My Style: Uche Iheuk

It’s your regular dose of the BN feature; My Style! If you are interested in appearing on this page, simply send two pictures of yourself or that of a friend depicting a typical Day and Night Look with a short summary of your style to my mail box: [email protected]

When your entry is approved, you will be required to send in more pictures and personal commentaries on your style or that of your friend as the case may be! Thanks to those who have participated so far, keep the emails coming.

Let’s remember that this feature is about appreciating an individual’s expression through clothing!

BellaNaija reader, Uche Iheuk doesn’t set style boundaries and gets a kick out of her DIY dress fixes!

UCHE’S STYLE:

I would describe my style as “rephisticated”, basically that means it is retro but at the same time sophisticated. I enjoy belting almost everything I wear just because I love the classic 50’s curvaceous silhouette. I recently became a tights junkie and have fishnets and lace stockings. I like to dress accordingly to how I feel and love to put things together and create my own unique signature. As a minor in college and fashion lover who can handle a sewing machine, I do some DIY; I cut stuff up and add however I like.

WHY DO YOU LOVE YOUR STYLE:

I love my style because it really sets me apart. I have no set look; I go with my mood and what I feel like wearing. I dislike wearing things when they are “reigning” so to speak, because then you know everyone will have it. Almost every accessory I have I bought after they went “out” e.g. my tights and suspenders and the belts. I like to do my own thing, sometimes I go with what I see in magazines but most times, “Uche just does Uche”

HOW IT EXPRESSES UCHE’S PERSONALITY:

I am a bubbly person and my fashion expresses it fully. I love colour and texture. I’m just that odd person in my group of friends. Just like I listen to every genre of music, I love rocking everything from Afghans to even fedoras that I’m not a huge fan of. I’m up to try anything in life and it transcends into my personal style.

UCHE’S STYLE PHILOSOPHY:

I like people who see me to know that you do not have to drop $200 to have a banging outfit. Cheap can be quality…don’t listen to what they say about the pricier the better. Clothes change with the seasons so wasting money on one particular item may be worth it if it has Louis Vuitton written on it, but at the end of the day when it goes out of style you may feel stupid for buying it. The best way to keep an edgy wardrobe is to mix and match buy cheap and expensive and wear them together. I believe in buying pieces rather than total outfits that you may have seen in a magazine or on a mannequin. Just because others can rock it does not mean you can. It’s so much fun being a girl, so don’t waste time and money like men who buy one pair of CK jeans and because of its costly price wear it everywhere. Dress up DAMMIT!! Mixing the old with the new, the piece that cannot stand on its own with one that can, the dark with the light, the cheap with the expensive and the vapid with the ostentatious!!

HAIR:

My hair always varies as I’m always changing it. I love keeping my hair interesting and exciting and I change my hair do every 3 to 5 weeks. I don’t think I’ve ever had a certain style longer than that. I like to think that I’m not boring, so my hair expresses that and can’t be flat. Unfortunately I am a weave queen, why? Because for me, I have more style options with weave in your hair than without it!

MAKEUP:

In the daytime I can rock the same makeup I would in the night. I have no preference for what makeup and when to use it. If I’m feeling summery I may use a combination of orange and purple on my eyelids. The only makeup I save for the night is really rich charcoal smoky eye because that is too much for the daytime, unless I’m going to church in which case I use whatever I want to. I use makeup depending on how I feel that day or night. I am a huge makeup junkie, not because I look bad without it but because I like a different look everyday. I have done almost everything involving eye shadow, one colour swept over my lids, two tones and even three shades. I’m running out of ideas and colours to use on my lids. I don’t really use foundation because it’s heavy on my skin and may cause me to break out. I’m basically eyeliner, eye shadow and mascara…..and I love to have my lip gloss dripping because it’s popping!! LOL!!

My day look depends on my mood and I usually get dressed up!!! I believe people judge you based on how you look so I always try to look like a star. I hardly wear hoodies and sweats and I save my jeans for the winter, because I rarely ever wear jeans in the summertime, it’s too hot for that! I usually wear summer dresses and shorts for my daytime look. I may wear flats but I absolutely love WEDGES and wear them almost all the time. I also reserve sneakers for when it’s cold because I love sandals and I have more sandals than I do sneakers.

ACCESSORIES:

I love nail polish especially crazy neon colours and also, because most of my wardrobe is black I love to have popping bright shoes. I cannot live without my handbags!!! I love them oversized…forget little bags even when and if they come back I’m sticking to my huge knapsacks!!! And incase you could not tell, Rihanna is my style guru and sometimes Keri Hilson. Gotta love em both!!!
My accessories always have to change and match depending on my outfit. I usually wear pearls or studs when I’m going either preppy or sophisticated. I lovvvvvvvvve gold accessories and wear them usuallyout at night. Silver also could be a “night” accessory for me. I dislike beads (except for the bohemian looking ones or the glass beads) especially the plastic looking ones that come in various colours…they should all be burned.

NIGHT LOOK:

At night I hardly ever wear jeans, expect on occassion when am in the mood.  I stick to my staple black shorts or my several dresses or skirts, pencil or bubble. I always wear heels at night even If I’ve been in them all day to class. Stilettos can make any outfit dressed up so I always wear them even if its just to a friends get together…I need my heels (lol). (Plus I have a short woman’s complex because I’m only 5’4…so yea that adds to it)

 

MY NATIVE/ TRADITIONAL ATTIRE:

My natives were made under my mothers’ supervision but I had my own vision. So I cut it up and put pieces together as I saw fit. Even turning a big old head tie into a dress for my schools fashion show. Man it seems like I’ve done it all…my style simply states UNIQUE!! It’s just me, being me!