FIT&FAB: My mum's fashion sense makes me look fabulous

I’m at that stage in my life where my typical African mother grins whenever she catches me smiling at the screen of my phone. It doesn’t matter that half the time I’m smiling at my rapid progress in playing Candy Crush or at a beautiful picture of creamy avocado.

FINE LAD

According to my mother’s firm beliefs, if Marion is smiling at that phone then there is a fine gentleman on the other end of the phone.  Apparently, I’m finally allowed, and even encouraged, to take to fine lads nowadays. Here is the irony of life though, I’m much more given to getting to level 500 at Candy Crush now than responding to those random hellos flooding my inbox. Flooding is an overstatement though, trickling is more like it. Yes, I am 25 years old and a full-time student at my mother’s “Wife Skills Master Class” where she is the vice chancellor, dean of students and supervising professor.

The other day I bumped into my mother in the kitchen on my way out to run some errands in town. I was dressed in a black top, pants and canvas shoes. I completed my look with tiny studs and a touch of “Irene” lipstick.  She threw a disapproving look at my pants that made me halt.

“Mum, I have a million and one errands to run, these pants are wonderful. Also I have a serious meeting in the afternoon with a potential client so this top is decent and simple,” I shot defensively. As I spoke, I watched her face transform from disapproval to plain horror when I mentioned that I had a meeting later in the day. Every instinct in me sensed the oncoming lecture and I might as well have grabbed a pen and notebook that instance because the dress code unit of Wife Skills Master Class was on!

BLACK CLOTHES

“Black, black, black…child, what is this obsession you have with black clothes, shoes, accessories, basically everything in your wardrobe? A girl should be bright. Make some effort darling. I already compromised by letting you keep those dreadlocks but I’m not letting you go out dressed that way. There’s nothing memorable or eye-catching about what you have on. Nothing.”

I knew that she wouldn’t let it slide but that didn’t keep me from trying – given that I was already running late. I explained that the outfit was comfortable and decent, and even touched on the slimming effect of black clothes as I am still shedding off weight. My reasons fell on deaf ears as my mother shepherded me to her bedroom to look for a colourful scarf or something along those lines. I thought it was a great idea to appeal to her “woke” side and mentioned that I would rather people remember me for my smart conversations and not a multicoloured skirt. I was wrong.

“Of course you are one smart young lady. But tell me child, do you intend to engage strangers in the bus and on the streets in intelligent exchange of thoughts and ideas? I don’t think so. If a fine gentleman is in that crowd of strangers, they need to notice and remember you.” I resigned and let her roll with it. I left the house looking drop-dead gorgeous, and once again, proud of my mother’s ability to bring out the best in me.

LOOKING FAB

My mother had a fair point though; the bulk of my wardrobe is comprised of black attire. I have heard that black is a colour that projects confidence. My reasons for having black clothes though are for their slimming effect. While my greatest motivation to pursuing a fitness lifestyle is for better health, I cannot deny that I want to look great too. Many would dismiss this as mere vanity but such conclusions could not be further from the truth. The first thing I noticed two months into my fitness journey was the physical changes in my body.

Even before I confirmed that my blood pressure was back to a safe zone and my blood sugar level was okay, I saw my belly shrink and the waistline start to get defined. I noticed my double chin disappear to give way to a graceful neck. When I looked into the mirror and saw the dress flow down my back without getting snugged into rolls of back fat, I felt great. All these physical changes continue to make me feel happy and even more beautiful. They have definitely increased the quality of my life and I wouldn’t think for one second to consider wanting to look and feel slimmer as mere vanity.

Back to black clothes, I have found them very flattering to my thick thighs. Their slimming effect is like a projection mirror of what is in store in my journey of fitness. Black, in my experience, has proved to be the one colour I can pull off with tight bottoms without worrying about undesirable contours. However, as I learnt from my mother, it’s important to break the black with a colourful top, belt, scarf or even accessory to achieve that classy, chic and fabulous look.

The best thing about this fitness path you and I have taken is that there are no deadlines. We are in it for life. Every day we discover tips and tricks of enjoying every phase of the journey as we strive to attain the healthiest and most fabulous version of ourselves. The tip for enjoying the jingly cellulite riddled phase of the journey is to rock more black (or solid dark colours like brown and blue) clothes, while the trick is to break it with something bold or colourful for a great look that will make you memorable.

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Fit&Fab is a blog series by Marion Maina who lost 30kg during her weight loss journey that started two years ago and is now in pursuit of a healthy lifestyle. Do you have feedback on this story? E-mail: [email protected]