What's in a name?

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." - William Shakespeare-

William Shakespeare has told no greater truth, but I beg to differ when it comes to blog titles. In this ever-expanding "bloggersphere" one has to have a blog title that is relevant, yet as catchy as Psy's Gangnam Style. There is nothing worse than a misconstrued blog title - a friend of mine can relate. He opted for the rhyming couplet kind of  blog title and had many a raised eyebrow whenever he mentioned it, as we all thought it pertained to content of a sexual nature. Nevertheless it was quite an informative blog.

So I opted for a play on the letter A...well because my names start with the letter A and because all good things are associated with the letter A. It was not just a trivial play on the first letter of the alphabet, though. Let me dissect it for you. It's time you knew the story behind the name.

"Straight-A's & A-cups: the pursuit of wisdom and style by a petite lady."
The 'Straight-As'- this has nothing to do with the state of my academia. This is about approaching every aspect of my life with a sense of dedication, attention to detail and doing nothing mindlessly. It embodies my constant pursuit of wisdom as I grow. In school when you get straight As, everyone looks to you for answers, everyone wants you to share study tips with them and some just want to copy your work. In pursuing wisdom, the former is the effect I want to create - I hope one day I can lead by example and have young girls look up to me for the work I have done. It is about not stopping until you reach the top. It is about just. Getting. It. Right. (in all aspects of one's life)

The A-cups - I am a petite girl. I am an a-cup. Nothing bounces when I run on the treadmill. I guess the great thing about this is that the opposite sex can actually focus on what I am saying when I am talking. I do not wish for implants, as I am very comfortable with my size. Many women feel restricted with regards to what they can and cannot wear because of their bodies. Whether it be a small chest, voluptuous hips or skinny legs, most women feel the need to hide their imperfections under the veneer of 'dressing for comfort.' I do not. Not because I think my body is immaculate or that I am above any fashion rules, but because I understand my body. I understand that the proportions of my body are correct and that having a bigger chest would only make me look like a Photoshopped Nicole Scherzinger - out of proportion and unrealistic. I wear bustiers and boob-tubes and have dabbled in the side-boob trend once or twice and I did not look a fool - quite the opposite actually.

You see, what I am trying to push with this is that when it comes to the female form, it is not about what you don't have, but it is about enhancing what you do have and making it work for you. If I allowed myself to be owned by any perceived body flaws, I would not be able to holistically appreciate fashion the way I do now. 
Besides, there would be no space for this big heart if I were anything more than a 32A.

Now you know ;-)

Avathe

 

DIY Denim**

I have had this pair of Levi's jeans for a while now, but I very seldom wear them, so I decided it is time for a few changes. I am a fan of the distressed denim look and figured that the only way for me to start wearing these Levi's jeans on a more regular basis is if I did something about their banal nature. Enter my DIY skills...

BEFORE:

                                         Plain blue Levi's jeans with a turn-up.

THE PROCESS:

 A pair of sharp cosmetic scissors, a sheet of sandpaper, a safety pin and a Minora blade all contribute a bit of magic to the process of ripping, shredding and pulling the threads.

Persistence is key when using sandpaper, as you need to sand down the jeans for a while before you actually start seeing a change, watching each layer coming off merely as fluff.

The Minora blade requires a steady and gentle approach. Going in as you would with a pair of scissors to paper will result in an unflattering rip and fingers full of plasters - these babies are SHARP!

I took a picture from every angle just to make sure it looks good from all angles and not "in-your-face-unflattering-DIY" and I'm pretty satisfied with the outcome.

AFTER:

 

 

 Before I got started I put the pair of jeans on to mark where I want the rips to be. This is strongly advised, as simply distressing by estimation could lead to tares in wrong and inappropriate places. Below, I got the thigh tare in the correct place; not too high and not just above my knee. Above, the knee tare is accurate, as the desired effect has been achieved - the "knee-bend" effect.

 From a side view, there are no flapping pieces of denim, which would give away the DIY-ness of the look.

 

 

"Print-cess" - Get the look**

I absolutely love prints, graphics and different textures. My cupboard is PACKED with printed garments from dresses to animal print sweaters (which my friends have affectionately mocked) to crop-tops to headscarves.

Honestly, this is one of the reasons why I love summer so much - it allows me to explore the respective African and Asian cultures and to play with colour and various light fabrics.

What I usually do with my printed items, though, is to wear only one of them in a given ensemble for the day, thus making it the star of the show, but what I have recently discovered in one of my favourite fashion glossies, ELLE magazine, is that mixing it all up makes for a beautiful summer cocktail.

Even better for me, when I read further I came to the realisation that what I consider to be my key ingredient when I style myself is what this magazine deemed the best way to don this look and that my fellow readers, is this: "SIMPLICITY is the ultimate sophistication." I never want to look like I've put in too much effort into an outfit, so I always opt for minimalist styling and I steer clear of that "matchy-matchy" mess.

This is exactly the advice that the October issue of the Elle magazine provided its readers with - when mixing prints & graphics you can go explore quite a bit, but when it comes to styling (your hair, for example), minimalism will definitely work in your favour. I haven't thought of the right prints to mix together just yet, but this is how I have worn them thus fur:

 Featuring the classic white shirt (Canterbury), here. This is a dress I bought from a little store called Catacombes in Kalk Bay 3yrs ago and I can still rock it in so many ways. This was a winter look, so I paired it with these Melissa boots and chunky Marks & Spencers tights.

 This is a scarf I got from the ELLE magazine about two issues ago. Paired here with just a touch of pink lippie and a pair of cat-eye sunnies.

 

*"print-cess" term adopted from ELLE

Style Icon**

Solange Knowles - my ultimate STYLE ICON from her hair to her heels!! The reason I fell in love with prints and box-braids. Everything just works on her. Her video for "Losing You", which she shot in South Africa last year has got to be one of the most fashion fuelled I have seen in a while. What is in those Knowles [jeans]?! (yeah, I know...genes.)

Spot the difference, LOL :)

 

 

But seriously, here's a look at some of my favourite Solange looks:

 

 

A splash of colour**

Tis the season to mix trends and this includes mixing your neons with prints. I think we all agree that animal print is here to stay and one way to make it work for you during spring is by adding colour (just one colour, though).

By doing so, you give this kind of print more of a playful edge, which is more fitting for the spring/summer seasons. It is very easy to be more on the tacky side when channelling this look, so simplicity is key here.

Below, I opted for a Forever New neckpiece to be the (neon) splash of colour against an animal print top - giving an unexpected element, but trying not to overwhelm anyone looking at my chest area.

#GetTheLook

 

Loooong overDUe!!**

 

A few things that caught my eye

at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival waaay back in July.

From shoes to clocks to mirrors to a dying iPad battery :(

I love pretty things!

 

 

 

 Simplicity: oxford brogues and dark denim. Thumbs up!

 

 Beaded Tommy takkies that Xhosa women wear with their traditional attire.

A vintage shoe shelf including current shoe trends, such as toe-cap heels.

Tea time!

Time is money.

Vintage finds3**

Grandma's closet: The stylish gene runs in my family, so it came as no surprise to me when I came across this jacket in my gran's closet. I fell in love with it, asked her if I could have it and she had no objections. It needs a minor alteration and some dry cleaning, though. I can not wait to wear it out.

#LeatherPanels #Chiffonbomber

 

What I wore**

#Fur #redsoles #backless #vintageclutch #SissyBoy #Cateyes