Back to Basics

I spent my entire school career at a school which required a uniform. The non-creative monotony of blue tablecloth checks which controlled my fashion life in high school were good for one thing: I did not have to wake up every morning and decide what to wear. Since coming to university I have come to realise the daily struggle of getting up and having to concentrate my energy on coming up with a unique, practical, weather-appropriate and fashionable outfit. Honestly, the process is exhausting but I have built up a new appreciation for the basics and their versatility.

I have now noticed that one can never have too many white t-shirts but I definitely have too few. One of my only ones is this MrPrice item. There is not much descriptive to be said about white T-shirts (I mean it is pretty self explanatory). This one has a V-neck and has a slightly longer back hem than front hem but it is simple enough. It goes with everything. I am going to start scouting for some more plain white Ts and I think if you are looking at investing in your fashion collection, concentrate on the basics first and one of the most important is the plain white T-Shirt. I even think that this is more crucial than  (style gods please don’t hit me for saying this) the Little Black Dress.

Another great basic is the perfect pair of blue jeans. Now as you might be able to see mine are becoming a bit loose and are starting to fade but in their prime they fit me like a glove, were the perfect depth of dark blue and made me think those jeans were made for a greater purpose than stretching over my thighs and ‘bootay’. This obviously meant that I wore the jeans to death (okay not quite death, not even close as they are clearly still wearable but still they aren’t the perfect pair of jeans I once had). Finding a pair of good jeans, the right pair of good jeans, will change your fashion-life. You see a good pair of jeans will be with you when you need them, they will support you when you are feeling confused and uninspired, they will get along with every shirt in your cupboard and they have this unrealistic power of producing a confidence boost every-time you put them on.

The accessories for this outfit – which are crucial for a basic outfit – were my beach inspire sandals, my old owl pendant and chain which is beginning to age but I think it looks cooler that way, and my purple CottonOn sweater which is a personal staple piece as it goes with everything that I own ( I haven’t succeeded in finding something I cant wear it with so far)

I would also just like to mention the beauty of the day I took these photos on. It was the day that the Cape Epic began. It’s start was from UCT and so I went and watched for a brief moment. I wish that I enjoyed running or cycling because when ever I go to these events (and I spend a lot of time waiting at the start and finish behind the supporter line) because their is such an atmosphere of energy and festivities.The athletes are reaching the moment that they have been training for, for months and possibly even years and that ‘goal-reaching’ excitement is very inspiring. At the Epic’s start this is coupled with the background of UCT and Devil’s Peak and it makes for a great way to spend a Sunday morning.

x J

(P.S. It’s test week currently so please excuse the lack of posts)

Grunge?

So I love jeans. I don’t know when the love started but it exists. I find jeans comfortable and when in doubt I can always turn to my trusty pair of jeans (correction – one of my trusty pairs). I did have a pair of black jeans but they have always been too big for me and are not solid black and so tend to end up looking grey and baggy. So I decided that I would start the year on a search for a new pair of black, and I mean black, skin tight jeans and after, I must admit, a rather short search I found them. They were a distressed pair that fit me well and make my legs look and feel amazing and they didn’t break the bank at all coming to a total of only R160 from, what is quickly becoming one of my favourite shops for stunning single buys, Mr Price Clothing. They are easy to move in yet they pull me in at all the right places and also I can finally go for that grunge look that is inspiring me at the moment (possibly influenced by the rocker-wannabe-style my sister is into).

Note how these jeans make my legs look… hence I am in love

There is just something about that shirt.

I may be a little too attached to that bag

Also I am obsessed with that purple lipstick… and doesn’t it go so well!

I was feeling Vogue

I feel like this is a tumblr post

The distressed look

Me trying to be creative

Today I styled them with my purple plaid shirt for tea with my friend. I got this shirt a few years ago in a sale and on a whim and I wasn’t sure it was the best decision for a long time but now I am thanking my past self. I am a lover of the buttoned up look with collared shirts. Yes it may be stereotypical and look like I am trying to hard to be a hipster but honestly I think it just looks classy and cool. I added my black bag from Woolworths which I call my adult bag because I feel like it is far more serious and mature than my usual handbags. I wore my black ankle boots because I have basically no other black shoes (I am on the look out for others… that aren’t the over worn fully black All Stars). I also added my hoop earrings because I haven’t worn them in forever and I am always looking for an excuse plus it gave that unexpected twist that I am always looking for. An added note: I am also enjoying wearing layers of black. I used to be against black as I was scared that it would wash me out as I am so pale but now I think that is actually quite sexy…

Manhattan, Neighbourgoods and new jeans

I love the fit of these jeans. Not too loose and not to tight.

I find myself loving the perfect accessory more and more. Jewelry has a way of completely changing an outfit

This is a blog about all my adventures this weekend.

It started with a day shopping with a friend of mine. I am a fussy shopper and so didn’t end up buying much however I finally decided to give in and buy these incredible jeans from Topshop. They are quite pricey and now sit as one of the most expensive items in my cupboard but totally worth it. They are washed out ‘Mom’ jeans. They are high-waisted and fit like a glove. I feel great in them. I find it quite difficult to find a good pair of jeans that fits me nicely but I must admit that Topshop knows how to make jeans. I have been looking for a nice pair of high-waisted jeans and I am so glad I found them. Lets just say I am suffering from a little crush on this item of clothing.

My friends and I had been planning to go to the Manhattan Club that evening and I was all too happy to slip into my jeans for the occasion. I don’t usually wear crop tops but in these jeans I felt like a new person and so decided to wear a tight black crop top with it. It felt quite unusual for me because I’m usually dressed in quite a girly or mature colourful style and this look was definitely not that. I felt like a rocker and it felt good. I wore a friend of mines necklace. I loved how the long jewelery complemented the short shirt. I also wore a mix of different styled rings adding up to a total of 8. Yes I may have gone overboard but I love rings too much for my own good. I finished it off with my hiking boots. They are the only shoes I own that go with the hard-core look.

The reason we were going to the club was that I recently turned 18 and this is the legal age to party in South Africa. I don’t drink but I still felt that at the age of 18 I had to go to a club at some point. It’s almost a right of passage.

What did I think?

Well it was fun to begin with. We danced and partied and the atmosphere was one of excitement and joy. It was interesting observing the club lifestyle: the way people dress, what people drink, how they dance and act and the layout of the club itself was interesting to me who  obviously hasn’t done this very much.

So it was fun to a point and then I got over it very quickly. At about 12 after being there for 4 hours already I started to feel claustrophobic. My friends were drunk and I wasn’t, there were too many people and all the fumes from cigarettes, alcohol and I don’t want to guess what else were giving me a head ache and making me woozy. My temper was shortening and the guys. Trust me boys, when you are drunk in clubs your pick-up lines are awful.

I convinced my very drunk friend that we should go home and we left at about 1 which was probably a good thing because if we had left much later I would have ended up hating it.

On the way home my friend insisted on getting McDonald’s. I had a McFlurry as that is the only thing I can stand eating from the place. I took  a vow against McDonald’s a long time ago and smelling her burger in the car at 1 in the morning didn’t make me regret it.

I was very happy to see my bed when we eventually got home.

What does any sane person do after a night clubbing? Not what we did. We decided to go to the Neighbourgoods Market in town. If you live in Joburg or if you one day come to Joburg… You have to check this out. It is every saturday and it is a market which is filled with the most incredible sights and sounds and most importantly food. Waffles, Burgers, pies and everything else you can think of and it all tastes amazing. A lot of people from Joburg are scared of going into ‘town’ because it has a reputation of being dangerous. To this I tell you to get over yourselves. Stop cowering in your ‘picket-fence’ houses and go, run screaming with joy because this place is amazing and shop by shop it is lifting up the area. It’s a revolution which you should be proud to have an oportunity to take part in.

We spent a few hours of the late morning there. The weather wasnt great but the place was as amazing as ever. I love going there. I love watching the people and tasting the food.

I did not however feel so good when I got home. I think the partying the night before, the late night and the rich food didn’t make a good combination for me. I obviously don’t have a very good stamina for this kind of thing. I felt awful and went to bed at 5 O’clock in the afternoon and only woke this morning.

But it was worth the fun I had on the weekend.

First Fashion Blog – The International Collection

So this will be my first ‘fashion blog’ on WordPress. I am very excited but nervous so hopefully it goes down well but please remember I am still learning here.

Indian (hipster) ring and hand-made watch

Okay so today we went out for lunch so my sister and her friends could tell us about their trip to India. It was great. I wanted to dress nicely but not over the top as it was quite casual. So I went with jeans as a place to start. It is cold in South Africa at the moment so I needed layers and of course boots. The best thing about living in a house with other women is that you can beg, borrow and steal clothes from each other so the white jersey is my sisters and the shirt is my mothers.

I’ve called the outfit International collection because it just so happened that some of the clothes were from overseas. The ring was something my sister bought cheaply in India, The watch was hand-made and sent to me from a cousin in Japan. The pink button-up top is from Gap which my dad bought for my mom also from Japan. The jacket is from Cotton On which is Australian. The boots I ordered online so they could theoretically be from anywhere and well jeans are jeans I guess.

I really loved the pop of colour that the shirt gave as I am a sucker for just a little bit of colour plus I am really digging the whole collared shirt peeking out from under a jersey vibe at the moment.

What do you think?