PENDA SARR

Outfits I Wore During my Trip to Sénégal

9:28:00 PM

Happy New Year everyone! I hope 2019 is filled with nothing but love, happiness and success for you all. I am a bit late with my wishes but...

Happy New Year everyone! I hope 2019 is filled with nothing but love, happiness and success for you all. I am a bit late with my wishes but in my defense, I was away on vacation haha.

I'm back in the U.S. after a few weeks in super sunny Senegal (woah alliteration game strong). This was a much needed vacation, and I'm happy I got to spend it with my friends and family. I feel so at peace, relaxed, rejuvenated, and ready to focus on my goals for this new year.

Since it was warm back home, I got to wear nice frivolous clothing. They were some of my favorite looks so I thought I'd share them with you guys and give you a little bit of inspiration :)

Look 1:

This was one of the very firsts outfits I wore when I was back in Dakar. I went out for brunch with my friends and family on this day so I wanted to keep it simple. I was feeling relaxed so I paired some pants with a simple tee and block heels, along with a Japanese kimono. This kimono has become one of my favorite items: the colors and the design are so mesmerizing!

Outfit details:

T-shirt: H&M

Pants: Missguided

Kimono: Thrifted

Shoes: Zara

Look 2:

This was one of my absolute favorites! It was a bit more dressed up, much more of my style. I was surrounded by colors while I was in Senegal so naturally, I think it inspired me to wear brighter pieces. I've had these purple culottes for a while but I couldn't really wear them in the New York City cold. I'm glad they finally got to make an appearance haha :). To keep the sort of classic/chic theme going, I decided to wear white kitten heels and a off-shoulder crop top.

Outfit details:

Top: Nastygal

Culottes: ASOS

Shoes: Zara

Look 3:

This kind of outfit was perfect for my trip because it was good for multiple occasions. I wore pants and shirt combinations like this to go to lunches, family visits, and even afternoon drinks by the beach. The motif on the shirt is beautiful, and it goes with so many things. Since I don't usually wear green or teal, I thought it would be interesting for me to wear pants of that color, and have them sort of match the chemise's tones. What made my look even better was that my shoes also matched my outfit. I got these sandals for a great deal and the best part about them? They have a wooden heel, how unique :) ! I actually got so many compliments on this look so hmm...maybe teal green is my color.

Outfit details:

Top, pants, shoes: Zara

Look 4:

Chocolate dresses on brown skin just look so amazing, don't you agree? I'm not much of a dress person but I think after this outfit, I've totally become one. This is one of my favorite pieces, because it fits my body perfectly and I feel great in it. On top of that, the dress is off-shoulder, my fave! To stay within the brown/gold theme, I wore my gold hoops and gold heeled sandals. I definitely need more looks like this.

Outfit details:

Dress: Pretty Little Thing

Shoes: Zara

Gold hoops: Mango

Look 5:

You can never go wrong with a pair of mom jeans and mules, they've actually proven to be one of the best combos for getaway trips haha. I spent my afternoon at the Radisson Blu hotel on this day, so I wanted to wear something that was comfortable yet cute and effortless. My outfit was all-black, so to add a pop of color, I wore my red vinyl mules.

Outfit details:

Top: Missguided

Jacket: Zara

Jeans: Pretty Little Thing

Shoes: Mango

Look 6:

To be honest, this look was more experimental than anything haha. I got this vintage Chanel scarf back in November, and I never got the chance to wear it. I just threw it in my suitcase and thought to myself "I'll figure out a way to wear it when I'm in Dakar". Of course, it was way too warm to wear it as a regular scarf or even a headscarf, so I thought to myself, why not simply turn it into a cute tube top. I love the different designs on the scarf, it really allows you to sort of pair it with whatever you'd like.

Outfit details:

Top/scarf: Chanel

Jeans: Thrifted

Shoes: Mango

Look 7:

I forgot how much of a great combo a bodycon dress and Air Force ones are, especially when both pieces are super white. Like I said, I'm not much of a dress person but hey, a few weeks in the tropics can bring about some change...This is a cute outfit for casual days, and I think out of my vacation looks, this one really says "I'm on vacation, don't bother me" haha.

Outfit details:

Dress: Pretty Little Thing

Shoes: Nike

Look 8:

Do you have that one piece of clothing that you're just super attached to? That's me with this red blazer. It was actually my mother's but haha guess what? Not anymore! I think out of all the blazers in my closet, this is probably the most worn one. I guess I like it because of its oversized fit. I wore this during my last few days in Senegal, so naturally, the outfit is a bit recycled haha (totally wore this pair of denim like over 10 times during my trip). I was going for that business casual feel because I had a lunch to attend, so I paired the blazer with mom jeans and some cute leather slippers.

Outfit details:

T-shirt: H&M

Jeans: Pretty Little Thing

Blazer: Xtreme Collection

Shoes: Gucci

Looking back on these outfits, I'm really happy I got to ditch the boots, winter coats and scarves for a while :).

To see my other looks as well as my trip in Senegal, you can check out my instagram: @pendasarr

Thank you for reading <3

With love,

Penda

Made in Africa

11:17:00 PM

There is no doubt that African fashion is on the rise. Wax is in, and people are quickly catching on to the trend. I have always been into A...

There is no doubt that African fashion is on the rise. Wax is in, and people are quickly catching on to the trend. I have always been into African fashion and prints, as many women in my family wore and continue to wear them. Of course, my interest really grew exponentially a few years ago, as emerging African designers began to make their clothing easily accessible to those of us living outside of the continent.

One of my current favorite brands is Tongoro Studio, by Sarah Diouf. Sarah is of Senegalese and Central African descent and created Tongoro in 2016. Tongoro itself is a ready-to-wear label and is exclusively sold online. Sarah makes all of the clothing in Sénégal, it is therefore 100% made in Africa and then shipped out to buyers, globally. The label combines the traditional and the modern through the use of intricate patterns, fabrics and asymetrical designs: https://www.tongoro.com.

The brand caught my eye when I began to follow its Instagram page. I loved the mixes between the colors and pattern on each piece of clothing, so I just knew I had to get my hands on some. I recently got this silk top and I absolutely love it. It has a beautiful design: asymetrical works and flared sleeves, my favorites!

My overall look was fairly simple: I paired the silk with high waisted black pants, simple nude heels, and gold tassel earrings. I wanted the focus to be on the top's detail; it's so different from what I have in my closet, maybe that's also why I like it so much. I don't know why, but I felt so amazing in it when I wore it for the first time. I guess that really says something about Tongoro - it's clothing that makes you look good and feel good.

What makes me even happier is that this was made in a place that is so dear to me, because it is my home. I was made in Africa, and so was this. The tailors in Sénégal are extremely talented, I have never seen such rigorous, hardworking individuals with an extremely high attention to detail. If I could, I would bring everyone I know to Dakar right this instant, so they could see what goes on in the tailoring studios and witness the magic.

You can definitely tell when someone has given their all to carefully craft something, and I think that was the case with this. Everything is so well put together on the design, I'm still in awe every time I go into my closet and take a look at it.

I am elated that the talent on the continent is being recognized by so many, both inside and outside of it. "Made in Africa" clothing is quickly growing, and I know the only way to go is up for designers like Tongoro.

Thank you so much for reading.

With love,

Penda

Outfit details:

Top: Tongoro Studio

Pants: Boohoo

Shoes: ASOS

Earrings: Vince Camuto

Get the look!

Top:

https://www.tongoro.com/shop/wata-top

Pants:

https://us.boohoo.com/petite-wide-leg-woven-trouser/PZZ76842.html?color=105

Shoes:

https://us.asos.com/new-look/new-look-patent-pointed-court/prd/9776850?clr=oatmeal&SearchQuery=&cid=17478&gridcolumn=2&gridrow=8&gridsize=4&pge=1&pgesize=72&totalstyles=40

Earrings:

https://www.nordstromrack.com/shop/product/2405138?cm_mmc=feeds-_-adlucent-_-google-_-pla&utm_source=adlucent&utm_medium=feeds&utm_content=google&utm_campaign=pla&utm_channel=shopping_acq_p&sid=545650&aid=%5BADL%5D%20%5BPLA%5D%20%5BShopping%5D%20-%20Categories%20-%20Brand%20-%20%5BDesktop%5D&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIz6C9_OD93gIVZ_7jBx0t2AReEAQYASABEgIEVfD_BwE&color=GOLD%2001

Japanese Denim

3:48:00 PM

There was a time where I pretty much stopped wearing denim, and only wore pants. I don't know why that changed, I guess I just started t...

There was a time where I pretty much stopped wearing denim, and only wore pants. I don't know why that changed, I guess I just started to go through the things I stopped wearing in my closet and realized that I was missing out big time. Jeans are great because you can pair them with absolutely anything on any given day.

Summer is over so I wanted a to wear something frivolous for one last time before the chilly weather kicks in. This was a casual day so I went for a dressed down look, by pairing distressed denim with a black bodysuit, and platform sneakers.

I've also been constantly wearing gold jewelry these days so of course, in terms of accessories, I just had to wear my gold hoops and my gold "positivity" necklace from Mejuri.

Also, nothing says "casual" like some clean white sneakers. This pair is nice because the platform gives the shoe a more elevated look. It does hurt a bit though, so I think I need to wear them more often and really break into them.

I wasn't planning on shooting this look. To be honest, this was completely improvised. I was actually in Soho to help one of my good friends create content for her blog. However, I loved my outfit so she took some quick snapshots of me as well!

That's why I love Soho, you'll always be surrounded by something nice, so it's always easy to explore the area and take pictures.

Connect with me:

Instagram: @pendasarr
Snapchat: @pendouchi

Outfit details:

Bodysuit: Pretty Little Thing

Jeans: Zara

Sneakers: Alexander Mcqueen

Get the look!

Bodysuit:

https://www.prettylittlething.us/black-ribbed-square-neck-thong-bodysuit.html

Jeans:

https://www.zara.com/us/en/premium-abbey-blue-zw-80%E2%80%99s-skinny-jeans-p06045248.html?v1=6546164&v2=1074621

Sneakers:

https://www.alexandermcqueen.com/us/alexandermcqueen/oversized-sneaker_cod11138724ls.html#dept=wsnkrsshs_spl

Gold hoops:

https://shop.mango.com/us/women/jewelry-earrings/hoop-earrings_33090766.html?c=OR&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Shopping+-+1WOMAN+-+US&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxKjHs9u93QIVkp6fCh2Uig7yEAQYASABEgIrwvD_BwE&ptaid=pla-448871723686&pgrid=56245161020&talla=99

Gold necklace:

https://mejuri.com/shop/products/engravable-necklace

Diamond Bomb

6:34:00 PM

Fenty Beauty is slowly becoming one of my favorite beauty brands. They always come out with unique launches which appeal to so many people. ...

Fenty Beauty is slowly becoming one of my favorite beauty brands. They always come out with unique launches which appeal to so many people. One of their newest releases is the "Diamond Bomb All-Over Diamond Veil", which is a face and body product. The Diamond Bomb retails for $38 and it comes in a pure platinum sparkle shade, so it's really shiny and glittery.

I saw some Youtubers and beauty bloggers put out some tutorials, and I loved the way it looked so I decided to buy one for myself and experiment with it.

I wanted to get the most out of the product so I used it to do a simple eyeshadow look, and then as a highlighter for my cheekbones and upper body.

Also, I wanted the Diamond Bomb to really stand out on my skin so I made sure my base was soft and looked smooth. In order to achieve this eye look, I first concealed my eyelids with the L.A. girl pro concealer in the shade "fawn". Afterwards, I set the concealer with the color "white chocolate" (see image below) from the Too Faced Chocolate Bar.

Next, to build up my crease lightly, I used the shade "milk chocolate" from the same palette and put it all over my crease, using windshield and round motions. Afterwards, to deepen my crease, I added a bit of "semi-sweet" with a pointed brush from Morphe to blend everything together. Once I finished my crease, I added the diamond bomb all over my eyelid by slowly packing it on with a flat brush.

Once I finished my eyes, I went ahead and added a bit of the glitter shadow to my cheekbones, the bridge of my nose, my collar bones and my chest. Here's the final result :)

This was a really simple look to achieve. I'm still learning how to perfect eyeshadow and I feel like the Diamond Bomb wasn't a particularly hard shadow to use and blend out. Of course, this was my first time using it, but I can't wait to practice some more with it!

Thank you for reading :)

Have a great week!

Love,

Penda

Yellow Corduroy

3:13:00 PM

Suits are such a nice staple piece to have and they look good on everyone. I bought an ensemble this summer and you know what the best part ...

Suits are such a nice staple piece to have and they look good on everyone. I bought an ensemble this summer and you know what the best part about it is? It's corduroy. I initially wanted a regular pantsuit but when I stumbled on one with this textile and color, I just had to add it to my cart and buy it haha.

Admittedly, I was a bit scared because I like trying these kind of items on before I purchase them, but I just couldn't wait. Luckily, I like how this one fits. It is a bit oversized but I like it, oversized suits are in anyway :). I usually want my clothes to be a perfect fit but I'm learning that sometimes, baggy or a bit tight can make for a good look. Because the one I got is yellow, I wanted the look to be very "monochrome"; so, I paired the suit with gold accessories and braided stiletto heels.

Speaking of perfect, I wanted to talk a bit about perfectionism in this post. I admit it, I'm a perfectionist. I think it's been instilled in me ever since childhood, as my parents always wanted me to be the absolute best I could be. I always go over every thing I do, because I want it to be perfect, and I don't like failing. I once listened this podcast, and one of the topics addressed was perfectionism. I know many of us are perfectionists because we want to be the best version of ourselves and can't accept failure. However, I'm learning to understand that failure will happen, that's just life.

The podcast gave me a lot of clarity, and allowed me to realize that I don't have to always be so hard on myself. The one line that stood out to me was "use self-compassion as an antidote to perfectionism" (said by Bianca Hughes, an Associate Professional Counselor"). I thought this was so brilliantly said, and I have been working towards being more compassionate with myself and understanding that nothing will be 100% perfect.

For example, this look was one of my favorites so I wanted everything about it to be amazing. I wanted the lighting on the day of the shoot to be perfect, I wanted to find the perfect photographer to shoot it and I wanted to look great for it. But you know what? Not everything turned out how I wanted to be but I know that I did my best and I am still happy with the results.

Of course, I don't think that the fact that I am a perfectionist is going to just completely disappear, but I do think that I'll be less fearful of not having something be 100% how I want it to be.