Style: Adjoa in London

Introduce yourself!
A: Hey everyone! My name is Adjoa, but most people call me Adj or AJ. I was born in Ghana (West Africa) but moved to London, England when I was 11 years old and I’ve been living here ever since. I’m currently a final year University student aspiring to be a child psychologist one day.

What is your style philosophy?
A: Two words MODESTY and SIMPLICITY. I am a Christian! I love God and I live for God so I’m a firm believer is dressing modestly, especially as a woman. For me simplicity is also everything and less is more…it’s all about making every piece you wear your own and putting your stamp on it, even if it’s just a t‑shirt and jeans.

How would you describe your sense of style?
A: I honestly don’t have a specific sense of style. I kinda go through different phases depending on the season (I don’t know why I do this). In the summer I’m definitely more afrocentric and boho chic, in autumn I have more of a vintage thrifted style, and in the winter I go dark and wear anything and everything black I can find. In the spring hmm, I’m usually all over the place with my style.

What is the process of deciding what to wear in the morning?
A: The first thing I always do before I get dressed is pick up my phone and check the weather!! That usually determines what I pick from my closet to wear…I’m also always listening to music every morning so sometimes whatever mood the music puts me in kinda determines what I pick out to wear.

What are the three favorite things in your closet?
A: Ou! This is a hard one!! Erm…The first thing would have to be my black Jamie skinny jeans from TopShop. I love them and wear them like all the time! Sometimes I buy black denim pants and they fade and turn grey after one wash. But these…ugh!! Super durable!! And I love the way they make my legs look lol. The second thing would have to be my Dr. Martens boots. I have like four pairs and they are my go-to shoes. I wear them all the time!! Especially the black, and they go with practically any outfit and any style, and they are comfyy!! I got two pairs of boots from a shoe store in London called Office, and the other two from the Dr. Martens website. Lastly I would say all of my thrifted items. I couldn’t pick just one because they are all my faves! I got them from different thrift stores around London.

What are some of your favorite shops/websites for clothes, shoes and accessories?
A: Okay so this is my top 10 list of stores and websites (in no particular order):
‑TopShop/topshop.com
‑Urban Outfitters
‑thrift stores
‑ASOS.com
‑NastyGal.com
‑Primark (UK based)
‑Zara
‑H&M
‑Forever 21 (Accessories)
‑Sammydress.com

How long have you been natural?
A: I’ve been completely natural for about a year. But I transitioned for about a year, so I’m two years relaxer-free!!

How and why did you transition into natural hair?
A: My hair encountered its first relaxer when I was like 9 years old…and my relaxed hair was always thick and healthy and a good length. The decision to transition into natural hair was very personal. About two years ago, I started to put all of my confidence in my hair. I used to get compliments about how nice my hair was “for a black African girl” and I used to get so happy!! Like it got so bad that every time I left my house I’d EXPECT people to make a comment about how “nice” my hair was and if no one did I’d get upset. I was literally obsessed with my relaxed hair and hated the sight of my natural hair, so my relaxers were quite frequent. I really thank God for the amazing people He has placed in my life because one of my girls said to me one day “Adj, you are more than your hair, do you know that?”. I remember thinking about what she said all day. Those words changed my life!

That day I decided I was going to transition and begin the process of loving me naturally!! I put my hair away in box braids the year I was transitioning and then finally BC’d in the summer of 2012. It was so hard having short hair, especially with it being an Afro! I really disliked the way I looked and felt so ugly! But with time I learned to love every kink and coil on my head! Like I’m actually so in love with my natural hair! I’ve also learned to love myself and to KNOW and UNDERSTAND I am beautiful, even if I never heard another compliment for the rest of my life…because I’m fearfully and wonderfully made in God’s image!! Going natural is hands down one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life!

What is your signature hairstyle?
A: Everyone that knows me knows my signature hairstyle has to be box braids! I love my braids! But I recently did my own Havana twists and I’m in total love, so I think Havana twists are going to be my signature hairstyle now.

Describe your styling regimen over the course of the month.
A: Over the course of the month if my hair is not in some type of protective style, I will wash it every 10 ‑14 days and wear a twist out. Then I put my hair in a puff for the last few days of the cycle, or sometimes I leave my hair in twists for the whole 2 weeks. Being a student, I barely have time to do anything fancy with my hair unless it’s necessary. I mostly use The LUV Naturals line (Detangler, Shampoo, Conditioner and Leave-In Conditioner) for my wash days, then use the Tangles and Beyond Shea Buttercreme for my twists. I seal with a mixture of oils I put together that work really well for my hair. (olive oil, coconut oil, Jamaican black castor oil, vitamin E oil, and grapeseed oil) During the week I moisturize my hair when needed.

Is there a blog/webpage where we can find you?
A: Yes I have an Instagram: agoodthing92. I also just opened an ask.fm account, so if anyone has any questions they would like to ask it’s ask.fm/agoodthing92.