Summer toes **

It's been the longest minute and for that I must apologise. No worries, though, I'll be posting once a week from now on (entering 2016 efficiently). 

So here's a little something to give you a taste of what's been poppin' in my closet this holiday season. I'm a simpleton (hahaha), so my season fave has been these gold Mary Jane sandals from Woolies.

 So...what's keeping your toes pretty?

The September Issue**

Remember Miranda Priestly sarcastically saying; "Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking." Well that's what I think every time retail outlets put out their Spring/Summer stock and still try to herald florals as the signature look for this season year after year. I notice the September issues of fashion publications always try veer away from the garden cliche, but it can't help but creep out every now and then. Of course we cannot negate the golden rules, like 1. always add a pop of colour to your outfit, 2. a good pair of sunnies is the ultimate accessory and 3. the classic white Tee/shirt/blazer.

 I own very few floral items and the few I do own I try to wear subtly, so I thought why not actually be groundbreaking without the florals this season?
 This is my September Issue - keeping it conventionally unconventional (yeah, I'm referring to the proverbial flower crown featured here).

Who said you can't wear your sparkle during the day? There are so many ways to wear "glitzy" items while the sun's out without looking overdone or confused. Kendall did this so well by pairing her dress with sneakers and a black leather satchel. Hell, I'm on a bicycle and barefoot in my 2012 res formal gown! I'm not quite brave enough to leave the confines of my house in this ensemble, though, but when I do daytime sparkle I usually wear my disco ball blazer with a pair of blue distressed jeans, sneakers and a white tee - a look that says, "I'm chilled, but look at me." 

The tule skirt and heels: For the girl who likes to play dress up for no reason at all. The sunnies give away that it's a daytime look, but what makes this ensemble really groundbreaking is that when you transition from mall to evening soiree, all you have to do is change your top and ditch the sunnies. The tule skirts pictured here are in neutral shades, but do go HAM and get yourself a pink or yellow skirt if you so desire.

September is still a bit nippy, so...Why not borrow from the men? No, I don't mean boyfriend items, but rather a feminine take on a men's wear catalogue.  E.g. Where he's wearing the belt through the loops of his pants, you wear it as a cinch around your waist. It's easy to adapt a male look without even borrowing from your brother's or boyfriend's cupboard.

I did it first, Selena: The hypersexual red top (crop or bodysuit) and the ripped denim sans a belt is another head turning look. On the left, I'm wearing it with canvas platforms and Miss Gomez opted for ankle boots - it all depends on which shoe won't have you walking with slightly bent knees by the end of the day, really.

You absolutely CANNOT complete this season without a white blazer. Plain as it seems, it makes the statement in your outfit and adds that final touch of finesse. Michael Kors agrees. If you still don't own a white blazer, stores that often have white blazers in stock are Zara, Forever New, Woolworths and Hilton Weiner.

Keep on the look out for more groundbreaking Spring/Summer looks this month and let me know which you shall be dabbling in. 

Chats On The Hanger**

Once golden**

So let me be honest with you: I'm not much of an accessoriser. I can go for weeks without earrings, something that was once my staple accessory for years. Besides the basics I wear daily: my watch, my Nomination and Icon bracelets (all silver); I very seldom accessorize to the extent that even the one accessory I have always loved found itself neglected by me for two weeks before I realised it had only been correct twice a day for about 10 days: at 7:40 am and again 7:40 pm. Don't worry, I got this sorted out and I do love my watch.

This is not to say that I have something against accessories or that I do not have an eye for them, but rather I focus so much on purchasing statement garments that I forget that a necklace can also be the center of an outfit. I do own a few stellar pieces of jewelry, but I guess I just tend to forget to visit the jewelry corner when I go shopping. 

But...yes,I have a thing for gold plated rings that eventually go bronze and rustic with wear and tare - I don't know, it just feels like pieces like that always have a story. There's something sentimental about possessions that were not necessarily pricey, but are just perhaps a little more indispensable than the rest. My favourite piece(s) of jewelry are thus these two slim rings I bought from ALDO on impulse. They were gold plated initially, but lost their twinkle the more they encountered water and hand creams. My sister keeps telling me to buy new rings...I guess she doesn't get it like I do.

These feature in almost every Instagram post where my hands are doing the modelling. This (above) was on my birthday; I had painted my nails gold for the occasion (and to almost match the rings).

Bronze and Braids.

The perfect close-up on leather: one is a simple band and the other a bit more detailed.

Now that I look at this last image, I remember the wedding band my gran had when I was a kid and although her ring was pure gold, it was also slim and also had this rustic worn out look, as a result of laboring all day. Every time I observed it closely I would ask her questions about marriage and my deceased grandfather (kids don't care how sensitive the topic is, they ask anyway). She has since changed that ring to mark her acceptance and because every lady deserves new bling from time to time.

 I guess this now explains my attachment to these rings. Perhaps one day I'll post again with a new favourite ring on the finger next to the middle finger (wink-wink).

Let's talk height**

So some of you may know I work on radio, so a fellow presenter got me to chat with him about what girls can wear to look taller. it was very impromptu, so I couldn't squeeze in all I know, but I will add that anything midi-length is probably not best for us short folk and a slight turn-up of the jeans is always a good idea. I do hope you enjoy.