What is a lappa you ask? Well, a lappa is like any African print that can be worn by both men and women, in both formal and informal settings. The lappa requires you to wrap around you and tied in order to be worn. It can be draped over an ensemble, worn as a skirt, or, how I typically wear mine, as a covering whenever I’m getting ready – think of it like a robe. I’ve only worn lappas two ways – draped over an ensemble in a formal setting or whenever I’m getting ready. There’s been no in-between for me. Since the goal of my blog is to share ways to incorporate African prints into my everyday life, I challenged myself to style my lappa in a way that I wouldn’t normally wear. I think I hit the ball out of the park.
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PHOTOS BY: DORESE JENAE PORTRAITS
I decided to style it as a top in this first go around and I absolutely loved the way it turned out. It was especially hot this day we shot this look – don’t mistake that glow for melanin or highlight, it’s all sweat – and I’m really glad that I styled it in a way that my back was out.
I created a reels to show how I tied this long lappa into a top. If you have a long scarf or fabric, I imagine that you could tie it the same way if you wanted to wear it as a top.
The headscarf was an unexpected addition to the look. Before I explain why I want to talk about the difference – to me – between a headwrap and a headscarf. A headwrap being the wrap you tie on your head to hide your hair or to tie a specific style for your hair. Think of the many times I’ve worn a headwrap on the blog (here, here, here to name a few). A headscarf is a scarf that I typically wear to protect my hair when I go to bed or am laying my edges.
I, like most Black women with a protective hairstyle, like to lay my edges before I go places. This particular day was no different. I had every intention of taking off the headscarf before we started taking photos, but Dorese loved the way it looked so I kept it on.
This hat was definitely one of the best purchases of the summer. I don’t know why it took me so long to purchase a straw hat. It’s literally the perfect addition to any summer look. I’ll definitely be stepping up my hat game this fall cause hats really can change the vibe of a look.
WOULD YOU STYLE YOUR LAPPA OR SCARF LIKE THIS?
SHOP THE LOOK!
Lack of Colour Palma Boater Hat || Lappa (passed down; similar here) || Skirt (thrifted; similar here or here) || Converse All Stars || Slowline Bag (old; similar) || Headscarf (similar) || Shein Large Hoop Earrings (similar) || Garmin watch || NARS Starwoman || Sunnies (similar)
