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: How to Wear Ruffles to Work Without Looking Over-the-Top, SLW25 concept store opening-closing session, Fashion Ghana, Ghana Health care, and Kempinski Café George and Bakery

How to Wear Ruffles to Work Without Looking Over-the-Top Ruffles have made a huge comeback—and no, we’re not talking about your childhood party dress or your great-aunt’s vintage blouse. Modern ruffles are sleek, structured, and surprisingly office-appropriate when styled correctly. If you’ve ever hesitated to wear them to work for fear of looking too flouncy or frilly, it’s time to rethink that stance. Here’s how to incorporate ruffles into your 9-to-5 wardrobe with style and confidence. Start Subtle: If you're ruffle-shy, begin with minimal detailing. Think a crisp white blouse with a small ruffle at the collar or cuffs. These little touches add visual interest without overwhelming your outfit. Style Tip: Pair a ruffle-cuffed blouse with tailored trousers and loafers for a polished but soft look. Keep accessories. Structure Over Volume: The key to making ruffles feel work-appropriate lies in choosing structured silhouettes. Look for blazers with angular ruffle trims, pencil skirts with asymmetric ruffle hems, or dresses with architectural ruffle accents that enhance rather than overpower your figure. Best Bet: A sheath dress with a one-shoulder ruffle detail can be both boardroom-ready and fashion-forward when paired with a sleek bun and block heels. Balance is Everything: Ruffles naturally draw attention, so balance them with clean, simple pieces. If your top has bold ruffles, opt for a streamlined bottom—think cigarette pants or a midi skirt. Likewise, pair a ruffled skirt with a fitted knit or basic blouse. Don’t: Pair a voluminous ruffle blouse with a frilly skirt unless your workplace is a runway. Do: Mix textures and keep one half of your outfit structured.

SLW25 concept store opening-closing session. Galleria mall at Kempinski, Gamel Abdul Nasser Avenue, Accra. I seriously support the idea of concept stores. Several designers showcase their collections in one shop, thus drawing a bigger crowd and giving everybody more exposure, and at less cost than having your own store.
And the location is good, the typical Kempinski guest has some money to spend, so maybe for once designers will be paid correctly. So I decided to attend the finale of the grand opening, just to show my support. The event was to start at 6 pm, it said, complete with an RSVP and a link. The store is now less chaotic than what I saw during my last visit just a few days after the opening, it now looks OK. And of course the designers were there, trying to outdo each other in extravagance. Ladies and gentlemen, extravagance is not necessarily fashion. Fashion is look good, balanced, wear easily, feel comfortable. But there were ample small chops, and pity that by 8pm the organizer himself had not bothered to show up, I am always surprised how fans are being disrespected.

Fashion Ghana. 46 Farrar Avenue, Adabraka, Accra. And another concept store opens, this time at Adabraka. Nana Tamakloe, organizer of the Ghana fashion week since 10 years (this year in the week of 15 to 21st December) has turned an existing foreign fashion shop into something more exciting with several designers like AMA Serwaa, Bella Melange, Fashion Ghana, Fohrella Guerilla, Golden crumbs, Jeanie, JKU, Mikoko deluxe, Nayesha, Nunua, Odefille and Peliguen. The shop is worth a visit and the attendant indeed attends.

Ghana Health care. The expression is wrong, what we do here is not health care but sick care. Over the millions of years it took to create us (the Bible indeed says 6 days but if you see that as 6 periods then the millions of years nicely fits in) an almost perfect body was created with all sort of mechanisms to stop diseases entering. The only diseases we sometimes suffer are malaria, maybe cholera or typhoid or Covid. And all the other sicknesses? Like anemia, or diabetes or high blood pressure? They are self made. If you do not eat a balanced diet and do not move sufficiently, or lack sleep, or water, you will be sick. Self made. Even malaria is mainly avoidable if you keep your mosquito nets in good shape, and cholera and typhoid will not come if you eat hygienically. What a balanced diet is you can easily find through the search engines or AI. But in Ghana we do a few things wrong. We are eating far too much starch and not sufficient fiber. Some only stool twice or even once a week, daily should be the norm. And we completely overcook our veggies, and they loose half the vitamins and minerals in them in the process, and to get some flavour back we add cubes, that are mainly salt. A friend of mine works in the factory where they make shrimp cubes, but has never seen a shrimp there, it's just salt and flavour. And then there's our oil, mainly Frytol which is palm oil which has an omega 6 to omega 3 ration of 40 plus to 1, recommended is 4 to 1. Same for sunflower oil. This results in inflamed intestines, so you do not absorb your food properly, even if you eat a balanced diet. And then there's milk products like milo and ovaltine, 70-80 % of Ghanaians are lactose intolerant, meaning a certain sugar in the milk cannot be digested, again resulting in inflamed intestines. And the result of all these? The average Ghanaian dies 20 years earlier than the average north European, at 59 life expectancy of women in West Africa is the lowest of any female population in the world. Sick care indeed, we only see a doctor when the symptoms are too many, and are then given supplements and a heavy bill.

Kempinski Café George and Bakery Kempinski Hotel, Galleria Mall, Gamel Abdul Nasser Ave, Accra. After your visit to the VIP Absa banking hall, or maybe Gallery 1957 or the new fashion outlet shop SLW25 or the Versace shop you may want to have a something on the outside terrace, at Café George and Bakery. The girl serving looks very relaxed and although she sees us sitting there she decides to only show up after about 10 minutes. Maybe she has solid reasons not to fear for her job? The fresh pineapple juice at 90 GHS and the double expresso we had at 70GHS would warrant a quicker service?

Lydia...

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