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: The Philosophy of Avant-Garde Corporate wear, British Durbars, The inherent dangers of buying copycat perfumes, Food and medicines expired, and Second Cup Spintex

The Philosophy of Avant-Garde Corporate wear. Avant-garde corporate style is not about breaking rules just for shock value — it’s about redefining what professionalism looks like. It’s the evolution of power dressing: confident, architectural, and conceptual, yet completely wearable. The focus is on intention over convention. Think sculptural tailoring, asymmetrical lines, exaggerated proportions, and materials that tell a story — neoprene, organza, and deconstructed wool. This is the wardrobe of the modern thinker, the creative strategist, the leader who understands that fashion is a form of language. Key Elements of the Look: Architectural silhouettes, boxy blazers with cinched waists, angular shoulders and dramatic lapels turn the everyday suit into a statement. The fit is not always traditional — sometimes oversized, sometimes cropped — but always intentional. Monochrome, Muted, or Metallic. The colour palette is often minimalist: shades of charcoal, ivory, navy and black dominate. But unexpected pops — metallic silver trousers or a matte cobalt trench — bring the edge. Deconstruction and Layering. Avant-garde corporate thrives on disruption done tastefully. A shirt that morphs into a vest, a blazer with cut-outs, or a silk tie transformed into a belt — these details challenge expectations while staying polished. Textures as Statements. Leather panels on wool, sheer overlays on structured tops, or matte fabrics paired with gloss finishes — texture plays as big a role as silhouette. Statement Footwear. Architectural heels, square-toed loafers, or minimalist platform boots anchor the look with a subtle but assertive energy.

British Durbars. Just to show you that in the end there is little difference between people from different cultures I want to compare our durbars with a British tradition, the Royal Ascot. The Ascot race course is not too far from London, and owned and managed by the British crown (the king). It is mainly used for horse racing but also for concerts and other events. And once a year, in summer, when hopefully it will not rain, there is the Royal Ascot, the event of all events. The king and queen arrive in a horse drawn open carriage, followed by immediate family members and then not so immediate family members and then those further down the line, and then by the Dukes and Duchesses, Marquesses and Marchionesses, Earls and Countesses, Viscounts and Viscountesses, Barons and Baronesses, Lords and Ladies, not to forget the Dames. Of course these royal people and those of title have their own area from where to watch the race, the plebs stays behind the fence, they might address someone by the wrong title which would be jolly embarrassing. A general title could be jolly good fellows indeed, or, more simply, old chap. Important is how everybody dresses, the king and most other men wear high hats and the ladies wide hats to keep the sun out of their fragile faces. There are Ascot branded ties and other items. Speculation as to who will wear what from which designer starts months before. This is the day to show off, and they do.

The inherent dangers of buying copycat perfumes. So this delivery driver had a bottle of copycat Opium perfume in his car (originally Yves Saint Laurent brand), bought at a petrol station. During a routine check a smart police man found the bottle, and though during this policeman's initial training he had been taught little about perfumes, he had been taught that opium was a class II addictive and illegal narcotic drug, thus the policeman arrested and handcuffed the driver. So far not so good but good enough, and at the police station and after laboratory tests that part of the story was sorted out. But the not so good part of the story is that this happened in the USA as little as 5 months ago. Under the present president Trump administration in this country that is made up of 98.9 % immigrants and their descendants plus the 4 million descendants (the remaining 1.1%) of the original 18 million red Indians (numbers reduced due to slaughtering and diseases) not every immigrant is welcome any more (Gloria Gaynor, “I will survive, 1978”, you're not welcome any more) . When the police found out that this man of yellow Indian descent had overstayed his tourist visa it became altogether a very different matter. Despite him being married to a born and bred American woman he is now on the waiting list to be deported. Home sweet home?

Food and medicines expired. There is a costly mistake here. If the expiry date is 17th of October then that does not mean that the next day the product turns into poison. What the manufacturer is trying to say is that if the product is stored under good conditions (for example not in the baking sun, read the label, some need to be stored in a fridge) they guarantee that it is fit for consumption till the expiry date, after that you want to check what is going on. So if a can of sardines is 6 month over the expiry date this does not mean it has gone bad, but it could have gone bad. If the can has not blown up, if when opening it you don’t hear ssssh, and if the smell is normal then go ahead. Of course, to be on the safe side, don’t do that the day before you intend to board a plane. And for medicines? I look at what it is. If it is paracetamol and a few months over the limit I happily take it, the only thing could be that it does not work and my headache does not go away. None of these products become poisonous after the expiry date, or they would not be allowed into the market, but they may become ineffective. So I will not take an expired malaria treatment. But for a light diarrhea I happily try the antibiotics which are a few months overdue. With children I would not take risks. So judge for yourself and don’t throw away things unnecessarily.

Second Cup Spintex Palace Mall, Spintex Road, Flower Pot Round-about, Accra. We had a double expresso at 35 GHS only, a small café latte at 50 GHS and a cheese croissant at 45 GHS. None is recommended. Not sure if that 2nd cup meant we could take another filling for free? I wouldn't have taken it anyway.

Lydia...

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