One of my constant sources of IRL fashion inspiration is those around me, and I count Nana Agyemang, also known as @itsreallynana, as one of my biggest. Like most people with a group chat these days, she’s a soundboard for a lot of my fashion-related thoughts; we constantly message each other links to pieces we’re thinking about buying or outfits on Instagram that wow us. But as similar as our thoughts are on fashion, we couldn’t be any more different in terms of personal style; Nana notoriously eschews bright color, opting to style herself in a spectrum of neutrals, from rich hues of mocha and olive to crisp whites. Her steadfast dedication to neutrals became such a thing among our circle of friends that anytime she did wear color she’d use the hashtag, #nanadoescolor as a tongue-in-cheek gesture to mark the rare occasion. “Every time I see super-saturated colors I run the other way. No offense to anyone that loves a pop of color, I just think that wearing neutrals is a guaranteed way to look chic. I’m no longer #nanadoescolor, I’m now #nanadoesneutrals,” says Nana. Despite her use of homogenous tones, she still manages to pull off interesting outfits that usually make me wonder if I should rethink my own approach to color. To get some insight on how she curates her wardrobe, I asked her about the essential building blocks that make up her everyday looks. As I found out, sticking within a similar tonal family not only streamlines getting dressed, it can also be fun and experimental. Keep scrolling to see the full list of items she has on repeat.
“I’m the type to put together a full monochrome look—on the daily. Although that might come off as boring, I always make sure to elevate it with a statement bag. I like to dabble with different bag sizes and shapes! It’s my favorite easy accessory because it makes you appear much fancier than you tried to be. For all my comfy girls this might be your next favorite accessory too.”— Nana
“Leather will always have a timeless look. You can’t go wrong with it–whether you’re in your 20s or 50s. Even when I have kids later down the line, they’ll think I’m the cool mom when I bring these out.”
“You’ll still find a few LBDs in my closet, but I really find myself gravitating towards LWDs when I want to look fresh. White dresses really go with everything, and they’re easy for me to accessorize or wear alone. It’s one of my favorite season-less staple pieces.”
“This fall I’ve noticed warm brown shades trending big. It’s on everything from boots to bags. I’m also the type of person that likes to invest in items I can get multiple uses out of; I just can’t wear something once, store it away in a box under my other 20 boxes of shoes so it’ll never see the light of day. My brown boots go so well with other colors in my closet so I get great use out of them. I plan on being these until the heels come off.”
“This two-piece set from COS is a favorite of mine that I wear to run errands and even for lunch dates. It’s so easy to take it from a casual look to elevated. All you have to do is pair it with sneakers or heels. Knits in general are great for the colder days when you want to be comfy and chic. In terms of silhouette, I prefer mine to be on the form-fitting side.”
“I don’t like to overthink when I’m getting dressed. I prefer to spend a few minutes putting on my clothes and then just going about my day. Cut out tops are my secret to my chic effortless looks.”
