Life.Fashion.

MEN..ALL WRAPPED UP!

2012-08-22T20:49:00.000+02:00

The head wrap for men is right on trend according to the Sartorialist and Karl Lagerfeld!

This has led me to wonder; are men more audacious when it comes to fashion?

The hip hop era brought with it the infamous bandana; men wore it as a head wrap in different fashions.

I wonder if this bandana era laid the foundation for the modern man who does not care much for Snoop, but wears the head wrap which some sort of attitude.

The Indian, Kenyan and Pakistani men have been wearing the head wrap for years; they also have had a great influence in today's turban fashion.

Street style via the Sartorialist

Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld

THE PEPLUM DRESS!

2012-08-21T19:50:00.002+02:00

Look for the woman in the dress. If there is no woman, there is no dress.- CC

SPRING IN MY STEP!!!

2012-08-19T15:16:00.000+02:00

Despite the chill in the air, Spring is without a doubt here. I am over winter and I'm equally over pastels. Time to brighten it up ladies!!

Victoria Beckham

2012-08-12T15:28:00.001+02:00

The stunning reasons why Vicky B is a respected international fashion designer.. I love everything.

The signature wrap around belt that we are crazy about..

Body con dresses to die for..

Salivating?.. You are not alone!

You can buy her on net-a-poter.com or locally at Studio8.

GRAZIA SA..

2012-08-10T20:33:00.000+02:00

When I first saw Grazia SA on the magazine stands, the cover plastered with a glossy photo of Jenifer Lopez, I thought "Oh no, another gossip magazine".

They (Grazians) call themselves a fashion and news weekly; so driven only by the word "fashion" in that statement, I bought a copy...and every other weekly copy since then..

I, like many frown upon gossip/ celebrity news magazines because I feel I am an intelligent woman who wants to be stimulated and inspired by the magazine I read, and should not be patronized or underestimated.

I have little interest in the lives of "celebrities", with that said I do have a healthy appetite for the highlights of who wore what and who did what scandalous thing in tinsel town.

Grazia is quite classy; with an acceptable amount of gossip, and a whole lot of fashion in a bite size offering, making it easy for me to part with my R20.

You can expect updates on the latest fashion trends, exactly where to buy the trends and some very impressive fashion spreads with local fashion.

If you are a fashion lover, but don't have the time to go through pages and pages of thick maga-books because you actually have a life?..then Grazia is for you. Short and sweet. The best thing in SA since Glamour. Visit the fab team at http://www.graziadaily.co.za/ and get your copy every Friday.

HAPPINESS IN A DRESS..

2012-08-05T12:52:00.001+02:00

Easy like a Sunday morning..

Elle loves being a woman..

2012-08-04T21:11:00.000+02:00

The JHB Elle I am women event took place today at the ever so stylish Summer place. This event was filled with chic and absolute beauty; our glasses flowed with wine, whilst the water fountain oozed magnificence from every drop of water. I am women, was all about the modern women; beauty, fashion, love, botox were among the hot topics discussed by the amazing women in attendance. The theme of the day was that every women has the birth right to look and feel beautiful.. The day was a a resounding success not only because of the fabulous fashion, magnificent venue and the coveted goodie bag, but because this was an event by women for women and for the advancement of women. .

My friends and I ate, drank, laughed and learnt. . . Fashion, wine and botox proved to be a fabulous combo; leaving us spectacularly impressed by the Elle team.

TOPSHOP IN SA

2012-08-01T10:27:00.002+02:00

TOPSHOP, the famous and fabulous high street British retail store is opening in SA in November. YaY!

EDCON together with House of Busby has been granted the South African franchise rights for TOPSHOP and TOPMAM.

So what does this mean for the local fashion industry? The rules of demand and supply should apply. The greater variety and supply in the market will push the prices down. . more retailers will competing for the same market.
This is of course good news for the consumer but questions must be asked about how this will affect local production.

Unfortunately whilst I can now buy Zara and TOPSHOP locally at somewhat reasonable prices, the local producers of fashion who can't afford to lower their prices and still make a profit may suffer. .
On the bright side; soon we can dress like the Duchess of Cambridge who has been spotted many times rocking TOPSHOP. YAY again!

The Turban!

2012-07-28T16:18:00.001+02:00

The turban, still my favorite fashion piece of all time closely followed by the stiletto. My love for the turban is due to a combination of nostalgia brought on by the images of my grandmother in a turban and the undeniable vogue effect this head piece brings.

I probably blog about the turban more than any other piece of clothing..Practicing the same ritual of tying a turban just perfectly as done by many women in my family generations before me gives me a sense of tradition..

Style I love..

2012-07-25T11:46:00.003+02:00

Horizontal stripes..If you dare!

2012-07-22T14:58:00.000+02:00

10 Things I Want To Say To A Black Woman - Joshua Bennett

2012-07-21T21:52:00.000+02:00

This made me teary. Please watch, its amazing.

Getting cosy with Mabree..

2012-07-20T13:47:00.000+02:00

These photos were taken with a phone camera so the quality is not great, but I just had to share.

I just sound better when I smile whilst I sing..

Runway fashion for the streets..

2012-07-19T14:14:00.000+02:00

KLUK CGDT..@ 36 BOUTIQUES

R3, 300

I love this shirt!

R1,900

THULA SINDI @ 36 BOUTIQUES

R1,199

R899

Real Style..for less..

2012-07-18T20:56:00.000+02:00

There is nothing I love more than a bargain; getting a fabulous item at a reduced price makes me happy..yes I said it..happy! I'll share with you some great outfits from my favorite stores at less than R500.

Real Style for less will be a regular feature on this page.

Lets reinvent our wardrobes together without going deep into our pockets.

OUTFIT #1

I usually start an outfit with shoes, and then build it up from there.

The perfect wedge..R215

ZOOM Wedge @ 36 Boutiques.com

Draped in Black..R283

Black Dress @ Diligo.co.za

Total cost= R498

OUTFIT #2

Office Etiquette.

The office heel in camel..R199

Utopia @ Zando.co.za

Do you love vintage?

This previously owned dress is going for R60..really!

Pink office dress @ iheartvintage.co.za

Total Cost= R260

Braided Bliss

2012-07-16T19:25:00.001+02:00

Shoegasm

2012-07-14T21:59:00.000+02:00

GREAT MAGAZINE COVERS

2012-07-12T19:39:00.000+02:00

A good cover makes the magazine..ok content is important too. But a great cover will get me to buy a magazine I would otherwise never read. An amazing cover is art. Period.

Style Crush..

2012-07-11T22:57:00.001+02:00

I am not one for obsessing over celebrities. I enjoy the occasional who wore what dish on Grazzia, and that's about it. But I am obsessed with Solange Knowles style. Unapologetic, fearless, in your face and oh so ladylike. I love it. She makes me wanna grow a fro.

African prints on the rise..

2012-07-07T22:54:00.000+02:00

If you have been following any kind of fashion news lately, you may have noticed the rise of the African print. From Sishweshwe to animal to tribal, all these prints have been making big waves on the run way. This is not a knew trend at all; our very own Bongiwe Walaza has been doing the sishweshwe print for years, it is her signature look. The animal print has been in and out of "fashion" over the years, some like myself believe it to be a classic.
So if you are worried about looking like your mother when you wear the tribal look, fear not fashionable one; the trick here is to be suttle, simple and classy. So think less animal print from head to toe, and more just animal print shoes with a black dress, and think more crisp white shirt with a sishweshwe skirt.
Michael Kors and Burburry are on the African print band wagon, but our local designers are leading the way with modern, clean, don't look like anybody's mother cuts. Faeeza Khan and Loin Cloth and Ashes are pulling off this trend effortlessly.
I can understand if you are feeling a bit skeptical about spending R800 on a Faeezakhan sishweshwe skirt, after all how long do these trends last anyway. My advise is; this look is one of those classics and can easily be made into a personal style than just another fashion trend, therefore your money will not be lost.
If you are still not sold, then I suggest you remake your old sishweshwe (or your mother's) into a mordern design and give it a try.

Loin Cloth and Ashes- R800

Faeeza Khan R700

Loin Cloth and Ashes- R1100

Burberry Potassium 2012

Check BBM..

2012-06-14T18:55:00.000+02:00

I had lunch with a friend I hadn't seen for a while. After 2 hours of greatness, we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. Almost immediately I reached for my BB and I put up a status update: “Thanks for lunch, had a gr8 time *bbm kiss*” I did this, even though I had already told her what a wonderful time I had just minutes before. I was surprised at the incessant need I seem to have to share every great moment with everyone. It turns out I am not the only one with this affliction; minutes after my departure my friend also put a bbm update about lunch. LOL.

On a daily basis I subject my friends on BBM with daily updates of my life from a great cup of coffee to a the horrible Jo'burg traffic, most times accompanied by photos. Where is this need to journal and share mundane details of our lives with everyone coming from? My need to document my life began in high school when I started keeping a journal. I soon realized in Varsity that if something is private, do not plaster it on a book that you leave unlocked in a room shared by 3 girls. So I dumped dear diary and kept my feelings to myself.

Then came social media; this is a different kind of documenting. This is almost like writing an article about an hour or two of your life to be viewed by all 300 of your “friends”; therefore everything said is neat, cute and tied in a bow. If you are to post photos, only the ones that resemble a younger Naomi will do. Social media is really there to show everyone how fabulous your life is; Lunch at Tashas! Just bought a new pair of shoes-(have got to kick this addiction); Beautiful flowers from BF-(look how great my life is). It’s all superficial; it may all be real but our lives are not an episode of sex and the city all the time. Truth is no one wants to put something real on a social network; no one shares the pain of a cheating boyfriend, or the shame of sinking into debt or what an ill advised plan it was to have 4 kids.

I’m not bothered by all the sharing whether factual or fiction. When something great happens sometimes you just want confirmation; you want someone else to say “Wow that is wonderful!” What we put on these updates is reflections of what we wish our lives were; what we are striving for. Lots of shopping, a great relationship with God, a perfect partner who surprises us with weekends away and cute lunches drinking cocktails with great friends. Maybe if we pretend long enough, one day we will have all these things... in that order. Good luck with that!

Palazzo Prints

2012-05-01T19:08:00.001+02:00

Laid back Vintage.

Hand me the turban..

2012-04-07T19:41:00.000+02:00

The turban is still my favorite head gear. Luckily for me, its still hot for autumn and winter 2012. Its especially useful for those damn bad hair days.

BRAVO MARIE CLAIRE

2012-04-01T22:53:00.001+02:00

I don't usually buy Marie Claire. I often debate whether they cater to my needs. This month I caught a glimpse of their fab cover of Angelina Jolie and I just had to have it. This purchase was purely based on Angie and nothing else. I rushed home to start reading; I flipped through the pages looking for the Jolie article. I was struck and pleasantly surprised by the article on modern day Sangomas. This is a topic that we all avoid, mostly because we don't understand Sangomas and frankly the entire thing makes us uncomfortable. I say bravo MC for starting the conversation about the tricky topics and really for showing that you care about the African girl's issues. Still smiling from ear to ear over the Sangoma article, then bang..the most fabulous androgynous face ever gracing the fashion spread. This glorious face reminded me so much of Grace Jones. A dark skinned mannish beauty that made me wish I were a boy. Who is she? Well her name is Selena Ayala, and she is far from mannish, infact she is quite gorgeous in a very girly way. That made me really appreciate how wonderful a job the team did (photographer, make up and stylist) on this shoot. I couldn't get you the wonderful boyish photos; see MC April issue please.

BAD SERVICE AT ZARA

2012-03-31T09:37:00.000+02:00

Zara JHB is one of the saving graces of fashion. A cute dress here and a boy-friend blazer there, at somewhat reasonable prices keep me going back.

However the shop assistants at Zara are the most sour and morose bunch I have come cross in a while.

If it’s not the snooty gate keeper at the fitting rooms unable to even say hello, his interest only on scanning the clothes and keeping you behind the line; then it’s the sulky walk around-s whom I thought were there to be my personal shopper, however I soon realized how wrong I was when a request for a different size led to a gloomy shop girl dragging herself across the store as though the sound of her shoes were reminding me how much they didn't need my money.

What a pity and a shame because I really like Zara. But the clothes aren’t worth the abuse of the fitting room assistant shouting at you to stay behind the line. I may be a bit sensitive but If I am spending my money I damn well deserve some respect.