“I write romance, and romance is a genre that has been derided for stupid reasons, most of which are rooted in misogyny,” she says. Charlene ObuobiThe second novel of Between friends and loverswas published last week. When she’s not writing, Charlene works as a cardiologist in Providence. Draw mangaHere, she shares five colorful looks and talks about writing sex scenes…
dress: Bronzeville Boutique, resembleSunglasses: Amazon, resembleEarrings: Jess a Little Shop.
“Only 13 percent of cardiologists are women and only 4 percent are black. In medical school, I felt that if I dressed in a very feminine way, I would be seen as less serious than my male classmates. But when I became a cardiologist, You’re going to stand out anyway, so wear what you like.”
Dress: Used, resembleSweater: Used, resembleBandana: Beauty products, resemblesneakers: BrooksBag: Aspinal of London, resemble.
“When I finished my medical training, I realized I had no style, but I wanted one. I hired a stylist to take me to Nordstrom for an afternoon. Her services were expensive, but worth it. She taught me how to extract color from patterned clothes to create a cohesive outfit. Now my closet is full of color and I rarely wear black.”
“I wrote My first novel “At the height of the pandemic, I was in the hospital seeing horrific scenes, feeling exhausted and scared, and escaping by writing fiction. Whenever I have free time, I usually draw or write. It’s my main way of relieving stress.”
2-piece set: OphureHeels: Nordstrom Rack, resemble.Hoop: resemble. wallet: Brandon Blackwood.
“When I started writing Between friends and loversI knew it would be steamier My First BookA big part of a protagonist’s development is learning to trust, and sex is a big part of that for her. She’s comfortable exploring her own body — she says, “I have a vibrator that gives me enough orgasms.” But being sexually open with someone else is different. I edit sex scenes a lot, because as I write the book, I learn more about the characters and I think, ‘Oh, maybe this is truer to her.’ You can tell a lot about a character from how they have sex.”
“I found Ophure “I bought it online a few years ago. This style of print is called Ankara, a type of African wax print. I’m Ghanaian-American and I love when designers living abroad use traditional fabrics with contemporary cuts in their work.”
Cutoff: Recycle, resemblejacket: Kaiju 66T-shirt: resembleSneakers: The Nike Air Max 90 Chicago City Special is sold out, Available from resellerssunglasses: resemble.Hoop: Amazon.
“I’m obsessed with Megan Thee Stallion. So much so that I dedicated my second book to her. She’s unashamedly sexy and makes no secret of her mental health issues. Two of my favorite lyrics are, ‘Even bad girls have bad days’ and ‘They say I’m too self-satisfied, but yeah, I haven’t even had dessert yet.’ I bought this t-shirt at one of her concerts.”
“Many people saw this bomber and It’s a very flashy jacket“But a few people might recognise this as the jacket of their favourite anime character. I’ve loved anime since I was a kid.”
blazer: resemble.Dress: Never fully dressedpurchased from ThredUp. Flats: Rothy’s. Peach Earrings: resemble.
“I have a joke here, but it’s true too: if I’m reading a book written by a man and it describes a woman’s breasts, especially as a character introduction, I stop reading. I always have teardrop-shaped breasts!”
“A friend came into my apartment the other day and said, ‘You’re wearing a lot of fruit earrings.’ I think as a physician, wearing peach earrings or something like Air Jordans makes you feel more human and connected to your patients. I’m not a big sneaker fanatic, but my friends are slowly pulling me in that direction, and my younger patients are definitely noticing it.”
“I have an amazing mentor who has been a pioneer in women’s heart health. When she was growing up, diseases that disproportionately affect women were being downplayed, but she understood that it was real. Her work wasn’t respected for a long time. She solidified my belief that blazing new trails is a good thing. Plus, every time I see her at a conference, she’s wearing loud, colorful clothes, which is not what you “should” wear, but I love it.”
Thank you so much for being you. Charlene!
P.S. Even more people are sharing their week’s worth of outfits, including a petite songwriter who discovered the secret to dressing to flatter her curves, and a Manhattan woman who shares five great office looks.
(Photo credit: Sarah Petrarca For the Cup of Joe.
Source: Cup of Jo – cupofjo.com
