DIY Styling.

 I love how traditional weddings have now given us scope to play around with African prints in a way we never have before. Whether Xhosa, Zulu, Mosotho or Vhenda, we're all starting to embrace African fashion unapologetically.

But as a Xhosa girl, I must say I am ashamed to admit that I do not own umbhaco (Xhosa traditional attire). I unfortunately did not manage to make time to go and get umbhaco made for me for the traditional wedding last weekend. However, I'm a woman with a plan. I just felt that I had worn my other traditional ensembles one too many times - you can't repeat distinct prints such as those of my traditional outfits more than once for big events. 

So on the morning of the traditional wedding (can you believe it? I went to bed having no idea what I am going to wear to an entire wedding the next day) I went to a boutique in East London that stocks an array of South African designers' clothing and looked for a doek with the most vibrant print. I found a doek from the PlusFab range, which does not cater clothing for people my size, so I bought a doek. I got home and started playing around with the fabric, wrapping it around my a-cups in various styles until a stroke of genius in me created the off-shoulder crop top you see here, held together by safety pins for the day. I complemented the new creation with this Miss Port (Craig Port) ruffle tulle skirt and Ronald Sassoon platforms. I must say it was quite a crowd pleaser even on my instagram. 

And that, fellow stylistas, is part 3 of my 3 part wedding review posts. Hope you enjoyed them as much as I enjoyed the wedding festivities.

Let me know if you would be interested in a tutorial on how to make this crop top or one like it.

Summer (I) Do's.

The thing about garden weddings is that wearing a pair of 6-inch heels comes with constantly having to drag a foot of the grass every 2 minutes. I call it compromised slayage. If you really can't stand it, though (see what I did there), you can always opt for a pair of block heels or if block heels are not to your taste, you can get yourself a set of tip protectors, which are little plastic stoppers you attach to the tip of your heels and they offer better support for grassy or sandy situations.

Cav the zip details.

Sidebar: I was dressed in Forever New from head to toe (well not toe exactly - shoes are from Luella). 

Anyway, my other point is that you can wear a touch of white to a wedding as long as it is done tastefully and respectfully to the bride. And that's exactly what I did by wearing ink navy and white. I love my nautical colours and I always complement them with a red lippie. 

I also chose to show skin in all the right places - a little peek of my midriff and a whooole lot of coconut oiled up legs when I sit.

 Summer weddings also demand a good pair of sunnies - you have to pull out your best pair. Here, I'm wearing my DA Infinity Projects mirror sunglasses and my sister is doing the most in her Miu Miu cat eyes.

 Another Forever New stunner below paired with baby pink Christian Louboutins because a monochrome do never disappoints.

All pictures taken on my iPhone; hence the unfortunate shadows.

Marriage Material.

I absolutely love weddings! Anyone who follows me on social media knows this. I don't subscribe to the hopeless romantic title, but signing the rest of your life away to someone you don't see yourself unloving ever and throwing a bit of a party to let your friends, family and crusty exes know is my kind of lavish romance...well at least just the wedding day/s. 

Besides the cute cupcakes, the rose petal confetti and the wedding singers who cover John Legend hits, what I love about weddings is, of course, the opportunity to dress up in the day time (Lord knows those have been rare for a student in Grahamstown) and my excitement over any bride's dream wedding gown. 

So when I headline this post "Marriage material", best believe it has nothing to do with the patriarchal standards imposed on women for the benefit of overgrown mommy's boys, but everything to do with the material used to make a well-designed, well-tailored bridal gown that graced the white carpet recently.

So I just thought I should share my favourite style moments (in this post and the next 2 to follow) from the wedding I attended at the East London Golf Club about a week ago. 

Let me tell ya'll - I was star struck by the bride's flawlessly designed wedding gown. It was a mermaid, off-shoulder dress, gracefully sprinkled with pearls and sequins. The pearl details were quite reminiscent of icicles, but beautifully so.

After all the jovial chatter and photo op hustle of the day I managed to find out that the designer of the dress is Orapeleng Modutle, who has dressed the likes of Nomzamo Mbatha and Bonang Matheba.

Photos courtesy of Full Circle Photography. 

Fashion Without a Face

The confident, ever dressed up Afika the streets know now was not always so sure of herself. 

In a world that praises light skin, straight hair, a slender frame and good brains, you would think I, possessing all the aforementioned, would have been the most confident and even arrogant girl you could ever come across, but somewhere between girls’ schools and a magazine collection, I became cripplingly unsure of myself. 

Fashion, which is often deemed as shallow and elitist, became my saving grace. I used it as a distraction away from what I thought was my ugly face and as a means to draw in compliments somehow. 

I nurtured this habit through magazines, regular visits to the mall as well as fashion blogs. This mini fashion film therefore takes you through the journey of choosing an outfit daily, confronting the fear of your own face and ultimately leaving to go about your daily business. 

This is called “Fashion without a Face” because in the piece, you barely see Afika’s face – a symbol for how I previously used to hide behind my high vogue proficiency. 

When you do momentarily see her face in the video, it’s hidden behind sunglasses and various shades of paint – a symbol for the contradiction of shyness and colourful humour that I have. 

At the beginning of the piece, there is the hook of the Little Dragon song, Pretty Girls, quoted in cursive. This is sort of a daily note-to-self for me, as someone who battled with confidence even though she had/has dreams of one day being a household name for whatever reason. 

Now confident, self-loving/affirming and wiser, I am still crazy about fashion in all its colour, exclusivity and expensive character.

Festival casual part 2**

There are days during the National Arts Festival when the sun decides to make a guest appearance in town. This is a little winter sunshine that is appreciated by all festival goers. It's tricky finding the perfect winter/summer balance on days like this, though. You want to pull out those booty shorts that have now become as useful as a Tyga album in the music industry, but you know by 5pm warmth will be merely a myth.

This is why on such a day I was just happy to not have to layer like an onion. I kept it simple in an all black ensemble accompanied by a statement blazer - the ultimate daywear cheat. 

During the day someone made a comment about how "tomboyish" my outfit was and that sparked a conversation about the unlearning of such terms. The unlearning is necessary because gender binaries in clothing are imposed on us from childhood and when we seem to somewhat deviate from said binaries, our choice is misconstrued as a symbol of our sexuality rather than simply a sartorial decision, which is exactly what this was on this particular day. 

Enter gender neutral fashion, which in itself is still a difficult term for some to grapple with because of its connotations to sexuality. I can't speak for everyone, but I appreciate it from a fashion perspective rather than an actual position on the gender spectrum because that isn't for anyone to define other than the individual. 

We shouldn't have to call Jaden Smith a "carefree black boy" when he dons a skirt with all the class in the world for a Louis Vuitton campaign. Kid Cudi and Kanye West have both worn crop tops before and their masculinity remained in tact after the American tabloid furores.

As I always say; fashion is how you say this is who I am today. So on some days I'm a black Barbie doll in a mini skirt and stockings and on others I'll be that laid back girl in loafers and yes, "boyfriend" jeans. 

I think it's important to challenge fashion norms you feel uncomfortable with. Like why has the label "boyfriend" been attached to our loose fitting clothes? Why is it called a "man bag" rather than just a handbag when it's for men? Perhaps a fashion chat for an upcoming post? Let me know ;) 

[Look out for Fashion Friday's episode on gender neutral fashion next week] 

Pictures by: Elelwani Netshifhire 

Festival casual**

The Grahamstown National Arts Festival is a time when some of the most talented and well-dressed individuals visit this small colonial town for about 10 days in July. The town becomes a hub of artists, hustlers, tourists and media personnel alike. 

Even though I was working a 9am to midnight daily interviewing directors & cast members, I knew that this was no time to wear my exhaustion. During the festival I usually spend a little more time planning out my outfits because the streets become abuzz with some of the latest trends from literally all over the world. Also because it's just generally way too cold, one has to figure out all their layers. 

It's no Fashion Week, but the air is somewhat reminiscent of one if you compare it to the rest of the year in quiet little Rhini. 

So this past #NAF I was lucky enough to link up with old friend & founder of Thase Media, Elelwani Netshifhire, who was more than happy to take snaps of one or two of my festival looks. Here's what came of it: 

Ensemble breakdown: 

* Black long sleeve basic Tee - Betty Basics @ Stuttafords

* Blue denims - Ronald Sassoon @ Sissy Boy 

* Grey Melange coatigan - Jenni Button 

* Black suede thigh highs - YDE 

* Eyewear - Marciano for Guess 

 I guess the key is making comfort and warmth look effortlessly chic ;-) 

Growing pains **

Scrolling down Instagram, envying your "Slaying at work outfit" caption. Your working friends responding with conceited indifference at your mention of your relief for your manageable exam timetable. Being ashamed that you allowed yourself to like a boy younger than you and let his rejection get to you. In the same heavy breath, you're relieved that your parents are paying your rent and buying your groceries because this financial independence thing doesn't really have to happen today, right? 

Yep, this is my seemingly tumultuous, yet pretty stagnant year of 25. 

I recently turned 25 and since the clock struck 2016, I've been feeling very sentimental about the days of my youth.

Turning 25 and being in an environment where I am constantly surrounded by people younger than me  has made me second guess a lot of my decisions, behaviour and actions. Is it appropriate? Am I not too old to still be engaging in such discussions? Should I still be making mistakes? These kinda mistakes? I'm actually having a strenuous year because of this monumental number constantly hanging over my head in a room full of spritely 21yr olds who apparently get this life thing better than I did at that age. 

I could lie about my age, I've often briefly considered, but that would just take away from the experiences and encounters that have led me to this point in my life. I mean, people would believe me if I told them I'm 20 because I'm a fresh-faced, shoe size 3, dress size 28, A-cupped lady. Another grievance - my body size at my age. I feel underdeveloped and feel that my petite frame compromises my dignity as a 25yr old black woman. Being skinny and old is only a 'compliment' to a white lady - if you're a black woman without a visible derrière among other things, you're deemed unattractive (even ill at times). 

I remember when I turned 21 I woke up shocked at how small my boobs were at that age as if somewhere between the 28 and 29 March a miraculous breast enlargement was meant to deem my 32A bras obsolete. Yes, at 21 I felt old as well, but allowing more room for error (maybe a little too much room).

Having had fashion cakes for previous birthdays, this year I opted for a Minnie Mouse cake because my inner child is still alive as f*^*k. I also have a tendency of celebrating my birthday for longer than is reasonable for the average human being that was born on just one day. I've always looked forward to my birthdays. How could I not place so much importance on the day I finally entered the world in all its beauty and sordidness? This year, though, the thought of my birthday made me slightly anxious. I had a good birthday month (March madness all round), but this year  I thought of my birthday as the day that would confirm all the things I hadn't yet ticked off of life's to-do list:

- Not paying my own rent

- Haven't bought myself a car

-I speak of classmates rather than colleagues 

- I don't know what it feels like to have someone to call my own. Never have.

I pray everyday that at 30 I'll be singing a different song. Strangely enough, at 24 I felt nothing about my age. Like Goldfish, I was just cruising through (insert lazy chuckle). Yes, societal pressures have dictated that adulthood begins at 25 and you should be married with 2.43 (or whatever that arb figure is) kids at 25 living in a house with a white picket fence.

I'm not usually a person who succumbs to societal pressure, but this adulthood one in particular gripped me the same way the choir in Kanye's Ultralight Beam grips me. It's because young, overzealous me had big plans. Hell, my res mates and I made a pact to be 25 sitting on a net worth of R25 million (thanks for nothing, Drake), but today the only million I'm familiar with is the "One million Braids" fiber I buy to get my hair did.  I still have big plans, but now I'm stuck in Wonderland, running with a ticking clock and I'm not entirely sure why I think I'm late. 

I have reason to celebrate, though. A lot. I've grown wiser. I'm extremely comfortable with my character. I'm good at what I do. I'm starting to handle unpleasant situations with more rational confrontation and humour. I know who my real friends are. I have a good relationship with God. I believe in self care. I is a queen. Most importantly, I can spit in perfect unison with Drake when he says, "Don't talk to me like I'm that [Afika] from 4yrs ago. I'm at a higher place." 

So in the sentiments of an old cliché; why am I comparing my behind the scenes with someone else's highlight reel?

A documentary about everything**

How much information about everything can you squeeze into 90 minutes? Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner, being the economists they are, were just as economic with their time in managing to cover parenting, corruption, cause & effect, incentives and crime in this limited amount of time in what they call Freakonomics. 

Keeping to the theme of being unconventional and attempting to reveal the other side of the norm as we know it, the credits are rolled at the beginning (and of course, more detailed at the end again). The documentary begins with Dubner and Levitt giving a real estate scenario that reveals the hidden agendas, incentives and facade of mutual benefit in the real estate industry. Essentially, the point of this is to get the viewer to ponder on something they may have never thought of before. this style is carried throughout the documentary; the authors discuss a topic, give a brief scenario introducing the next theme and a linking documentary is played. What makes Freakonimcs different is that it is a documentary made up of an amalgamation of other shorter documentaries that the authors basically give educated opinions on. 

The first featured documentary is about how names supposedly shape the way a child's life is going to turn out. This documentary is an entire exaggerated re-enactment also making use of vox pops of the ordinary woman or man on the street, where they have casted actors/actresses in order to protect the identities of those with the said "unfortunate" names. This is an ethical method often adopted in documentary film making in order to protect the dignity of those the topic pertains to. The narration of this piece (A Roshanda by any Other Name) is even scripted from a humorous point of view, as this is after all, a light-hearted topic. Straight after this, we are taken back to our two authors, so it feels like the authors were also watching with us at the same time (in a spatiotemporal sense) and we therefore feel included in the discussion that follows.

Given that this is a documentary based on a book by economists, one is bombarded with a lot of data and infographics - something that can make a few less mathematically inclined individuals switch off and lose the hidden truth of some pieces in the attempting to decipher some of the data. such an example is that of the It's not always a wonderful life piece featured here that also failed to make use of any direct interview shots with experts, relying only on monotonous narration albeit its actually gripping content.

Because this features four chapters within the one bigger picture, we experience different methods of storytelling and one ends up comparing these different techniques as they are watching. For example, I noticed that in Pure Corruption, Alex Gibney uses music to sort of arouse different emotions and reactions as well as using the same track he opened with at the end to give some continuity. There is also a heavy reliance on lighting to capture different emotions here.

Not a documentary about Banksy**

I have always been a keen appreciator of Banksy's satirical art and social commentary, so you can imagine my excitement when I finally got the chance to watch Exit Through the Gift Shop...only to find that it was about a lot more than just Banksy. This documentary follows a French amateur filmmaker on his journey to finding Banksy and hopefully making a film about him. Along this journey, he encounters other grafitti artists such as Shephard Fairey of OBEY fame and Invader and along this journey, finds himself on the other side of the lens. 

This documentary film begins with a satirical logo of Paramount Pictures as "Paranoid pictures" , as one would expect from a supposed film about Banksy, followed by an extremely visually appealing montage of the process of making graffiti art. Our first introduction to Banksy still maintains a mystery about him, as he is silhouetted over and above the fact that he is wearing a black hoody and his voice is somewhat muffled. Our introduction is Bansky is actually an introduction to Thierry Guetta, an aspiring filmmaker. We then see a fair amount of Guetta's footage, almost as if to say, "judge for yourself how good or bad a filmmaker Thierry is." Moreover, using his real footage maintains the authenticity of what the film is now about. 

I commend the fact that more than half of the footage of graffiti artists at work in the early hours of he morning is either silhouetted or shot from behind he artist for the purposes of anonymity, as this is deemed an illegal practice in a lot of states. Even with some of the anonymity, the true sense of the story is not lost. The use of time lapses also reveals to us how the creative process of making graffiti is a time consuming one, as we see Guetta going to film at midnight and we witness the sunrise with him and this is the nature of graffiti - you wake up the next day and suddenly it's there. 

There is a great sense of progression throughout this film, as the narrative takes us from when Thierry Guetta was running a clothing warehouse to the day he bought his camera to the day he met his first graffiti artist subject and eventually to when he becomes the big deal, so essentially we start feeling like we have known him for years as we watch his character develop into the world phenomenon known as Mr Brainwash. We only get little peeks into the actual lives of the artists even though it s their art that is largely featured.

This is a film that relies largely on visual appeal and as such, there are a lot of beautiful shots of the art - captured from rooftops, in moving vehicles, from below and the closeups that make you fee like you can almost smell the spray paint used. 

Concerning Thierry "Mr Brainwash" Guetta, Some have speculated that is a completely satirical piece - a mockumentary, but even so, one can't help, but commend the visual aspect of this film and that ultimately, the grand narrative is that of the anonymous nature of graffiti artists such as Invader and Banksy, but their work is globally appreciated, thus showing that you do not need to know (or have seen) someone's face to appreciate their work. We know this all too well with Sia. 

Interrogating whiteness - a review**

Rehad Desai’s The Heart of Whiteness is a documentary with a grand narrative that aims to interrogate the racist mindsets of a few small white/Afrikaner communities in a post-apartheid South Africa. We journey with Desai from a gated community in Johannesburg to Standerton and finally to Orania. The recurring question throughout the documentary is, “who is allowed in?” This brings to the surface the theme of racial exclusion and we get this from the response of an Afrikaner interviewee who alludes to how the presence of black people in their community would only be accepted on the grounds of white employer – black employee.

South Africa is largely characterised by its racially unjust history and Desai incorporates elements that remind us of this in this documentary. The way in which he does this is by first creating a setting where there is a conversation about race in certain South African spaces and then by making use of archive footage from 1960, 1970, 1990 of past events around this issue that made news. This archive footage is strategically placed throughout the 48 minute duration of the documentary – it is used to introduce either a new geographical location or a new angle to the story.

As one would expect, Rehad Desai does not always have pleasant encounters with the people he interviews (all white). He has a very direct way of asking questions and we see an unsavoury reaction to one of these questions during his time in Standerton, where he mentions how he felt it may have been necessary to stop filming at that moment. This brings to light the question of ethics – how appropriate and ethical is it to film certain environments that are not generally welcoming of media as well as what is the next step for a journalist or any other media personnel when potential subjects suddenly feel offended or threatened by the questions posed? Desai stopped filming in that moment of the furore, but still used the footage in his final documentary edit. This is often the case when faced with these kinds of catch-22s – filming will be stopped in the heat of the heat of the moment, but the footage is usually kept and used. He also mentions once or twice that he has been let into white spaces even though he is a man of colour, but one can’t help but think that the only reason this is so is that he is firstly, entering these spaces with a camera crew and secondly, the fact that Indian and coloured South Africans don’t bare the brunt of racism as harshly as black South Africans – something that could have also been addressed in the documentary (even briefly so). It really is an ethically ambiguous situation, but given the nature of the documentary, a somewhat expected ethical dilemma.

Rehad Desai made a good choice of establishing shots, giving the viewer a sense of place every time he travels to a different place as well as the time lapses and long shots of the road ahead that also give us a sense of travel. There is an especially impressive establishing shot of the lit up churches and their crucifixes as he arrives in Standerton, indicating to us that a lot of the population’s beliefs are rooted in religious dogma. These are the uncensored, jarring beliefs and racist opinions that Desai decided to keep for the final edit to probably create more pressing conversations about the matter. I’d say the only lacking things in this documentary are the opinions of black South Africans just to give us a peek into how those who are prejudiced against retort.

Face facts**

I. Love. Makeup.

I love how feminine it makes me feel and how at the end of a long day, the pink hue of the blush on my cheeks still glows. There's just something about the way one's face instantly comes alive with just two strokes of eyeliner. 

My earliest memory of makeup was the day I attended the memorial service of a friend (who went to our brother school) when I was in matric. I asked my mom to use some of her makeup (the basics) and she agreed. When I was done she said, "Please don't cry too much, that makeup is expensive for someone your age." This remark was less about the cosmetics, but rather it was my mom's way of trying to comfort me in a language I understood. Needless to say, I still cried and I have cried a number of times while wearing makeup, but thank God the mascara never runs the way it does on TV. 

If it weren't for the dark circles under my eyes, I might have never introduced myself to makeup. I used it as an excuse to conceal my dark circles at age 19 when I finally had the freedom to explore the wonders of makeup daily. People used to make unsavoury remarks about how tired or "drugged up" I looked. As a teen, it's easy to internalize such remarks, not knowing that my eyes are one of the best features of my face. [I later used Clinique's correcting serum to make the darkness less severe.]

I eventually fell in love with this mixture of minerals that enhanced my natural features rather than something which concealed my flaws. In my second year of varsity I had this bronze Clinique eyeshadow, which I applied daily and it would just make my eyes POP. Glorious.

I used to wear blue eyeliner because I wanted "to be different" and also because I thought black eyeliner was too harsh. I fast became described as the girl who wears blue eyeliner by peeps in my res. It was cute, but I'm comfortable with my Essence black eye pencil now. 

I have a really chilled daily makeup routine. I don't know how to do the whole contouring thing yet, but SHIIINE to the ladies who know how (and I'm learning one YouTube tutorial at a time). I use Estée Lauder's Double Wear foundation when my financial climate allows, but primarily I use MAC foundation (Studio Fix in summer and Face and Body during the colder seasons), Elizabeth Arden translucent powder, Essence eyeliner and mascara & blush by Clinique. 

I also used Inglot YSM foundation along with the Inglot primer last season and it's great and affordable too. Very smooth. 

I love trying out different foundations like Taylor Swift loves dating different pretty boys in the entertainment industry - it's fun and it makes me feel good in that moment. What I'm also finding quite fun at the moment is Bronzing powder or highlighter (to be applied on the cheek bones and down the bridge of your nose). I recently tried out the Black-Up Sublime powder and it definitely lives up to its name. Every girl of colour deserves it.

What I did when I had both the Inglot and the MAC foundations is that I would wear Inglot during the day and use the MAC Studio Fix at night because it gives full coverage & is thus visible in night pictures. This is the same with the Estée Lauder 'double wear' foundation - it keeps you matte. These two are particularly powerful for me because I have oily skin, but I do still enjoy how the Face & Body foundation gives my skin a silky finish. I do, however, also use blotting paper for this purpose (oiliness) when my skin gets too oily and I'm on the go.

[Tip: don't just buy any foundation because it works for your friend or sister. Ask the cosmetic consultant to test it on you and see how it blends with your skin after an hour or so. Do not leave a cosmetic house without trying the product. Nothing worse than looking ghastly because your consultant didn't take care of you.] 

I went to a makeup master class this past December and I picked up a few quick tips to share with you:

1. Fingers blend foundation better than a sponge.

2. Concealer for dark circles should be about 2 or 3 shades darker.

3. Use darker blush for the evening.

4. Apply your mascara after you've applied everything else, i.e. last.

5. Using lip liner keeps your lipstick within the boundaries of your lips.

6. Loose powder is better. Translucent powder... even better.

7. A finishing spray is recommended, but not compulsory. A great alternative is the rosemary & witch hazel spray from Dis-Chem.

*Clinique "Pink love" blush, which I use with my daytime makeup.

I'm ashamed to admit that I'm rather lazy when it comes to my brows - I haven't tweezed since 2012, but I do casually shape them with my mascara brush when I do my makeup. I guess I don't have the patience for them, but I'm gonna try do better this year, though. I owe myself and the people who look at me that much.

When it comes to lipstick, I like my pinks and my reds. Matte, but with a Vaseline or DCT base, so my lips don't get chapped. 

So, what are your makeup tips and tricks? Favourite products? I'm always here for a a cosmetic chat, so share with me and I'll reference you in my next post about makeup.

Otherwise, keep glowing ;-)

A different take **

When it comes to picking clothes in a store, I have good taste, but once the clothes are in my cupboard, I can take up to half an hour tryna decide which top to wear. The average image conscious human's struggle, I guess.

I'm not boasting when I say I'm stylish (a lot of people are), but sometimes I feel that I don't take enough risks with the clothes in my cupboard. I have items I've only worn twice at most. Why? Because I don't want to be toooo unconventional. But that ends now. I'm not going to be an XS forever and there are clothes to be worn! 

So yesterday I decided to check the clothes at the back of the closet and put something together. It's easier to start with an all black ensemble when taking risks. "Where's the risk?" you might ask - the risk is putting together cuts you wouldn't usually pair with each other. 

I'm quite a fan of tomboy chic, so I did this with a pair of joggers (bought in 2012) and a flared sheer top (2013) and I was pleased with the result and I was comfortable. 

Ensemble breakdown: 

Flared black sheer top - Vertigo 

Black joggers - Icon @ YDE 

Black "Fever" sunnies - Cotton On 

Day and night**

Have you ever had that dilemma where you feel your day's outfit was too dope to change out of at the end of the day, but you still have to change for an evening event? 

I have. More than once, especially in a small town like Grahamstown, where there isn't a stark difference between going for lunch at Haricott's and attending a cocktail do at Saints Bistro. There must be a shower and a change before the latter event, but it's not a sneakers to 10-inch heels type of change. 

What I do in this instance is that I keep the basic template for the outfits - for example, I'll wear black bottoms, a plain Tee and a biker jacket during the day with a pair of kicks and then later, I'll put on a top with a touch of sparkle & evening flare with a blazer and a more feminine choice of shoes (Keeping the same/similar colour palette) and I'm good to go. 

Here's an example of shoes that make for an interchangeable outfit:

Gold snakeskin sneakers from RE Denim @ Woolies 

Gold snakeskin kitty heels by Glamour at Foschini 

Friends with shine **

So last night I caught up with my old varsity friends in Umhlanga Rocks and so I thought why not dedicate a post ;)

This is why 'My fave of the week' goes to my friend's hand & arm candy she bought while vacationing in Dubai. I'm a sucker for rings and bracelets (I used to have an armful during my Cape Town days). All this shine was accompanying her velvet crop and silk maxi skirt ensemble. I hadn't seen her since 2013, so this was quite a treat. 

Sun's out. Legs out.

It's only Tuesday, but this is already my fave look for this week. 

A tip for onesies: Minimalistic accessories because a onesie, no matter how plain, is always the focal point of your look. I wear a slim leather belt (not pictured) with mine just to cinch my waist and give my iddy-biddy hips a slightly fuller silhouette. 

Details:

Off-white open back onesie - Icon @ YDE 

Caramel tassel sandal, silk scarf and tan leather sling bag - all Trenery 

Nautical iPhone cover - Country Road 

Fragrance - Rose water & Vanilla by Jo Malone