A Week of Outfits: Dr. Shirlene Obuobi

“I’m over here writing romance, which is a genre that has been looked down on for dumb reasons, most of them rooted in misogyny,” says Shirlene Obuobi, whose second novel, Between Friends and Lovers, came out last week. When she’s not writing, Shirlene works as a cardiologist (!) in Providence and draws cartoons. Here, she shares five colorful looks and tells us about writing sex scenes…

Dress: Boutique Bronzeville, similar. Sunglasses: Amazon, similar. Earrings: Jess a Little Shop.

“Only 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’m going to stand out anyway, so I might as well wear what I like.”

Dress: thrifted, similar. Sweater: thrifted, similar. Bandana: Beauty Supply, similar. Sneakers: Brooks. Bag: Aspinal of London, similar.

“When 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.”

“I wrote my first novel 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’m usually drawing or writing. Those are my major stress relievers.”

Two-piece set: ÖFUURË. Heels: Nordstrom Rack, similar. Hoops: similar. Purse: Brandon Blackwood.

“When I started writing Between Friends and Lovers, I knew that it was going to be steamier than my first book. So much of the protagonist’s development is about learning to trust, and sex is a significant part of that for her. She doesn’t have issues with exploring her body – she’s like, ‘I have a vibrator that gets me off just fine’ – 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’m like, ‘Oh, maybe this would actually be more true to her.’ You can tell so much about characters from how they have sex.”

“I found ÖFUURË online several years ago. The style of print is called Ankara, which is a kind of African wax print. I’m Ghanaian-American, and I love how designers in the diaspora are using traditional fabrics in pieces with contemporary cuts.”

Cut-offs: thrifted, similar. Jacket: Kaiju66. T-shirt: similar. Sneakers: “Nike Air Max 90 — Chicago City Special,” sold out, but available from resellers. Sunglasses: similar. Hoops: Amazon.

“I’m 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: ‘Bad bitches have bad days, too,’ and ‘People say I’m way too full of myself, you right, and I haven’t even made it to dessert.’ I bought this T-shirt at her concert.”

“Many people will see this bomber and just think, That’s a very loud jacket. But a few will recognize it as the jacket of a beloved anime character. I’ve loved anime since I was a kid.”

Blazer: similar. Dress: Never Fully Dressed, thrifted from ThredUp. Flats: Rothy’s. Peach earrings: similar.

“I have this joke — but it’s also real — that if I’m reading a book written by a man and he describes a woman’s breasts, especially as a way to introduce a character, I just stop reading. They’re always teardrop-shaped boobs!”

“My friend came over to my apartment the other day and was like, ‘You have a lot of fruit earrings.’ 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’m not a huge sneakerhead, but my friends are slowly dragging me in that direction, and my younger patients definitely notice.”

“I have an amazing mentor who has been a trailblazer for women’s 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’t 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’s wearing some wild, colorful number — not what you’re ‘supposed to’ wear — and I love it.”

Thank you so much for being you, Shirlene!

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

(Photos by Sarah Petrarca for Cup of Jo.)