TUNIC’ DRESS in ANKARA.

Hey you all good people. I hope you all doing ok and staying safe this festive season.Some days ago I did a blog post about the shirt dress which has been trending for a while now even among celebrities. Today I have decided to do a write up on a tunic dress.

Tunics  are extremely versatile and be worn with just about anything.it all comes down to how you style it.Be it with pants,shorts or skirts or even as one piece.Since most of them are loose fitting they can also look best with leggings,skinny jeans and any other fitting pants.
I discovered that they are effortlessly flattering and flowy which is an ideal
trend for Petite women to plus sizes.They come in different designs most of them coming down to or past the hips,others high low.Also they come in all colors and fabrics and are suitable for all body shapes.
Being a designer myself I thought of making myself a tunic dress.I wasn’t sure what fabric I was going to use but been a sucker of African Print Fabrics I knew where my decision lay.
So I just grabbed a piece of fabric,cut it, headed to my now broken sewing machine (this cheap things) and the results got  me wanting.kindly stay glued’on my blog as I will be making more of the Tunics. Ofcourse in different designs and I will take a risk and try different fabrics.
I decided to go ‘BOHO’ with my dress.you can rock this look to any kind of Art festival.On a casual day to the mall or out for brunch with your girlfriends.Its such a  comfortable and stylish look.I can declare and say its a wardrobe essential.Hope you all enjoy.i call it dressing for free minded people.

High low Tunic DRESS – DIY by Me
Accessories- Mabinti-from Africa

Love,Charity
http://tunic/dress/Ankara/Boho/Afropunk/

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Tribal Kikoy Revamped’.

KIKOY,besides Khanga’and Kitenge’ is one of the most used fabrics in East Africa.Its a large cloth heavier than a khanga (lesso)100% cotton.It’s worn by men but mostly women in East Africa. With a variety of colors to choose from,you can make just about anything from sandals,to hats,to pillow covers to dresses to bathrobes to table mats the list is endless.

The Tribal KIKOY has by far been my favorite new style signature.Ofcourse with a little alteration.For those of you who know me personally or follow my blog closely you can attest that am an AFRO Punk kinda of chic. Am talking about India Arie,Erykah Badu kinda of style.I call it free dressing that leaves you feeling stylish yet comfortable.you will definitely stand out as creative but in a unique way.
I decided to alter one of my many Tribal KIKOY’S to give this High low kinda look.

I wasn’t sure what to pair it with so I settled on one of my old but favorite side slitted black maxi skirt.A Fedora hat had to finish the look not forgetting my brown heeled Timba’s and oh the brass accessories but I must empasize on the neckpiece.Its more of bohemian so this look could also be  BOHO CHIC(a style of fashion drawing on various Bohemian and hippie influences).This is a look you can rock on any casual day but definitely not to work especially if you work in an office kinda of set up.Unless you work in Arts then such a look is advisable.With the new and upcoming festivals in Kenya(anyone noticed we are becoming a festival’s Nation?)then this is a look that will leave people staring and liking. Also if you are into the theatres like me:;;,,am talking spoken word,plays and any other events happening there then pull out this look.
If you wish to have one for yourself kindly check
Mabinti-from Africa on Facebook or get in touch with me.

Much love,
Charity

Highlow Tribal Kikoy top- by Ch Kiarie of Mabinti-from Africa.
All Accessories courtesy of Mabinti-from Africa
Photography courtesy of
Andrewnphotography.wordpress.com

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‘Thrown Back’

Hey beautiful people.its yet another Blessed day to be Alive and kicking.No one should ever take seeing another day for granted.Am quite sure many of you will have to agree with me on this one.
It’s not in our African culture to travel and see the world. The most people travel is up counrty during Christmas or to attend a burial.So when an opportunity strikes to travel to an unknown land,the  best way to remember the experience is by sharing your the experience.

Two years ago in my ‘beads Adventure I had the opportunity of visiting a small town in the middle of cold Norway.Its said to be the coldest place in Norway during winter especially with its dry air and i can attest to that.Am talking about -30,40 degrees. I still don’t know how I survived in search crazy temperature.😮😮

RØROS is a UNESCO World heritage site.its a charming,colorful town which I would call a living museum.Its filled with Active Arts and crafts scenes,factory outlets and quaint little shops not forgetting fine restaurants that serve local made food from seasonal produce.

RØROS during winter.(day)

(Night)

There are alot of activities to choose from such as dog or render sledging,fishing and riding.During my short visit,I decided to take a walk along the two major streets.Woooh!!!!talk of Amazing little discoveries. From a fur shop from reindeers(made by the Natives of Norway-sami people) to Moods of Norway,to a candles shop(candles that will melt your heart away)I thought I had seen enough already then boom a Glass art gallery.

A lover of Arts, crafts and having visited the Anselm kitengela hot glass here in our country located in kajiado county,Rongai I somehow was keen to step inside and have a look.
It was filled with Beautiful Breathtaking Glass Art.All work made on site. From kitchen ware to wall decors to lights just name it.i was completely blown away by the amazing work.i decided to take a few photos while inside for memories.

Ofcourse everywhere i go I bring the African in me with me.It was a cold winter yet I was dressed in a rather colorful Ankara skirt accompanied by my beads and head wrap.I was a moving Art myself and yes I amused many people.During winter Norwegians abit dress in gloomy dull colors.i hope if you ever have a chance to visit Cold Norway(STL’S land) please do visit Roros and make sure to pop in at the Glass Gallery.

Ankara skirt – sewed it myself. (More of this @Mabinti from Africa.
Accessories – Mabinti from Africa.

Lesson learnt- Dress you,Dress African no matter where you go.People will love you that way.

Love Charity.

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Let’s Get ‘Harem’d’.

The good rule of thumb when wearing Harem pants is to ensure your top ends at  your waistline or above but perhaps you are more interested in a more sought of bohemian/hippy style then you can do a longer oversize top.
First let’s analyse this harem pants or trousers. They are baggy long pants caught in the ankle,some have a longer fly others shorter,others have sort of a skirt on top.It depends with how bold you can be at trying out the different designs of the famous trousers.

Inspired by middle east styles they were introduced to the Western fashion by around 1910.They came back to fashion in the 80’s but still remains a huge deal in the western fashion world especially suitable for summer in light fabrics and in winter in more stretchy and warmer fabrics.

Many women appreciate the look and comfort of the pants.when styling a harem,you should allow the pants to be the statement piece and keep the rest attire simple.choose simple tops to create a balanced look and contrast the broad silhouette of your lower body.one of such simple attires can be a  fitted or cropped top to show off your harem pants.

You can add a touch of elegance by wearing high heels or if you are not a fan of high shoes, a pair of strap sandals or gladiators sandals will add a mix of comfort and style.

For my Harem which I sewed myself I settled on an Ankara fabric just to get the local feeling.I grabbed one of favorite crop top and my heeled Timba’s.
Been a sucker of headwraps I decided to do a different print to create the contrast.Brass earrings,neckpiece and bangle killed the day note forgetting my wooden leather bangles on my other hand.

Get in touch and I will Def make you your first Harem pants or better still if you own one then steal some  tips on how to style this ‘ Enormous pants’.

Much love,
Charity

Harem pants – designs by Ch kiarie of Mabinti – from Africa.
Accessories – Mabinti -from Africa.
Photography courtesy of
Andrewnphotography.wordpress.com
Booties- old ones from my wardrobe.

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Tribal kimono top meets palazzo pants.

There is something that feels so glamorous about swishing around in a pair of PALAZZO PANTS.They have the power to make your legs look lovely,long and lean and still gives you a feminine comfy feeling.

Having been a boom in the 70’s, palazzo ‘ s are long flowy women’s trousers cut with a loose extremely wide leg that flares out from the waist to the bottom.

They tend to be flattering in light flowing fabrics that are breathable in hot weather so they are popular as summer style.i decided to pair my palazzo ‘ s with a loose fitting kimono jacket/top.

Kimonos having been the original word for clothing in Japan but changed in recent years to refer to traditional Japanese clothing. While the Japanese kimono is a long robe belted with a sash(obi) often made from harder and thick fabrics, the fashion kimono top or jacket is usually short,waist or hip length but sometimes can be longer too is made from soft silky fabrics and often does not close.
They are easy to fold and suitable for all weather’s and also all body sizes and shapes.
Actually the fashion kimono jacket or top more closely resembles the garment traditionally worn over the kimono but is soft and shorter.

Been a lady who sews most of my clothes I drew alot of inspiration from this two great apparels.the kimono jacket and palazzo pants.i made them myself.
We have stocked them in our Shop- Mabinti – from Africa.

They are in different colors.so feel free to pass by anytime.With my big potty after child birth I had to contrast with a black crop top inside.
I couldn’t be done without my beads so I grabbed one of my favorite draping neckpiece and brass earrings and bangle to give that classy look.Oh hold on!!!!I had to find my black Fedora to complete the whole Bohemian look.

Hope you love the look.feel free to talk to me and please grab yours today.Yes you can choose one the kimono or palazzo or have both.

Love,
Charity.

Tribal kimono and palazzo pants- by Ch kiarie  Mabinti from Africa.
Accessories – Mabinti from Africa.
Fedora-old from my hats collection

Photography by Andrewnphotography.wordpress.com
Shoot on location Muhuri Road.

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Multicolored Shirt dress,Knee high booties.

To be quite honest I have been meaning to write a shirt dress post since weeks but had too much on my plate.Motherhood knocked and the thought of rocking this apparel took a back seat and slowly went to the older pages of my wardrobe.

A shirt dress is a style of dress that borrows details from a Man’s shirt.Some may have collars,buttons fronts and cuffs.They also be short or long sleeved,floral patterned or plain.They first came into fashion back in the 1950’s.

Without too much effort,the shirt dress is stylish,classy and still looks refined when paired with the right shoes and accessories..Also for the ladies who are not huge fans of dresses and  would prefer to wear pants over dresses,shirt dresses could be the easy way of feeling feminine while still tomboyish………….

Depending on how you style it,the final look could either be casual,formal or

sophisticated. I decided to add in a pair of  knee high black booties and brass jewelleries to give a casual look but Could also be sophisticated depending on the occasion.I end by saying that this is a must have in our wardrobes for every Lady.

Much Love Charity.

Dress-ch kiarie wardrobe
Acessories- Mabinti – from Africa.
Booties-street hawker in the CBD.

Photography courtesy of Andrewnphotography.wordpress.com
Shoot on location – Muhuri Road.

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Retro denim jacket,leggings and heeled Timberlands.

          Hello beautiful people. Once again am back after been on a compulsory leave after welcoming my now 3 month beautiful gorgeous daughter Asali.i will blog about her soon.Though a very difficult delivery I have never been so happy and thrilled about anything like I am.My whole life has changed.

             Most of us(Africans) can relate to what happens to women after giving birth.You just don’t stop feeding or rather been fed especially by the your mum and grandmother. I thought I would pull this dot com mother and escape all this foods but it was all a fantasy.So after 3 months of feeding and feeding I decided to kick back before I loose it(my tiny body)and continue blogging.

             ………mmmmmmmh ok I have gained some weight but with I hope to be back to my old self as if it’s that easy.
This time I thought to myself why not incorporate a professional to capture the poses(😑😑sighs).

Drop off your comments or like and promise to shed some calories;););)

Retro jacket-Gikomba
Baige leggings-Lindex
Brown Timber’s – gifted
Crop top-Toi market
Chained neckpiece- H&M.
Sunnies- Lindex,Trondheim.
Earrings-my antique jewelleries collection.
Brass wrist wear – Mabinti – from Africa.

Photography- Andrewnphotography .WordPress. com
Shoot on location at Muhuri Road.

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Bump Euphoria

Motherhood is one of the most fulfilling Experiences in a Woman’s life and of course being pregnant and going through pregnancy makes it even more exciting.From a flat tummy to a fronted stomach sometimes coming with unwelcomed stretchmarks which has turned out to be every woman’s nightmare.

It’s my second pregnancy and though the first four months were my worst with all the morning sickness and crazy hormonal changes I still managed to come out strong.Am a woman so survival is a must.Over the months I have come to love my baby bump watching my baby grow inside me each day. Words cannot simply express the feelings and sentiments you feel and share with your baby/babies growing inside you. I decided to remember this wonderful phase of my life  with a few baby bumped photos.i hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I have. For styling for a baby bump photo shoot kindly hit my inbox.much love.

All outfits are mine some designed by me(ch kiarie) and some bought like the Indian Saree and the Ethiopian dress.

Accessories you can buy them at our shop (Mabinti from Africa).

Ch kiarie.

“BAHASHA CLUTCH BAGS”, DIY Body con skirt and crop top.

Morning lovelies, it’s yet another beautiful morning.Glad to be alive.Now am the kind of girl who will always go through my mum’s Clothes especially the ones she no longer wears alot.i bet most young girls fall in the same kind of behavior.Recently I discovered this shabbly looking black dress.The design was off but the fabric I loved.It was this stretchy/big g type of fabric.Then an idea came to mind body con skirt and crop top.
It was rather a quick DIY and to add a little twist a sew a matching kitenge fabric on top both to the skirt and top.I loved the end result.
Thxs for stopping by.# yours Charity#

African Print “tings”.

Am a lover of African prints or should I say vitenges.Just like ‘Octopizzo’ said ‘Kitenge ndiyo next’  yes its the future fabric or should I say we already living it.Africa print rocks,it gives one identity and creates a feeling of belonging.Today am rocking a Circular kitenge skirt and a matching hiphop cap.you can find this kind of outfit in our shop at Mabinti- from Africa.

Kitenge Hiphop cap- Mabinti-from Africa by chkiarie
Black crop top-old one Toi Market(Adams).
Circular Kitenge Skirt-design by Chkiarie of Mabinti-from Africa.
Knee high black boots- street hawker in Town.
Assorted accessories- H&M,Indiska and Mr Price.
Eye wear the real beast- Raaaaaay Ban’s.