African prints on the rise..

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.




Faeeza Khan R700










Check BBM..

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

Laid back Vintage feel.

Palazzo pants are back, lord help us...lol.

They actually don't look bad once you find a pair that works for you. I love bell bottom, palazzo style pant, they are feminine and flattering. Worn correctly palazzo pants can be classy and sexy. The best way I have seen wide legged pants being worn is in black with a tucked crisp white shirt and a leather  biker jacket..salivating..

Hand me the turban..

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. The turban brings effortless chic to any look...whether you are wearing a dress, jeans, or a shorts.

My phylosophy when it comes to turbans is the brighter and bolder the scarf the bettter.

In this look I wore one of my favourite dresses, the material makes it appear as if your body does not have a single imperfection. The colour is quite gloriously yellow. My turban is printed in black hearts and is really a lot less bolder than the dress but I feel works well with it. 

The dress is from Zara, the black sling bag is Aldo and the lovely scarf worn as a turban is Mr Price.

BRAVO MARIE CLAIRE

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

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.  

Blue hearts

This is what I wore to Saturday brunch..

My mom bought this dress for me at Melts. I was a little unsure at first about it. It is floor leghnth, and loose fitting with a floral print pattern.

I wore the dress with flats and a blue hat. This hat is from Mr price and is perfect for a sunny lazy afternoons.

About the outfit:
- Dress- Melts
- Sling bag- Woolworths
- Hat- Mr Price