Topshop – Renaissance Ideal

The art of rewearing: How to repeat outfits and not get noticed?

September 28, 2017September 28, 2017by renaissanceidealLeave a Comment

Do you ever repeat an outfit Rae? This question is probably one of the most asked about me. Answer is yes, yes, yes and yes again.

I believe in repeating outfits, whether its rewearing an outfit from a week ago, a top you wore months ago or a dress from a wedding last summer, repeating your clothes is the way forward (and the way to save your coins). Repeating an outfit without getting noticed is an art form. Why I say this is because when you are like me taking pictures all the time and the dress you wore last month is plastered all over Instagram, you think hmm can I really wear this again? The answer is yes. Plus there is no way I can afford to wear clothes once, hell to the no (I don’t have Beyonce schmoney….yet). Money should not only be the reason as to why you repeat your clothing, sometimes you just love that ASOS little Black dress with embellished sparkle and do not care if you have worn it a dozen times. Think about how much money you have spent on your wardrobe…actually let me rephrase this. I take clothing as an investment, some clothes and accessories I may spend more on because I see myself wearing it for a lifetime whilst others its a quick fix (a season or two). Clothes as anything else you spend on, will be a long term investment or a short term investment. So some clothes deserve to be worn more than once, twice….or fifty times e.g. your favourite pair of jeans.

I am going to give you 5 tips as to the art form of repeating outfits and not getting noticed. Grab a pen and take notes ladies:

P.S The pictures of me repeating the jumpsuit below are taken a year apart. Guess the most recent?

1. Switch it up

Its time to get creative. To make the outfit different to the last time you wore it, add a belt, change the necklace or wear a different pair of shoes.

2. Layering

Layering outfits is an art form and at the same time it is a money saver. Firstly layering helps create unique looks and secondly it helps make use of all the clothes in your wardrobe. Got a jumpsuit like me and its slightly cold? Wear a t-shirt underneath. Or wear a shirt underneath, throw on a blazer perhaps or even a polo neck in the cold months. The options are endless. If you really wanted to go layer-crazy you could throw them all on. The first time I wore the jumpsuit below I wore it with a white shirt and a blazer jacket. There are no rules to layering, go ahead and layer-crazy.

3) Know your audience

Went to a gathering last Friday? Going to dinner on Sunday? And will be with different people on both days? Go ahead and repeat the outfit. No one will see. You get my point, its fine to wear the same thing in a short period of time at different places with different people.

4) Change your hair and make up

Who is going to tell that you wore the dress two months ago when you have completely switched up your hair do and make up? Well if you are an observer like me, then maybe yes. If you had a ponytail with the first time you wore your outfit, wear your hair down the next time and the following time in a bun. Same applies with make up-a nude lip one day and then changing to a red lippie with the same outfit will transform it completely.

5) Back to the Basics

It is easier to remember a bold print than a solid piece. Invest in lots of basics e.g. white t-shirts and jeans, then jazz it up however you want to.

So there are my tips, there may be observers as I like to call them (I am one of them) that pays attention to everything and will notice one repeating their outfits. But who cares! Be creative, play the art of rewearing and save those coins.

Outfit with white t-shirt:

T-shirt- H&M

Jewellery-Topshop

Shoes- Marks & Spencer

Bag- Marks & Spencer

Jumpsuit- Marks & Spencer

Outfit with blazer:

Blazer- Old

White Shirt-Old

Shoes-Dune

Bag- Therapy (House of Fraser)

Jumpsuit-Marks & Spencer

Stay Blessed

Fashion, Lifestyle

Womanhood at 20-something

August 1, 2017August 1, 2017by renaissanceideal3 Comments

I am a daughter, a sister, a friend, a mentor, a mentee, employee, co-founder of a social enterprise and I also blog from time to time amongst other things. I am Rae Dosoo, a 20-something woman. But what am I outside these titles? Who am I without the things that these titles bring? If all these titles were to disappear, would I still be me without it? Can you say who you are without referring to your titles?

How do you find your womanhood as a 20-something juggling different ventures and hustles, discovering new paths, understanding others as well as yourself and still excepted to evolve into your roles as a woman? I know so many questions and so little answers. But that is alright, it is absolutely fine. It is okay to not know it all and have it all. I am the type of person wants to do everything and learn everything. However as much as I try to, it is not possible to do so. There is only so much you can do in 24 hours for yourself and then it gets harder once you add the titles you have. Someone I really really really admire told me that doing it all, you will crash and burn. She also told me trying to live up to the expectations of the titles you have or titles you want, you will never ever be you. A good sister-friend of mine posted a touching instagram picture and one thing touched me that she said “…what really defines us through it all is our attitude and character”. Let who you are drive you and not the titles bestowed upon you. You are a FRIEND because you are loving, You are a BUSINESS OWNER because you are entrepreneurial, You are a MENTOR because you are caring, You are a MENTEE because you love to learn and You are an EMPLOYEE because you are hard-working. Your job can be taken away and who are you after that? Are you still the go-getter, hard working and resilient person that you once were when you had the job? You could lose all your friends but are you going to lose all the love you have? When trying to seek who you are behind all the pomp and glitz, ask who am I truly?

Let’s talk about expectations. There will always be an expectation with everything you do and every role you carry out. As you are x, you must do x and because you are from x you will go to x. Not every expectation that the titles bring for example being a daughter, friend, partner or a girlfriend will you fulfil every expectation that the other person in the relationship will have for you. You are bound to disappoint someone’s expectations and your very own. The person I really really really admire told me as well to take out some out for yourself, so you realise that not only can you always carry out every expectation but some roles that you carry will have to come first at times. So for example your friends and family may not see you for a while because you are busy at work or working to progress further in your career or your studies-whatever the case may be. This does not mean you are less of a daughter, less of a friend, less of a sister, less of a partner or less of a girlfriend. It just means you are prioritising. Those around will understand if you cannot be there every time for whatever reason, but you can be there in other ways. And please express this! Let your people know that you may be ‘ghosting’ or you have to take time out. This means you are managing the expectations they have of you and your very own.

You have the power to design and choose how you wish your womanhood to be. Define your own womanhood at 20-something. You cannot let the pressures of the titles that you have given yourself or others have placed on you to forget who you really are.

I wouldn’t be me without adding a recent OOTD. Enjoy!

Outfit Details:

Top-Marks & Spencer

Trousers- Can’t remember where they are from. Sorry

Shoes- Russell & Bromley

Jewellery- Topshop

Bag- Marks and Spencer

Stay Blessed

Faith, Fashion, Lifestyle

24 – 7 things I learnt at 23

April 7, 2017April 7, 2017by renaissanceidealLeave a Comment

So it is my birthday. Yes, I am 24 (woop woop!) and I have decided to share seven things I have learnt this past year as well sharing an outfit post.

1) Stepping outside the comfort zone

The year of 23 forced me to be uncomfortable, in other words I had to step outside of my comfort zone. I usually stick to what I know for example the same old meal at Nandos-half chicken and two sides of peri peri chips with perinaise and if I am feeling cheeky a wrap instead of half chicken. As I am sure with you all, you have your routine and patterns that you stick to and find it hard to go against what you are familiar with. We find it hard because it is natural to want to have a sense of security and certainty in life. Coming out of your comfort zone opens you up to risks and the possibility of stress, so we just crawl back to the box that we feel comfortable in to avoid the fear of the unknown. I decided in the year of 23 things have to change…Rae try something new. For some things it meant going in a whole new direction, for some changing my strategy and doing things I would not usually do. For example all of my friends know how I have a slight technology struggle (a good family friend was shocked to see me with a Samsung Galaxy S7 edge and joked that I need the good old Nokia brick phone ), so I decided to learn ways of using new technologies. Who knows I may even join snapchat in the year of 24? This is very unlikely but who knows. I even recently decided to get some colour in my hair. This is the first time ever that I have gone out of my hair comfort zone-colour 1b-and I love it. I do stray to colour 33, for the braids but only braids. I even want to try a short dark blonde pixie cut!

Why go out of your comfort zone?

Pushes you to achieve your goals-being uncomfortable forces you to step out and be brave
Growth– the challenges and the risks that comes with getting out of your comfort zone will stretch you and push you forward

2) I am the bomb.com

May your highlight shine bright, contour be strong and believe in your slay sis.

Sometimes life’s difficulties makes it hard for you to believe in your accomplishments and what you have achieved. I will not lie, I am extremely tough on myself and find it hard at times to appreciate my journey. However, someone once told me that ‘there are people who love to be in your position’. I screamed ‘Me, ME, MEEEEEE’… ‘Why would anyone want to be in my position?’ Then people will remind you of what you have done, ‘You have done x, y and z’. I have learnt in the year of 23 not to wait to hear someone tell me that I am the bomb.com. Yes, I still moan and probably will for a while. It is still a learning process for me. Just last week I was having a conversation with my best friend and she told me off for it. So I took out time to write out a list of things that I am most proud of and what I love about me. One thing that struck me is that the journey I am on has made me the individual I am and the person I will continue to be and for this I appreciate it all. You cannot be the bomb.com without overcoming hurdles and challenges. Do not hate the grind, own it and appreciate it. So with this in mind, like Beyonce said ‘I see it, I want it…I dream it, I work hard, I grind till I own it…I slay, hey, I slay’.

3) Fellowship

I am part of a fellowship where we meet once a month and discuss the word of God. What I love about our fellowship is that it easy to be open and transparent. A member of our fellowship group sent me a voicenote prayer and I was so moved by it. Fellowship is more than just a catch up over doughnuts and talking on occasion about Jesus. What I have learnt in the year of 23, is that the purpose of fellowship are one to share things together and second be there for one another spiritually and physically.

Follow Ladies who Fellowship in the City on Twitter: @LWFITC , on Instagram: @ladieswhofellowship , on Facebook: ladieswhofellowship and website ladieswhofellowship.com/

4) Life is too short

As cliché as it sounds, it is true-life is too short. Enjoy life, buy those shoes that you have been eyeing for a while.

5) Take time out

This is one thing that I really wanted to implement in the year of 23, to take time out for myself. Whether its reading a new book, or trying out a new restaurant it is really important to take time away from your routine.

6) Resilience

The definitions of resilience:

1) ‘the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness’

2) ‘the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity’

Not today, Satan, not today!

One of the lessons I learnt in the year from 23, is to never let a setback to hold you for too long.

7) God is everything

I knew this before, but he has proven it even more in the year of 23.

What I was wearing:

You all know by now, I love all things M&S-some things are really cute and not everything there is ‘granny’. You can transform a dress, or a shirt for example by the way you style it (this is a blog post for another day).

Here are the details:

Dress: Marks and Spencer

Leather Jacket-Marks and Spencer

Corset Belt: Vintage (Have a read of a post where I was talking about corsets)

Shoes- Marks and Spencer

Earrings: Topshop

Bag: Marks and Spencer

Hair: Pride and Prestige Hair

Stay Blessed

Fashion, Uncategorized

The year of corset

March 2, 2017March 2, 2017by renaissanceidealLeave a Comment

One of the biggest trends for A/W 2016-17 was the corset trend. The corset in the 1800s was originally worn to reduce the waist, to enhance bust and hips and to make a fashionable silhouette. It has a history of 350 years before the 1800s and it has been attributed to Catherine de’ Medici, the wife of King Henry of France. The corset has undergone many changes since then and has evolved to a garment whereby it may mimic the traditional look but does not change the shape of the body. The corset in the 1800s was associated with femininity and now its back for aesthetic and style purposes.

It is now being worn in different ways, over baggy dresses and t-shirts, coats or full on corset dresses. No longer do you have suck in, worry about your organs crushing, its now a nice addition to your jumper or shirt.

Sere how I have worn the corset trend:

The corset is an oldie from Zara, a couple of seasons ago.

The corset was at the centre of Miuccia Prada’s Autumn 2016 show, the designer pretty much layered the corset over everything, from wool coats to jacquard dresses.

Celebrities who have been crushing over the return of the corset include Kim Kardashian West, Gigi Hadid, Hailey Baldwin, Rihanna, Kylie and Kendall Jenner.

Kim Kardashian West

Gigi Hadid

Hailey Baldwin

Rihanna

Kylie Jenner

Kendall Jenner

I apologise about my shoes not being tied, *sighs*.

Outfit details:

Corset-Zara

Culottes- Marks and Spencer

Shoes- Kurt Geiger

Bag-Marks and Spencer

Choker- Topshop

Images: Me, me, me (renaissanceideal.com), www.vogue.co.uk , www.glamourmagazine.co.uk and www.elleuk.com

Stay Blessed x

Fashion

All Shades Of Red

January 31, 2017February 1, 2017by renaissanceidealLeave a Comment

An almost monochromatic look-I was battling on whether I should wear red trousers and I thought it would be way too much. Way too much! So I decided on a pair of flirty culottes I brought in the ASOS sale during the Christmas holidays.

Do you have items of clothing that you just avoid? Bootcut jeans? Leggings? Jumpsuits? Mine, until recently was culottes. I felt that culottes did not suit my petite frame but I have found a couple that I love.

Every now and then, I switch it up from my trusted studs. I should wear big earrings more often but I just have this fear that it will get caught onto something and my ears will fall off. Don’t ask me how this fear began, I do not have the answer.

Here are more pictures of the outfit below:

Outfit Details:

Polo neck- Marks & Spencer

Culottes- ASOS

Boots- Kurt Geiger

Bag-Chanel

Earrings-Topshop

Stay Blessed! x

Fashion

Smiles in the Rain

March 9, 2015March 9, 2015by renaissanceideal2 Comments

Hello *waves hand*. It has been a long time since I have posted. I’ve been very busy with law school, so that has kept me away. I’m back now and expect regular posts from Renaissance Ideal’s usual posts from Politics, Law, Fashion, Poetry, Faith, Business and much more.

I took these photos a while ago, on a miserable raining day in November. I find that wearing a smile on a rainy day makes it all better (and a fab outift helps too). The weather was lovely on the weekend but today was miserable.

I love mixing old and new pieces together. The blazer was my mum’s and now its mine haha. I love it because it has subtle shoulder pads with white and black stripes. It makes a ordinary black blazer unique. The white polo neck top, is actually a short sleeved crop top that I tucked into the orange-red skirt.

The gold capped shoes are one of my favourite flats-it is simple and elegant. It even matched my accessory of the day, the umbrella.

What I was wearing:

Blazer-Originally my mum’s

White Polo Neck-Marks & Spencer

Flats-Kurt Geiger

Umbrella-Topshop

Stay Blessed

Fashion

SUITS

June 5, 2014by renaissanceidealLeave a Comment

No, this isn’t about the TV show, Suits. This is my take on wearing suits and how you can be fun with it. I am very excited though for Suits coming back- Season 4 of Suits is on next Wednesday (Thursday, for us in the UK).

When working in a conservative environment, traditional attires such as formal black pencil skirt suits are worn. Whenever I go to corporate events, I stick to black, greys, navies and neutral colours. But outside of that world, I always try to keep my outfits bright and colourful.

Suits do not have to be boring. Many do have the preconception that suits are drab and dull, they can be but only if you make it like that.

Do not get me wrong, it is also nice to have a simple traditional black suit worn with a white shirt and pointy court stilettos. If you are looking to jazz or spruce your suit up a bit, I have suggested some ways of doing so:

-add colour

-wear patterns e.g florals, stripes, polka dots, houndstooth, leopard print

-wear different textures e.g sequins, jacquard, silk, lace

-wear layers e.g crop tops, bralets, corsets over shirts, polo neck jumpers, skirts over trousers

-statement accessories e.g belts, hats, jewellery, scarves

-statement heels and bags e.g mini bags, embellished clutches, oversized bags, bright heels

Here is a suit outfit I wore a while back. Yes, it is Grey-not one of the most exciting colours. However, it is not your stereotypical suit. The suit jacket is longline and has padded shoulders giving a classic 80s feel- think Joan Collins and Dynasty.

This suit seen below, I wore it some time back. I absolutely love the lime colour of the suit. I’m sorry guys, I couldn’t take pictures outside, it was raining that day. British weather eyy.

The lime suit has interesting details, one is the zips on the back of the trousers (see picture below). It makes the suit (normally a conservative outfit and for the workplace), modern and contemporary.

What I was wearing-Grey suit

Grey Suit Jacket and matching dress- Vintage

Gold necklace- Wallis

Sandals-Marks & Spencer

Bag- Marks & Spencer

What I was wearing-Lime Suit

Lime Longline Blazer Jacket Suit & Trousers- ASOS

Black & White Crop Top- Marks & Spencer

Sandals- Marks & Spencer

Necklace-Topshop

Bag- Marks & Spencer

P.S.- It is Renaissance Ideal’s Birthday today! The blog is one years old today. Thank you to those who follow the blog and support it. Continue sharing and commenting.

I am on Twitter (RaeDosoo) and on Instagram (RaeDosoo). Renaissance Ideal is also on Facebook- www.facebook.com/renaissanceideal. Check it out for daily updates on Politics, Law, Art, Finance, Business & Fashion stories. Share the Facebook page with family and friends.

Stay Blessed

Fashion

Leather corset

June 3, 2014June 6, 2014by renaissanceideal2 Comments

I have been away from blogging, but do not worry, I will be updating you with outfits that I wore during Autumn and Winter.

For this outfit I paired a leather corset with a white shirt and a black pencil skirt.

If you are scared of doing leather, it is easier to start off with corset and wear it over another top, or a leather top. Before you go on to leather trousers and the rest.

I love wearing heels with pretty details. It can make any plain outfit glamorous

What I was wearing

White Shirt

Leather Corset- Zara

Black Pencil Skirt- Marks & Spencer

Necklace-Topshop

Bracelet Cuff- Wallis

Shoes-Kurt Geiger

Stay Blessed

Fashion

Pearl Choker

May 26, 2014May 26, 2014by renaissanceidealLeave a Comment

I have been wanting a statement necklace that has pearls in. All I could find was the traditional one strand pearl necklaces which I already have. I am still on a mission to find a chunky pearl necklaces with many strands. Any ideas?

Many of you may have seen the Zara pearl choker which has been made popular by fashion bloggers. I think its such a elegant yet edgy necklace that can be worn day in and day out.

Zara Pearl Choker (find here)- sold out

Zara Pearl Bracelet (find here)

My love for the pearl choker began when I saw the Chanel Spring/Summer 2014 report and the huge pearl bubble chokers the models were wearing. Then I saw that Zara had a pearl choker which was similar. I put it in my basket and by the time I came back, it was sold out. Sad times indeed!

Nevertheless, there was still hope for my mission to find a similar necklace to the Chanel pearl choker. Yayy, I did end up find up finding something. Topshop also have a pearl choker. They have it in grey too, which I have been thinking about getting. I am thinking twice about it, the same necklace in two colours. Excessive or Necessary?

Topshop Pearl Choker (find here)

Topshop Grey Ball Collar (Find here)

Topshop Grey Ball Bracelet (Find here)

It is great to see the influence of designers on the high street, high end designs trickling into high street shops. This means that people can find similar designs for a cheaper price and still feel en vogue. I remember Miranda Priestly telling off Andy in The Devil Wears Prada because she did not understand the importance of designs and how they could impact the ordinary man. Here is a quote of what she said:

Miranda and some assistants are deciding between two similar belts for an outfit. Andy sniggers because she thinks they look exactly the same] Something funny?
Andy Sachs: No. No, no. Nothing’s… You know, it’s just that both those belts look exactly the same to me. You know, I’m still learning about all this stuff and, uh…
Miranda Priestly: ‘This… stuff’? Oh. Okay. I see. You think this has nothing to do with you. You go to your closet and you select… I don’t know… that lumpy blue sweater, for instance because you’re trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back. But what you don’t know is that that sweater is not just blue, it’s not turquoise. It’s not lapis. It’s actually cerulean. And you’re also blithely unaware of the fact that in 2002, Oscar de la Renta did a collection of cerulean gowns. And then I think it was Yves Saint Laurent… wasn’t it who showed cerulean military jackets? I think we need a jacket here. And then cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of eight different designers. And then it, uh, filtered down through the department stores and then trickled on down into some tragic Casual Corner where you, no doubt, fished it out of some clearance bin. However, that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs and it’s sort of comical how you think that you’ve made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when, in fact, you’re wearing the sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room from a pile of stuff

Whether we like it or not, what we wear is somehow shaped by the fashion industry. Miranda’s example was Oscar De La Renta cerulean gowns and Andy’s sweater. There are many examples through history and today. For instance Roland Mouret and his ‘Moon’ Dress, famously worn by Victoria Beckham in 2007, created a frenzy on the high street. Stores such as Topshop had their own version and even Tesco had similar dresses to Mouret’s ‘Moon’ dress. The Chanel Pearl Bubble Choker, is a clear example of this today.

Stay Blessed

Fashion

Monochrome

December 31, 2013December 31, 2013by renaissanceidealLeave a Comment

There is nothing easier than pairing black and white pieces. Where it gets harder, is when working with embellishments, leather and patterns. Monochrome is one of the trends seen on the runway for this Autumn/Winter 2013-2014 season. Instead of colour blocking monochrome seen in previous seasons, it is all about monochrome patterns and textures.

Here are some pictures:

What was I wearing?

Black Leather-esque Jumper- River Island

Houndstooth/Dogstooth Trousers- River Island

Necklace- Topshop

Shoes- Dune

Stay Blessed

Tag: Topshop

The art of rewearing: How to repeat outfits and not get noticed?

Do you ever repeat an outfit Rae? This question is probably one of the most asked about me. Answer is yes, yes, yes and yes again.

Womanhood at 20-something

24 – 7 things I learnt at 23

The year of corset

All Shades Of Red

Smiles in the Rain

SUITS

Leather corset

Pearl Choker

Monochrome

© Renaissance Ideal 2022. All Rights Reserved. No part of this website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted, without the prior written consent of the author, unless otherwise indicated

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© Renaissance Ideal 2022. All Rights Reserved. No part of this website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted, without the prior written consent of the author, unless otherwise indicated

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Do you ever repeat an outfit Rae? This question is probably one of the most asked about me. Answer is yes, yes, yes and yes again.

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© Renaissance Ideal 2022. All Rights Reserved. No part of this website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted, without the prior written consent of the author, unless otherwise indicated

Categories

© Renaissance Ideal 2022. All Rights Reserved. No part of this website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted, without the prior written consent of the author, unless otherwise indicated

Categories