had this piece since 2016. As I write this post, I vividly remember where, how and why I got this piece as well as what happened the first day I  wore it. It's interesting how your clothes can cause you to 'play back' certain past experience and the feeling associated with them.

Don't Call This A Style Post

If you've been following my blogging journey for at least over a couple of months, you'd have noticed that I love to show off what-I-wore to church on Sundays, especially if it has to do with Ankara fabric.

Sadly, since I started attending my husband's church it's been difficult getting shots that are blog-worthy for Sunday Style posts.

A Failed Couple Style Post

At our local church, Sunday school starts at 8:00AM. Being Teens' Sunday School teachers, we are expected to be at church earlier than 8:00AM to prepare and get ready for our classes.

Let's say our target time is 7:55AM.

Now look at this,

We currently live 45 minutes drive away from church. So that means we have to get dressed and be out of the house at/before 7:10 AM. However, four times out of five, we are yet to leave the house at 7:20 AM. And neither of us would entertain the thought of taking pictures before we head to church.

"Take what? When we are already late?!"

Since we couldn't take pictures before church, we should be able to take pictures after church, right? But it always doesn't seem to work. By the time church service is over, we are either hungry and tired or heading for another event. Taking pictures isn't our priority at the time.

What I Wore: Double Wrapper For The First Time As A Wife

Hi People! How has it been? I have been very busy writing and writing. It's been a long time since I conceived this book inside of me, and I can't wait to finally push it out into the world. Trust me, it's going to be a powerful one.

To clear up the webs on this space, let me showcase what I wore to church today. :)

Double-Wrapper Style For Women's Day

First of all, Happy Women's Day to every woman out there — whether single or married. I celebrate you.

Secondly, I am ashamed of myself today. I was struggling to wear what women were asked to wear to church — two wrappers.

I know that a lot of women can relate with the tying of wrapper in this part of the world (Nigeria). It’s our culture as African women to tie wrapper.

STYLE: The First Tip For Couples Matching Outfits Together

Happy Style-Sunday! What's popping? I have got a headache. It's either as a result of my headwrap or my new weaves being too tight. Phew. Anyways, I will be fine.

Let's talk about matching outfits. Do you think couples that dress together stay together?

Matching Outfits With Your Spouse

I can't say whether it is more of a natural phenomenon than a conscious effort to start dressing in a matching and harmonious fashion when you get married.

However, what I can say is you may intuitively or subconsciously want to match your spouses style so that you can mirror them better and sync with them; Adding to the fact that couples that stylishly match outfit look very cute together. Thanks to its focus on complementary and cohesive aesthetics. After all, how do we expect to look well-dressed if our outfits are clashing?

STYLE: A Mismatch Ankara Challenge

Long time no style post. Since the last one, I've not had a good reason to show off an outfit. Partly because I have been wearing the same set of clothes; as my style goal for the year was "Wear What You Already Have". Thanks to a colleague who challenged me by saying, "Amaka, you claim you like Ankara. Can you wear Ankara from head to toe?"

Mix and Match Challenge

And to think that I was struggling to make this outfit look great makes it very rewarding and joyous. What trips me most is that none of the Ankara fabric is the same. The earrings, skirt, shoes and bags have different prints. I simply played around with green and orange platelets. What I think I normally wouldn’t do.

So here is the trick: If you’re wearing different printed pieces, keep some form of continuity going on by choosing prints in the same sort of colour scheme. Making sure they complement each other will help your outfit look more put together. I discovered that a head to toe printed look can have the potential to be quite busy and overwhelming. So you have to break up a head to toe printed look with something basic like a plain white top, a plain black top, or any plain top or a plan belt.

WIW: You Already Have What You Need

I know, I know. The title of this post sounds ridiculous to you. I’m not saying you should stay in a perfect state of contentment. I am saying you should focus on what you have.

Life, as I come to realize when I’m thinking most clearly, is so duper good. Even when I’m not yet married, not earning the salary I want, and even when things aren’t quite going exactly my way, I can still look around and say, “Wow. I am thankful for what I already have!”

You Already Have It

In January, I started Sunday-Style by telling you that my wardrobe strategy for 2018 would be "work with what you have."

We are now almost in August and I am proud to let you know that one of your favourite Lifestyle bloggers has lived truly by keeping through to her word. Awesome. I deserve some accolades. Lol. The only new clothes I got are the ones I had to specially get for specific occasions like the other day.

Gone are the days when I take a long look at my wardrobe and say to myself, "I have nothing to wear." Last year or so, I wrote 'How To Repeat Your Clothes Without Anyone Knowing," if you haven’t read it go ahead and check it out. It's still the same thing I am sharing with you today.

Styling This Very Moment

Hey there! How are you feeling in this moment? Yep, in this very moment you are reading this. If you're aware of that feeling right now, then you're living in the moment! 😇

Styling This Very Moment

I told you I'd be taking a break off the blog for about three weeks so that I can commit to writing and finishing the 'HWMH' book but hey, I'm back here in less than two weeks. I couldn't help but to fully enjoy this moment and live in the present. 

There is something uneasy about holding up for the future and letting the present slip by. It is not a comfortable position to be in because life unfolds in the present. And sometimes we could be letting the present slip away, letting time to rush past unobserved and unseized, and squandering the precious seconds of our lives as we worry about the future and ruminate about what's past.

What I Wore: The Truth About How Long It Takes

Hi sweethearts of my blogosphere! Happy New Month! Glad we made it into the second half of the year. Thankful for life and everything else.

It's Style-Sunday!

Long Ankara Skirt

Like I told you here, I am writing a book. For now we'd call it #HWMH. And writing HWMH has not been easy.

Writing a book, a fictitious story about your life in a way that will interest anyone other than your mother is not a joke. In fact, “this happened to me” and “here’s what I think” posts can be boring if care is not taken. . .and can even make you appear as a narcissist.

But then a blogger like yours truly comes along and hopefully wishes to eloquently share her own personal story about her thoughts and life — style, career, relationship, everything. Only she’s not writing in retrospect, with the insight of knowing how her story will end. Instead, she’s telling this tale as it unfolds.

How To Dress Modestly In Ankara Crop Top

The other day, I did something brave and totally went out of my comfort zone. I wore a crop top. Yeah!

Personally, pieces like crop tops, bikinis, and dresses with cutouts make me feel self conscious. I have always been a fan of dressing modestly; however, just because you are a Christian or a modest dresser does not mean you cannot wear the latest fashion trends. So, on today's Sunday-Style I will be showing you ONE tip for how to wear a crop top modestly.

Ankara Crop Top

A number of "Christians" and church goers would frown at the thought of wearing a crop top. However, I am among the group of Christians who believe modesty is not limited to what you wear. Modesty should be an attitude, or carrying yourself respectfully. It's deciding that you're a masterpiece, hand crafted by God, and you shouldn't sell yourself as a cheap piece. God thinks you're beautiful and worthy, no matter what you wear. So the reason we adorn ourselves should ultimately be to honour God and not to impress people. Emphasis on TO HONOUR GOD.

That being said, with different Ankara prints you can choose what suits your idea of modesty from various styles that you adore, in crop tops.

Related Post: How To Wear Mini Skirt Modestly