Welcome back to another week of The Daily Fashion Fix. This week's global goodies comes from the vibrant country of India! Long time readers know I absolutely love when vintage style and global history come together in one piece. And this weeks dress? ... A 1970's vintage sari styled dress directly from India is exactly that! Historically saris have been worn in Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka and most famously India for centuries.
Ghanaian Greetings
Anywho, in last week's Fashion Fix post, I talked about the need to wear modest clothing when in public spaces here in Qatar. That said, back when I was in the packing stage, I had the hard job of going through literally every item of clothing I owned and deciding whether it would make the cut and make it into my luggage ... Or end up in the trash / donation bin.
It was in this "toss it" or "take it" phase that I came across this beauty greeting me from the back of my closet. 100% West African wax print fabric ... Hand embroidered ... 20+ year old vintage dress straight from my dad home country of Ghana, West Africa.
Ecuadorian Vintage
It's rare these days that one particular piece make me completely speechless. After years of hard shopping and millions of pieces later, I found it. A dress so rare and amazing that I couldn't pass it up. On a trip back to my hometown last year, I came across, now wait for it .. A one of a kind .. Handmade ... 1950's vintage dress .. Straight from Ecuador! squeals in fashion nerd ... PS: did I mention the dress was in perfect, nearly untouched condition? ... Omg! swoons
What I love about this dress, is not just the rarity of it, but also the heritage. Throughout this dress are patterns and images of the indigenous Inca people. Briefly, the Inca were a members of an empire which spanned South America from Columbia to Argentina before the arrival of Columbus and other colonialist.
With over 10 million subjects, the Inca dynasty was the largest empire of its time! In addition to their development of 30 languages, commission of national roads, and temples, the Inca developed a distinct style of art that remains recognizable to this day.
Below, are a few of the shots I took in Central Park over the weekend wearing this amazeballs dress, along with images of ancient gold / bronze Inca artifacts found depicting the Inca people's sacred sun god deity. They considered themselves "Children of the Sun". As you can see, these same patterns and images were incorporated into my dress.
In short? This dress is exactly what I mean when I say that my personal style is a collection of global vintage with a modern aesthetic. A mint condition, handcrafted vintage item which also happens to acknowledge and celebrate a powerful ancient culture? ... How could I not!? ... Regrettably my fashion loves, this dress will not be listed in the Q.A.C webstore!
I've fallen hopelessly and completely in love with it! LOL There are some fashion finds that are absolutely priceless. :]) .. No worries, when the Q.A.C shop launches with new pieces this June, you'll totally forgive me. Even more global pieces awaits! ... 'Till then? As always, the journey continues!
To learn more about the powerful and vast ancient Inca culture click HERE
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Our Editor in Chief
Luxe Eco-Fashion: feat. JORD Watches
Hey culture lovers! This week on the “Daily Fashion Fix” I have a very special treat for you, so get excited : )]
As always, we know the foundation of quintessential Q.A.C style is the beautiful marriage between quality vintage pieces juxtaposed with amazing global selections … And this week, is no exception! Today’s look inspired by luxe style for the global and environmentally conscious, young creative. Like so many, as I grow into my own personal style and self-discovery, I’m moving away from trendy, “style of the moment” pieces and toward a more timeless aesthetic. Nothing’s worse than spending your hard-earned money on the coveted fast fashion “must haves” … Only to have it be deemed “out of fashion” the following season. Listen, I don’t know about you, but my coins are far too precious for that! … LOL! Instead, now more than ever, I’m all about investing in unique conversation pieces with longevity. My wardrobe consists of selections that not only lessen my impact on the environment, but also communicate my close connection to global culture. This week I chose a few select pieces from opposite ends of the globe, which highlight these concepts … Proving once again, that quality is always better than quantity.
First up? We take look at the beauty of African nation, The Congo as brought to us from JORD Watches. If you follow me on Instagram, then you might have seen my “Instagram Story” excitedly hinting at a mystery box recently arriving in the mail. As a West African girl myself, and an avid collector of global accessories, I was beyond excited to add this piece to the collection.
y loves? The classically understated navy watch face paired with the rich zebrawood stripped coloring of the wood. If you’ve been reading the Daily Fashion Fix for some time, then you’ll know that pairing of a solid statement color with an engaging print (be it subtle or bold) make for the perfect jumping off point when creating an amazing outfit using my “Color Pop Method.” Additionally, the simplicity of design also makes it easy to build upon if like me, you love accessories and a good arm party! Here, I paired my JORD watch with vintage bangles direct from India and an amber necklacefrom Gambia, W. Africa ... As you can see, I’m entering full eccentric fashion mode and I love it! LOL!
Last, but certainly not least … To know me, is to know that I’m a huge proponent of ethical and sustainable fashion. No amount of style is ever worth owning large amounts of clothing created from factory sweatshop labor or deriving from a company with a large environmental footprint. What I absolutely love and applaud JORD for is the transparency of sourcing. While the sustainability on my Frankie series Zebrawood watch could be a bit more on the eco-friendly side, several of the global wood materials used to create their luxury watches certainly are. Not only do they outline the country of the wood’s origin, but they also indicate the levels to which the tree / wood materials are considered “at risk.” In essence, you’re shopping pieces based on both personal style as well as your level of environmental comfort. Does your fashion fave do that?
Finally, as we head to Europe, Paris specifically, I decided to pair my accessories with this super chic vintage dress from none other than fashion house Lanvin! With a keen eye for vintage shopping, I was able to spot and snag this 50’s styled, A-lined dress from the luxury designer for under $100! ... An amazing deal, when considered many dresses from this designer can start at $1,000 each. In all, by shopping vintage and quality pieces, you’re incorporating pieces with longevity that you’ll literally have for years ... Ultimately reducing the pull on natural resources and impact on the environment ... All while looking amazingly unique in the process! And that always a great look!
Tap HERE to replicate this colorful luxe look!
ALSO? ... As a surprise this week .. *drumrolls* .. I’m partnering with JORD Watches and hosting a free giveaway for all of my Q.A.C fam! This one is for the ladies and the fellas and is just in time for the holidays ...
Tap HERE for details! on how to enter!
This post was sponsored by JORD Wood Watches ... Note: Opinions remain 100% my own. Thanks loves for stoping by! xo ~Angela
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Our Editor in Chief
Retro vs Vintage
The fashion world is abuzz with it's love of vintage. From major retailers to your favorite indie blogger, like myself ... the excitement over all this "old school" has never been higher. Even my own web fashion house Queen Adwoa's Closet has high quality selection of quality vintage pieces for purchase.
But, as the love for vintage pieces grows, and seemingly everything is being attached to the term "vintage," what exactly is it and what qualifies an items to be called vintage? The official rule of thumb is 20 years. Clothing items, accessory pieces, shoes, styles, ect originating from a time period of over 20 years can be considered authentically vintage.
That skirt with a vintage feel, but manufactured 3 years ago is certainly not vintage. However, that well crafted 60 year old dress from your grandmother's closet? Definitely vintage. As mentioned previously in my post on Learning to Shop Vintage, identifying quality vintage doesn't have to be difficult.
Label tags, fabric texture, year of creation, stitching are all viable ways to identify vintage impostors with mislabeling from the real thing. Retro items on the other hand, are throwback pieces which have a bit of age to them, but have not matured enough to be called vintage.
To the contrary, retro items are quality pieces that are at least 10 years old ... wardrobe staples from yester - year that had the height of their popularity not long ago, but still too young to achieve iconic vintage status.
This weeks outfit is a mashup of vintage looks from various time periods. Case in point, this Adinkra symboled, scalloped shaped, silk wrap-dress is direct form my personal closet ... And I've worn it since middle school! Yes, you read that right.
I've had this dress since middle school (I've been tall since forever lol). I love this dress and the look and style is absolutely timeless. The leather jacket if vintage from the 1980's. Pompadour hair-style is from the 1950's.
Again, these fashion points all derive from eras well over 20 years, yet when pulled together they all work effortlessly.
