A Week of Outfits: Mbiye Kasonga
“I’m always chasing that feeling of walking down the street and having someone do a double-take at my outfit,” says Mbiye Kasonga, a D.C.-based podcast producer behind Naked Beauty. “I’m always smiling, and I’m Congolese — we wear bright colors and have no fear of standing out.” Here, she shares a dress made for adventures and three books to discuss at a book club…
Dress: Mara Hoffman. Bag: Luar. Shoes: Marni.
“At my old marketing job, whenever I went into the office, I’d wear a cardigan, wide-leg pants, and clogs. But now that I work for myself, half the week I’m wearing T-shirts with swingy pants; the other half, I’m in dresses. Never will you find me working from home in hard pants.”
Dress: Free People, similar. Purse: Luar. Sandals: Birkenstock.
“I wear this dress everywhere. It’s perfect for those summer days when you meet up with friends for brunch and end up staying out all day long. I also like taking myself on dates to read at restaurants, and this dress has huge pockets for my keys, Kindle, and phone. Last year, The Strategist reached out to me for a summer dress rec, and I shared this one. It sold out.”
“I went to business school, then worked in market research, but I’ve always been interested in digital media. I worked on the morning news in high school and in the TV studio in college, and I took a course on how to produce podcasts. When the pandemic rolled around, I had extra time on my hands, and my friend Brooke was looking for a podcast producer. So, I started that as a hobby.”
Jacket: old Zara. T-shirt: similar. Jeans: Free People, similar. Shoes: Vans x Telsha Anderson Boone collab.
“For two years, I produced Brooke’s podcast Naked Beauty while working my full-time marketing job. Finally, that December, my husband pointed out that producing was obviously no longer a hobby. I needed to bet on myself and start my own agency. Now, I’ve been running Moyo for two years.”
“My current team is a mix of people who are younger and older than I am. At first, I felt imposter syndrome whenever I had to assert myself as their boss. But over time, I realized that the proof is in the pudding. Naked Beauty has won two iHeartRadio awards for ‘Best Beauty & Fashion Podcast.’ I’m really good at what I do.”
Dress: Dôen, similar. Shorts: Warp + Weft jeans, altered by Mbiye. Tote: made by Mbiye. Shoes: Miista, similar.
“This is actually a dress from Dôen, and it came with a tie to cinch the waist. But I like wearing it as a top with cutoffs. Being curvy, if I were to wear cutoffs without some layering, I would probably stop traffic.”
“These cutoffs were originally jeans from Warp + Weft, which is a great place to find denim as a curvy girl. Almost everything is under $140, and many of their silhouettes go up to size 24. Plus, they have just enough stretch.”
“My mom loved to knit and taught my two older sisters. She passed away when I was two, but my sister taught me to knit when I was in elementary school. For a long time, I stopped picking up the needles. But when I moved to D.C. after college, I didn’t have any friends, so I dove into knitting. When you lose your parent as a child, you lose the opportunity to do things with them. But knitting is my way of feeling close to my mom.”
“Since learning to knit, I’ve realized that the best way to get the clothes I want is to make them. This going-out top is the first garment I ever made. I found the pattern on TikTok.”
Dress: Dôen. Sandals: Dr. Martens, similar.
“I was a big reader as a kid, to the point where the librarians would let me check out 10 books instead of three. I devoured them; I’d go to bed reading, then wake up and read. I also used to host a social reading event once a month at Shanklin Hall, a Black-owned bar. Everyone brought a book, and we’d either hang out and discuss them, or the whole bar would just be reading. It was so much fun.”
“My whole thing is, I just want to connect with people over books in the same way that we connect over reality TV. Half the time, the stuff that’s happening in the books is just as wild! My top three book club picks are My Sister, the Serial Killer, The Office of Historical Corrections, and Homegoing. Those are my heavy hitters.”
Thank you, Mbiye. We adore you! You can follow her on Instagram, if you’d like.
P.S. More week of outfits, including a graphic designer with the best denim-on-denim set, and a writer who’s over six feet.
(Photos by Maeva Komenan for Cup of Jo.)
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Tags: week of outfits
Comments
97 commentsCompletely inspiring! Love her sense of style and stumbling across rex for two of my fave things — books and podcasts :)
All time favorite style feature! Mbiye’s outfits are full of color and personality- so inspiring!
Mbiye, are you taking applications for new friends??? Your style is amazing and your vibe is gorgeous. I’m coping with my own mom’s terminal diagnosis right now and I very badly want to have a knitting circle/heart-to-heart/gossip session/clothing swap with you. <3
the shorts with shirt dress !! Pure Love !!
LOVE. You’re gorgeous Mbiye, inside and out!
So inspired. Thank you!!!
Oh man, I was reading this and felt myself start to smile. The radiant joy in Mbiye’s being is infectious! This post made my day<3
The photo in the yellow dress is perfection.
Love this post! I am a knitter, too, and every time I pick up my needles, I think of my grandma. She tried to teach me to knit when I was little, but it didn’t stick. I picked it up many years later and we were able to knit together a few times. She has been gone now for 20 years or so, but the memories of her knitting are always going to be there.
Her style is so beautiful and she has AMAZING taste. Also? I absolutely love to hear women say “I’m really good at what I do.” YES!!! own your brilliance and hard work! I wish her so much continued success
Stunning!!!
What an absolute queen. Love her style and voice. Can’t wait to check out the podcast!
hi mbiye! loved the pictures, especially the one with the yellow dress :) about the books: have you read “the girl with the louding voice”? it felt like it would be a good fit given your other recs and your general personality :) i absolutely LOVED it, it’s incredible. homegoing is one of my favourite books too, and i discovered recently that there’s a sequel to it, transcendent kingdom. i can’t wait to read it! xoxoxo
Hi Joana!! Thank you for the book recommendation. I loved Transcendent Kingdom, though I’ll warn you it’s not a sequel! It’s very different from Homegoing, but so so good!!
ahhh i had read it was a sequel, so i hadn’t gotten round to it yet because i would need to re-read homegoing, so thanks for letting me know! i can dive right in! :)
Just radiant with joy 🤩
Loved every bit of Mbiye!
This is objectively the coolest person in the universe at this moment.
Right?! Im sitting here like “oh that’s what happiness, confidence, looks like”
Oh you shine bright! I love your yellow dress and what you share about your mother, knitting, your work, reading. That photo of you reading is gold. Thanks for all that. Love from Paris
Yes! Yes! Yes! To knitting your own clothes to get them exactly how you want them. I also recommend sewing. Once you figure out what suits you, you only need to learn to make those items. It’s freeing! And my wardrobe is better than ever.
Whoah this yellow dress is so beautiful. She is so beautiful!
Mbiye, I love everything about this post, and I ran to follow you on Instagram so fast I left dust clouds behind me. Your clothes are so amazing (that jacket makes me want to curl up with a book and a cup of tea, and the dresses make me want to skip down the street), your smile even more so, and your words! The best. “I’m really good at what I do” is inspiring, and so is the way you knit to feel close to your mom. I love doing things that I know my grandparents loved, and things that my parents love, and I love thinking about the fact that my children will always be able to be able to feel just a little closer to me by doing things that I love, too. Thank you for this beautiful gift of a post.
((did a double-take))
“I’m really good at what I do.” How many of us ever actually say that out loud!?! Love it!!
Wow! Gorgeous and radiant! I feel viscerally inspired to dress with more … joy!
What a delightful human! I LOVE LOVE LOVE every inch of this post!
I can already feel that the color of those weathered blue clogs is going to stick in my head for a long, long time.
What a delight, thank you Mbiye!
In love with her confidence! “I’m really good at what I do.” “If I were to wear cutoffs without some layering, I would probably stop traffic.” May that glorious self-esteem be contagious…I know I could use a little! Mbiye, you’re awesome.
One of my favorites in a while! She has true style.
Good👍
Mbiye, I don’t think I have ever seen anyone so radiant! And what a wonderful way to connect with your mom. Thank you for this beautiful post.
Really refreshing to hear a young woman say about her work “I’m really good at my job”. Those pictures with the yellow dress are stunning!!
right? i thought that too, the idea of saying that about myself makes my palms sweat!
“I’m really good at what I do.” Yes!!!! Love it! Own it!
Came here to say exactly this! I love when people celebrate their strengths. Why not?
Wow! Love this week of outfit! The yellow dress!! With pockets!! I do not knit but I do crochet, either I will try to have my mom making the sleeveless sweater (love it too) , either I need to try to to crochet it :) !
Does anyone wear clogs like the ones pictured? How functional are they? I think they’re so cute but feel like my foot would slip around in them so much.
Hi Tracie! Mbiye here – your assessment is correct, they are slippy in the way that a lot of clogs are. I love clogs, so I deal with it, but I would actually recommend getting the ‘ultra blue’ Birkenstock Boston clogs over these.. more ergonomic, can be worn with socks, and a little less clunky than the ones I have.
It is 6:09am and this post made my day already. That smile! That style! And Mbiye’s easy-feeling confidence: “Being curvy, if I were to wear cutoffs without some layering, I would probably stop traffic.” Yesssss! The world needs more of this. Thank you!
All of those dresses on her are AMAZING. Mbiye shines, from the inside out!
Great post, great style, great dress, great attitude.
Love your style! Also “My Sister, the Serial Killer” is SO good!
Thanks for the nudge. I want to add more color to my wardrobe and found this post so inspiring. Also, I spy Deesha Philyaw. Brilliant!
What a gorgeous post! I love all the color and personality in both the clothes and the commentary! Here’s my question: what do you wear for boob support (if anything) with that adorable spaghetti strap dress? As someone who has aged into a fuller bust, I tend to shy away from thin straps because I need some support but am too old for an uncomfortable strapless bra. I’d love recommendations!
J W, I have to admit I don’t wear a bra at all 😭 if you’re wanting thin straps + boob support I would recommend layering with a little white t shirt so you can wear whatever bra you need to! I’m a 36 D for context. You could also do a longline “bandeau” style bra like this one – https://www.victoriassecret.com/us/vs/bras-catalog/5000010316?genericId=11265250&choice=33F6&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=PaidSearch&utm_campaign=VS;;BAU;Bras-PMAX;PMax;Purchase&utm_content=Bras;;&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20228155571&gbraid=0AAAAADvRVmH1EkUtWC_L3gjR3d15MRVDX&gclid=Cj0KCQjw79nUBhCgARIsADSHka1_rJvWRqVFcqVe9_ZRD3OQOqNBq_Z6jIbbtsf4qdchNWvfYkzZtcoaAvMhEALw_wcB
Thank you!!! I usually don’t wear a bra at all (I’m a 36 D for reference). I would recommend 1) layering your thin strapped dresses with a fitted white t shirt so you can wear whatever bra you need to 2) a longline bandeau bra (longline specifically so you have a little support/less sliding around) 3) sticky pasties just for nipple coverage Happy spaghetti strap wearing! X Mbiye
JW, I use the sticky bra from Cakes for a similar dress. It gives just enough support/ripple coverage that I feel ok in public.
Thank you so much for these recommendations! I went from a B to a (droopy) F cup after babies so I have felt a little lost in the world of the tiny straps. And I’m kicking myself for not wearing thin straps braless back in the day when I was blissfully unaware of boob chafing!
We have the same taste in books!! I need her other faves!!
Just finished an advanced copy of Deesha Philyaw’s upcoming novel and it’s GREAT (The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman) Other books I read and loved: The Wedding by Dorothy West, Sugar by Bernice McFadden, Leave Your Mess At Home by Tolani Akinola, Piglet by Lottie Hazel, Ms Tina Knowles’ Memoir, Ina Garten’s Memoir…
That photo with the yellow dress is exquisite!! Amazing inspiration as a fellow curvy girl <3
Thank you, Elizabeth!!
Mbiye, I imagine that a good percentage of the people that you meet in real life really wish they could be your friend. You have such an open and welcoming vibe! Thank you for the book reccs and the inspiration to wear more brights.
Wow top compliment, agree!
This is such a kind compliment Lisa! I really appreciate you saying this <3
Love it all, but especially that beautiful soft pink dress. It looks so flow-y yet elegant.
Graphic designer here. Mbiye—love your website and logo!!!!
We need her beauty uniform immediately!
I hope Mbiye’s mother can see that top she made, from somewhere out there in the beyond. It looks so good! How wonderful to have a way to feel connected to her. I usually don’t get excited for “week of outfit” posts, but I loved these picks and Mbiye’s commentary!
This made me tear up!! I’m so grateful to be connected to her through this hobby <3
Genius idea of wearing that shirt dress as a top! I cackled out loud at your comment that wearing cutoffs without layering would stop traffic. And heck yeah to wanting to connect with people over books in the same way that we connect over reality TV.
Hahaha listen, I have to be honest! The shirt dress is a great way to get the cut-offs feel without scandalizing any passerby ;)
Forget the cut offs: that super friendly smile would stop traffic all on its own!
Just stunning and delightful!
Ok, so I’m definitely not the only one who has a major friend crush on Mbiye! I kinda want to start a podcast just to hire her to produce it?!
Loveeeee her style! And her skin is GLOWING
Holy smokes Mbiye in the yellow dress is perfection!!!
the Luar bags are so cool!
I hope this doesn’t sound insensitive, but thank you for celebrating a curvy woman who wears shorts! I am working on the courage to show off my curvaceous thighs and want to wear shorts more often instead of hiding them under leggings or dresses. Seeing a woman with this much confidence is very inspiring!
Not insensitive at all, Katherine!! It took me a while to get here, but it’s so freeing! My new rule of thumb: don’t preemptively exclude yourself from any silhouette/cut :) Try everything, even if it’s just around the house, and you might be surprised!
I don’t read it as insensitive! I was married for a long time to a man who made body shaming comments about me, I’m curvy and getting stronger every day. I wear shorts and a swimsuit and dresses that show off my soft arms and shoulders. I saw that first photo of Mbiye and thought how beautiful her soft torso is—that’s one of my favorite features on myself and to celebrate in other women!
Oh Katherine! You can do it! I totally feel this sentiment and hadn’t worn shorts since I was probably a teenager. I’ve always struggled with body image. You couldn’t have paid me to wear shorts now in my early 40s but this Summer we went on a beach vacation and I really did not want to hide in dark leggings the whole time. I purchased a bunch of cute pull-on shorts and went for it (and received compliments!). Now I am obsessed and feel so darn free. I know it’s easier said than done but hopefully you can find styles that make you feel comfortable and yourself. Good luck!
this lady is so joyful and has a gorgeous sense of style!
damn, that yellow dress is perfection. and a great smile never hurts.
“I’m really good at what I do” stopped me in my tracks. I get so much shit from people in my life when I assert this about myself and my work. I LOVE seeing someone say this so factually. Women aren’t encouraged to embrace this about themselves, I think we are supposed to seem humble or something? But sometimes, it is a cold hard fact. You kick butt, Mbiye. This was such a lift to read today!
You’re so kind, Summer!! Thank you ❤️
Me too!! That line in particular was such a joy to read!
I’m a Naked Beauty podcast listener! Mibye has a cool style that exudes confidence. The green and white Doen dress looks amazing on Mbiye. She’s also holding one of my favorite books!
Omg yes!!! Naked Beauty fam 🫂 thank you so much, Chris!
Mbiye’s smile and confidence are infectious! The yellow outfit is amazing, and that final dress is fresh spring personified
You can feel the joy radiating from the photos!! Loved this week of outfits 💚
Love the bold color and bold confidence. Wishing for more of that for myself!
My husband used to work with Mbiye. She is a delight! So funny, so chic! Happy to see her on my favorite blog.
Oh my gosh! What a small world I love that! x
Omg JoJo hi!!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️
That smile, those colors, the confidence, reading dates alone (LOVE!), the unabashed enthusiasm she has for her very OWN SELF. May we all aspire to these qualities in ourselves. She is joy, incarnate. :)
I loved My Sister The Serial Killer! Such a toxic relationship. I could not look away!
Same! It’s such a nail biter!!!
This one is so good! Mbiye’s style and energy is fantastic! I’m going to try to start my day by telling myself, “I’m really good at what I do!” I am! And I forget sometimes.
Thank you so much, Elizabeth!! I may or may not have a post it note on my mirror with the affirmation. Sometimes you just need a reminder 😂❤️
Love everything about this article and Mbiye, and also love that knitting is a way to feel close to mom ❤️
What a Beautiful Woman! That smile!! Great style too!!
Your knitted ‘going out’ top came out so well! You are a wonderful dresser and congratulations on opening an agency.
This post is an inspiration! Her style is so comfy but neat! #goals
Mbiye is style goals!