{"id":83009,"date":"2024-08-08T19:41:22","date_gmt":"2024-08-08T19:41:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2024\/08\/08\/a-week-of-outfits-dr-shirlene-obuobi\/"},"modified":"2024-08-08T19:41:22","modified_gmt":"2024-08-08T19:41:22","slug":"a-week-of-outfits-dr-shirlene-obuobi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2024\/08\/08\/a-week-of-outfits-dr-shirlene-obuobi\/","title":{"rendered":"A Week of Outfits: Dr. Shirlene Obuobi"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\"Shirlene<\/div>\n

\"Shirlene<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m over here writing romance, which is a genre that has been looked down on for dumb reasons, most of them rooted in misogyny,\u201d says Shirlene Obuobi<\/a>, whose second novel, Between Friends and Lovers<\/em><\/a>, came out last week. When she\u2019s not writing, Shirlene works as a cardiologist (!) in Providence and draws cartoons<\/a>. Here, she shares five colorful looks and tells us about writing sex scenes\u2026<\/p>\n

\"Shirlene<\/p>\n

Dress: Boutique Bronzeville<\/a>, similar<\/a>. Sunglasses: Amazon, similar<\/a>. Earrings: Jess a Little Shop<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cOnly 13% of cardiologists are women, and only 4% of cardiologists are Black. In med school, I felt like dressing super feminine would make people see me as somehow less serious than my male classmates. But when I became a cardiologist, I was like, Screw it. I\u2019m going to stand out anyway, so I might as well wear what I like<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Shirlene<\/a><\/p>\n

Dress: thrifted, similar<\/a>. Sweater: thrifted, similar<\/a>. Bandana: Beauty Supply, similar<\/a>. Sneakers: Brooks<\/a>. Bag: Aspinal of London, similar<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I finished my medical training, I realized I had no personal style but wanted to. I hired a stylist, and she took me to Nordstrom for the afternoon. Her services were expensive, but worth it. She taught me to pull colors out of patterned clothes to create something cohesive. My closet is now an explosion of color, and I almost never wear black.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Shirlene<\/p>\n

\u201cI wrote my first novel<\/a> in the midst of COVID. I was seeing horrible things at the hospital, felt exhausted and scared, and found myself escaping by writing fiction. If I have free time, I\u2019m usually drawing or writing. Those are my major stress relievers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Shirlene<\/a><\/p>\n

Two-piece set: \u00d6FUUR\u00cb<\/a>. Heels: Nordstrom Rack, similar<\/a>. Hoops: similar<\/a>. Purse: Brandon Blackwood<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I started writing Between Friends and Lovers<\/em><\/a>, I knew that it was going to be steamier than my first book<\/a>. So much of the protagonist\u2019s development is about learning to trust, and sex is a significant part of that for her. She doesn\u2019t have issues with exploring her body \u2013 she\u2019s like, \u2018I have a vibrator that gets me off just fine\u2019 \u2013 but opening up sexually with someone else is different. I edit my sex scenes a lot because the further I get in writing a book, the more I learn about a character, and the more I\u2019m like, \u2018Oh, maybe this would actually be more true to her.\u2019 You can tell so much about characters from how they have sex.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Shirlene<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI found \u00d6FUUR\u00cb<\/a> online several years ago. The style of print is called Ankara, which is a kind of African wax print. I\u2019m Ghanaian-American, and I love how designers in the diaspora are using traditional fabrics in pieces with contemporary cuts.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Shirlene<\/p>\n

Cut-offs: thrifted, similar<\/a>. Jacket: Kaiju66<\/a>. T-shirt: similar<\/a>. Sneakers: \u201cNike Air Max 90 \u2014 Chicago City Special,\u201d sold out, but available from resellers<\/a>. Sunglasses: similar<\/a>. Hoops: Amazon<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m obsessed with Megan Thee Stallion, so much so that I dedicated my second book to her. She is both unapologetically sexy and also transparent about her struggles with mental health. Two of my favorite lyrics: \u2018Bad bitches have bad days, too,\u2019 and \u2018People say I\u2019m way too full of myself, you right, and I haven\u2019t even made it to dessert.\u2019 I bought this T-shirt at her concert.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Shirlene<\/p>\n

\u201cMany people will see this bomber and just think, That\u2019s a very loud jacket<\/em>. But a few will recognize it as the jacket of a beloved anime character. I\u2019ve loved anime since I was a kid.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Shirlene<\/p>\n

Blazer: similar<\/a>. Dress: Never Fully Dressed<\/a>, thrifted from ThredUp. Flats: Rothy\u2019s<\/a>. Peach earrings: similar<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI have this joke \u2014 but it\u2019s also real \u2014 that if I\u2019m reading a book written by a man and he describes a woman\u2019s breasts, especially as a way to introduce a character, I just stop reading. They\u2019re always teardrop-shaped boobs!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Shirlene<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cMy friend came over to my apartment the other day and was like, \u2018You have a lot of fruit earrings.\u2019 As a doctor, I find that wearing things like peach earrings or Air Jordans humanizes me to patients and gives us something to connect over. I\u2019m not a huge sneakerhead, but my friends are slowly dragging me in that direction, and my younger patients definitely notice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Shirlene<\/p>\n

\u201cI have an amazing mentor who has been a trailblazer for women\u2019s heart health. When she was coming up, a lot of conditions that disproportionately affect women were brushed off, but she knew they were real. Her work wasn\u2019t respected for a long time. She cemented my belief that forging a new path is a good thing. Plus, whenever I see her at conferences, she\u2019s wearing some wild, colorful number \u2014\u00a0not what you\u2019re \u2018supposed to\u2019 wear \u2014 and I love it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thank you so much for being you, Shirlene<\/a>!<\/strong><\/p>\n

P.S. More people share their weeks of outfits<\/a>, including a petite songwriter, who found the key to dressing her curvy figure<\/a>, and a Manhattan woman with five great office looks<\/a>.<\/p>\n

(Photos by Sarah Petrarca<\/a> for Cup of Jo.)<\/p>\n

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63<\/span> COMMENTS<\/p>\n

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