Lydia's Weekly Lifestyle blog is for today's African girl, so no subject is taboo. My purpose is to share things that may interest today's African girl.

This week's contributors: Lydia, Pépé Pépinière, Titi. This week's subjects: Ankara Reimagined: Blending African Prints with Power Dressing — The Accra Corporate Girl Edition, Straight hair or straight death? The Mahama hospitality index, and Valentine’s Day

Ankara Reimagined: Blending African Prints with Power Dressing — The Accra Corporate Girl Edition Where culture meets confidence in the boardroom. There’s something undeniably powerful about a woman who walks into a room wearing colour — not just any colour, but Ankara, that bold, unapologetic symphony of pattern and pride. For the Accra corporate girl, African prints aren’t just fashion — they’re identity, heritage, and a statement that says, “I can be powerful and vibrant at the same time.” Gone are the days when corporate wear meant dull greys and strict suits. Today’s Accra professional knows how to weave her roots into her rhythm, one print at a time The New Corporate Power Look: Modern power dressing is no longer just about shoulder pads and monochrome suits — it’s about expression. In Accra, where creativity meets commerce, the corporate wardrobe has evolved. Imagine a fitted Ankara blazer layered over crisp white pants. Or a pencil skirt in a muted kente print paired with a silk blouse. It’s structure meets story — and it commands attention without saying a word. The key? Balance. Let one piece shine. If your Ankara skirt is vibrant, pair it with solid tones — think camel, cream, or navy. You want to say, “I’m bold, but I’m in control.” Print Meets Professionalism: Wearing prints at work doesn’t mean dressing for a festival. It’s about tailoring and tone. Choose Ankara pieces with cleaner patterns and softer palettes for a refined, office-ready finish. Earth tones, navy blues, and pastels make prints feel elegant and powerful — not overpowering. A structured Ankara jacket, for instance, instantly elevates a plain shift dress. Or try a high-waisted wax print trouser with a tucked-in chiffon blouse for that “I came to close deals and turn heads” energy. Accessorize with Intention: When you’re working with bold patterns, accessories should whisper, not shout. Go for minimal jewelry — gold studs, thin bangles, or a classic wristwatch. Pair with nude or black pumps to keep the focus on your statement piece. And bags? A structured leather tote or clutch in a neutral tone balances the vibrance beautifully. Cultural Confidence: What makes the Accra corporate girl so inspiring is how effortlessly she blends the modern with the traditional. Her wardrobe tells her story — global, grounded, and unapologetically Ghanaian. When you wear African prints to the boardroom, you’re not just dressing up — you’re carrying generations of creativity, craftsmanship, and culture with you. It’s more than style; it’s representation. Blending African prints with corporate fashion is an art — one that the Accra woman has mastered with grace. It’s about walking into every room knowing that you belong there, colour and all. Because power dressing isn’t just about suits anymore. It’s about showing up in your truth — wrapped in prints that speak volumes, stitched with purpose, and styled with confidence. So go ahead— wear your Ankara to the boardroom. Make the culture look corporate.

Straight hair or straight death? Some of us want to get rid of the curls. But think twice and ask a few questions. And read what's next. 17-year-old girl hospitalized for kidney failure after hair straightening. A 17-year-old girl who underwent a hair straightening treatment was hospitalized with severe kidney failure at Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Israel, the hospital reports. Another woman, 25, also suffered from kidney failure caused by hair straightening a little over a month ago. The girl, suffering from vomiting, dizziness, and severe headaches, was hospitalized with acute kidney failure for several days in the pediatric department. She was released on Monday and will continue outpatient follow-up at the hospital’s pediatric nephrology institute. A study published by Prof. Linda Shavit, head of the hospital’s nephrology institute, and Dr. Alon Benaya, a physician at the institute, in 2023 documented 26 cases of women aged 14 to 58 with no underlying medical conditions who arrived at emergency departments across the country with severe kidney failure. The researchers found that all of them had undergone hair-straightening treatments containing glyoxylic acid. The Health Ministry has since revoked licenses for dozens of cosmetic products containing glyoxylic acid. “It is essential not to apply hair-straightening products directly to the scalp or the hair roots, but to maintain a distance of at least 1.5 centimeters from them,” says Shavit. “In addition, both hairdressers and clients must be careful not to heat the product and to act only according to the manufacturer’s instructions.” And in Ghana? Is glyoxylic picked up by customs at the border? For sure not at our porous borders. Or how about this one: “At 27, she has the kidneys of an 80-year-old thanks to Brazilian straightening.

The Mahama hospitality index. Our President has said it, service in our restaurants and hotels often is below acceptable standards. I recently travelled and booked into a nice guesthouse. No towels, the toilet was not flushing, the door could not properly lock. I had to threaten with the Ghana Tourist Board to get a bucket to flush the toilet. And everybody wonders why you make such a fuzz. But they had fresh coffee and fruit juices on the menu. I ended up drinking Nescafe and they only had pineapple juice. And to get butter with the toast one has to ask, that is if one can find the waiter. Who has delivered your breakfast and considers his job done. Yeah, the Mahama hospitality index. We need that more than the ratings you see on the search engines.

And Valentine’s Day is in a month from now, a good opportunity to try some of the new restaurants that keep popping up.

Lydia...

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