Disclaimer: firstly this is super long so if you are interested to hear what I have to say about specific issues there are some subtitles so feel free to skim through those. Secondly I’d like to make it understood that although my life is made more difficult by the expense of fees it is not made impossible so I am not effected to the same degree as some students. Thirdly I acknowledge I am white and therefore privileged and this will limit my understanding of this issues and hence what I have to say and I ask you to please keep this in mind while reading. Fourth – and finally – this is not meant to target any specific individual or group so please DO NOT TAKE THIS PERSONALLY
We Rise : A glimpse of the mass support that arrived at the meeting on Jammie PlazaOoh and all the photos are my own
Hi all,
I know I have been absent over the last couple of weeks but it is not because I have forgotten about the blog but rather that the topic which I wished to write on, South African student movement ‘Fees Must Fall’, was one which I have had a deep desire to write on yet one that I found extremely difficult to verbalise my thoughts on.
When I feel strongly about something I battle to give it justice in my writing. Eventually however I always suck it up and try my best in the end because the need for exposure and to put these ideas out there is greater than that of my creative inadequacies.
Oh Dear Lord: throughout this ordeal religious groups and leaders have shown their commitment and support to this causeI have been reading and rereading and watching and seeing things to do with the past couple of weeks that have invoked a series of conflicting emotions in me. I was horrified, terrified and stressed but also I was amazed, inspired and full of hope. Because of this, I could not sit and say nothing about the past couple of weeks. As someone who takes part in writing on a regular basis I needed to say write something of importance but it was so difficult to find the words to represent how I felt.
The #FEESMUSTFALL movement started at Wits University and slowly moved across the country till it was nationwide. It was originally a response to massive increases imposed on next year’s fees. These increases would make it even more difficult for most students to afford the already high costs of tertiary education especially those coming from underprivileged backgrounds. The expense of university as it stands already creates a separation between those people who can further their education and their futures and those who cannot based on socio-economic status and in a country like ours where race is a notable difference between classes (mostly due to the horrific racial segregation that existed in our past) this limits equality and economic growth of the majority of the country. An idea from the movement was that tertiary education should not be a luxury afforded to the rich but rather a right and an opportunity for all. This was part what pushed the movement to no longer be simply about the increase but rather that the government and the university management should be making plans and pushing to have free education on a university level to allow for the best outcomes for all young people in the country.
The movement bought disruption and inconvenience for some but for others in bought hope and unity. Below I am going to discuss some of the ideas/issues/talking points that have come out this period.
Police Brutality
Amidst the protests, the chaos and everything else that has occurred recently existed an extreme reaction from the police. Now before going into this I acknowledge that information around this issue has been portrayed with bias from all involved including the students, the police and of course the media and I have considered this as best as possible when forming my opinion.
See Me: it reads “Fuck the police”Now in my mind and what I have experience when involved in the protests is that they have been remarkably peaceful and many of those involved have taken a specific stance at maintaining the peace even among their peers (which I definitely respect about my generation). Aside from this there have been individuals, as is expected, who are extremists and those who have taken advantage of the situation and shown violence but for the majority the protests were NON-VIOLENT. Despite this there have been instances where the police have reacted aggressively.
I will focus on what occurred at UCT but it has happened all over the country with many students being attacked with water cannons, rubber bullets and stun grenades far too liberally but I don’t have enough knowledge to discuss these specific instances.
The first bout of violence was when students occupied Bremner/Azania House (managements building) and due to a court order by the university (this has since been lifted and apologised for) disallowing this disruption, the police were called. This was to remove the students from a sort of ‘sit-in’ type meeting both in and out of the building. The police struggled to remove those who were there and so responded with stun grenades. To my knowledge the students were not accommodating to the polices’ requests however they were non-violent and I honestly don’t see how this came about. It was a response which was far too extreme for the situation and lost the police any respect that the youth may have still held.
After this incident one might expect for students to react violently in response yet the peaceful approach was maintained.
It was then that the big event happened. This was the march on Parliament. The aim was for students to disrupt Parliament, where the budget policy was being addressed, to make the government aware of the students’ demands and force them to acknowledge and deal with it. There was a large riot police presence however the students still heavily outnumbering the armored men.
Other than a minority of individuals who were being violent most students remained peaceful. They did break through the gates into the precinct of parliament. Thousands of people moved into the open area enclosed by the gates. This was when they were then hit with masses of stun grenades. With only one small opening, many student were stuck unable to get out fearing for their safety and minor injuries did occur. Some students were also arrested (Side note: it is illogical to charge a small percentage with a ‘crime’ that thousands committed. This does not fulfill the ‘fairness’ of justice). From my point of view, and I was at home recovering from dehydration and glued to the live stream of eNCA, the violence was unnecessary and horrifying to watch. I was appalled, devastated and on the verge of tears as I watched people I know get tossed around like dolls and engulfed in a haze of white and pink smoke.
I can sympathise with the idea that the police were overwhelmed and the anger that the students were feeling could have both intimidating and frightening. At the point where the students became trespassers and broke the gate (and the law) it is possible that force would have been used however at no other time was extreme force of that kind necessary or helpful. The students were desperate but they were being peaceful and the ease at which the stun grenades seemed to be launched was alarming particularly since much of the crowd is shown to be standing still when they were attacked. The students were armed with water bottles, strappy shirts, shorts and sneakers while the police had batons, stun grenades, shields and heavy armor. Not really a fair match.
The use of violence against students mobilising for equal opportunity in education is reminiscent of South Africa’s dark past and definitely not something I thought I would see in my lifetime.
And on that note the lack of care and desire to come out and try and create peace from the president and other leaders situate right inside that building was frankly disgusting. There was no movement from our leadership to come out and protect their children and this is something I will always hold against them. It also gave plenty of opportunity for opposition parties like the EFF and DA to take advantage of the situation which the ANC couldn’t be bothered to even try do.
The white student (note this is where generalising happened – try not to get offended this may not apply to you)
One of the media’s big talking points was the ‘diversity’ in the movement due to the involvement of students of all races/genders/ethnicities/religions etc. This has had mixed responses.
Watching: Anonymous perched on Jameson HallThe first issue was that there were still many wealthy (mostly white) students who hid in their ignorance and did not take part, opposed the movement and didn’t even try understand the issues. There were students fighting as this was their only chance at still being able to afford university next year and alongside them were students who were so comfortable in their wealth that they wasted more money on flying home (or going to the beach in the first days of protests yet complaining about not being able to go to varsity. I see your hypocrisy holiday makers.). This showed a massive divide between socio-economic class and an extreme lack of empathy from wealthy students.
But adults, the media and everybody else were amazed by the uniqueness of our generation and the love and hope that we held and although the idealistic part of me has always believed this I had issues with this.
a – The movement stood for something important and in my opinion should have been appreciated regardless of how many white children got involved. ‘Whiteness’ should not have had to legitimise this cause for the media and for many of those who externally took an interest.
Fuck It: a protester expresses their frustraitionb – When it comes to the youth, white university students have been involved for a while. In the late 80s and early 90s protesting was a regular part of life for many young white people in the country. Students are more open minded, more involved and terrified of FOMO and so they take the opportunity. This is not to discredit the passionate involved white students. Please take part forever it is far more productive than you flying home for the week. Anyway my point is that I don’t think this says anything in particular about our generation. In my opinion it is when we are old and grey then we can see whether we are actually different. Will our dinner parties be diverse? Will we get involved with mining protests or support teaching strikes? Will we empathise with our peers or will we run away to Australia and criticise the government on Facebook? I think at that stage we can determine how different we really are.
c – The pat-on-the-back for getting involved. Ah… now I think its nice that so many people got involved and the strength of unity and mobilization of students was shown but I don’t like the fact that white students that got involved were thanked and commended but for the black kids it was just another day on the block? Thanks for the honour but you can take it back. Sure, welcome to the party kids but if anyone needs honouring it’s the black students for not giving up and persevering for the great length of time it took for us to finally decide to get involved.
Also a word on the Facebook education/rant posts on white privilege. Although these posts have been a little aggressive and motivated by generalisations I (personally) definitely see them as necessary. They are targeting those white (or other type) privileged students who do not understand how their role in this movement is limited or stipulated by their privilege as well as the importance of understanding one’s own privilege. Now those who this does not apply to, to the same degree as others, may get offended by this but it is important to not focus on yourself as an individual but the necessity of the overall white student population and realise the degree to which you have to monitor your privilege. Plus Facebook is as good a place as any for students to vent their feelings on the topic and it is important that as a reader one takes it with a pinch of salt. Read it, appreciate it and understand its applicability to you and then move forward as best as possible AND DON’T TAKE IT PERSONALLY.
Also watch out there will be a post on white privilege coming soon.
Beyond Us: in this shot Cape Town can be seen in the background and it’s hard not to see the power a group of this size can have. Glimpse the People: taken from on the roof of Jameson Hall
Government vs management responsibility
Who needs to be accountable for all this? The violence? The consistent fee increase? The lack of empathy or care for the future of the youth?
We are the People: Look its AllZuriIn my opinion the responsibility falls both on the shoulders of University Management and the government.
Simply put:
University management was not transparent, they did not put in enough effort into implementing solutions to reduce costs (FOR EXAMPLE SUSTAINABILITY/ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION/IS IT REALLY THAT DIFFICULT GUYS???), they did not take sufficient steps to hear out the issues of the student body and shifted the blame to individuals or student groups (as they have been doing the whole year) rather than help improve communication and deal with issues when they occur. It is the role of the Vice Chancellor and management in general to represent the students and their concerns to the government when necessary and it took them far too long to make take up this responsibility.
Balde, You ain’t so sharp: Blade, Minister of Higher Education, was held accountable by studentsAnd IF they did in fact do all of this and we just couldn’t see it then they really battle to understand the meaning of TRANSPARENCY and basically every VC in the country failed dramatically in this area.
And as far as the government. They did not show care for the safety of students, they showed little initiative in finding solutions for these issues and obviously the corruption and greed which exists within the political structures is still not be dealt with effectively. There is little to no role models in leadership which students can look up to and it is disappointing that a government in which most members were denied an equal opportunity to education at all from the previous Apartheid system are inflicting a very similar limitation on their own people.
Why is it that only when students are crying out and marching in the street and when the country is bought to a standstill do any of the ‘powers that be’ start to pay attention?
My role
So what did I do? Who was I in this movement? My friend and fellow blogger Refiloe Mokgele (All Zuri) wrote about the various people that could be found in and around this movement. As I read it I couldn’t help but categorise myself.
I’d say I am, as Fifi puts it, a ‘passive creative’ – “Taking amazing pictures/ writing poems as the masses of protesters pass by. Posting on social media.”
One thing about the movement was that it was insanely photogenic so I can’t even claim good photography skills here. I loved documenting and sharing the movement but I must admit I was one of many and although I am proud of the art that I managed to produce I can’t honestly say it aided the movement in any way.
Faceless: This is my faceless man. He represents the anarchistic, unidentifiable type attitude of the movement much like the mask did in V for Vendetta. She represents the good Samaritans who gave endless aid.Going into this I would have considered myself brave and involved etc. But looking back the truth of the matter is that although I believed in the cause and was passionate I also felt very lost and hid behind this confusion that I felt and spent too much time contemplating life in my room and not being outside taking part. Personally I have learnt a lot for myself and what I should do in the future but as far as this specific movement I guess I disappointed myself by not doing as much as I could have.
However on the days that I did go out (then falling into the category of Newbie) I enjoyed it but was definitely just a foot soldier/part of the crowd and it was weird for me to be surrounded by so many people as dedicated to a cause as I was, if not more dedicated. I was intimidated and in awe by what I saw and it gave me great hope for my generation. It humbled me as I realised that I really am very small and insignificant next to students, not that much older than myself, who lead a revolution. To those students I commend you and I apologise for my lack of participation.
What I did do (a lot of) however was explain very patiently too many of my ignorant white peers why this movement was worth and continuously forced people to consider the movement in what they were doing and made it my mission to be informed so I could inform others. I’ve always been better at words than action and I felt the need to do as much as possible from a vocal perspective (although this does not make up for not taking part).
Bread Break: Taken at Clarinus Village Residence UCT while protests take a moment to breath after walking down main road in 30 degree heat
The power of the youth.
This was probably the most important thing to note and despite its repetitiveness throughout history it is something which we as a country and internationally forgot about up till now.
The youth have innocence and they have passion and they have hope and obviously they have numbers. The youth has always had the ability to see things for what they really are and step away from the corrupted world that surrounds them.
“Youth is the trustee of prosperity” Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881)
Amandla: There are no leaders, only strong voices to encourage us forward. Taken in Clarinus Village Residence UCT dining hall.
The future is the destiny of the youth and it up to us to control that destiny. We also have the energy and inspiration that our parents once had an already used up. South Africa is tried of fighting but we have never fought and we are ready to fight. We are called born frees and yet the environment we have lived in is not free from racial or sexual injustice. It is not free from corruption and poverty. I am still impowered because of my race and I still live in fear because of my gender.
We are the kids and we are here to change this and to strive for the freedom that is owed to us.
…
A word on Twitter.
I was honoured and inspired by the beauty of what my peers managed to write about the past weeks’ events and I believe that the power of social media was definitely taken advantage of to mobilise my generation. Maybe the fact that we are so glued to our screens is not such a bad thing after all.
Lost Words: The power of words has been shown in many posters held by students in this fightI am absolutely appalling on Twitter so I really am inspired by those of you who use it so incredible well. It is a beautiful medium that I am now inspired to use.
The skill of the youth at representing such complexity so eloquently is remarkable and commendable.
And lastly a quote from Desmond Tutu
“Give young people a greater voice. They are the future and they are much wiser than we give them credit for.”
Apologise for the long post and watch out for more posts on other important issues like outsourcing, the role of women and how to exist in a national shutdown.
x J
Fear the Educated Youth: For they understand their power
Style and fashionable sense of self is definitely something which matures over time and this is very closely linked to ones growth as a person.
Fashion reflects society. It reflects global change and in some movements in particular it can be an influence for change itself. One of the clearest examples of this is the link between women’s freedom and the manner in which gender defines clothing.
When the suffragettes first demanded the right to be acknowledged as full and equal member of society with the same right to vote among other aspects of life that men had at the time the only method they had at getting attention was by being somewhat provocative. This meant breaking social norms like … wearing pants (#gasp). At the time women and men dressed in entirely different ways and this enforced the divided between them. Today it might seem odd that a woman simply wearing pants was worth social outcry (possibly as odd as a woman not being able to vote?). Today there are still places in which women are prevent from voting or taking part in politics, namely Saudi Arabia and the Vatican City (oh and monarchs, dictatorships etc but that hardship is at least gender equal). One would not be surprised to note that in the mentioned areas along with restricted political freedom women’s dress code is also highly limited… guess what? No pants.
Another example of dramatic change occurred in and around the periods of world war where an emphasis on practicality and movement overruled elegance and delicacy as money disappeared and efforts were required from every person regardless of gender or wealth. Fabrics changed to decrease costs and women’s dress code evolved as they were forced into previously male dominated professions. This was reflected by pioneering men and women like Paul Poiret a Parisian designer who left behind strict corsets for free loose fitting clothes (on the very runway). He reflected the societal changes that were occurring in his designs and in doing so influenced massive change in the fashion industry.
Whenever a revolutionary step is taken whether it be in the liberty of a specific group of people, political unrest, religious rebellion or even global weather changes, fashion will simultaneously evolve.
This can even be seen in the role fashion plays in one’s life as an individual.
Being someone who is only 19 my style is definitely not absolute and has a very long path before reaching a stage of surety and until I get to that point the role my clothes play in my life is going to change as I change. How could I possibly have a set style when I haven’t even determined my internal set of morals or my position in society? What I am on the outside needs to reflect and build on what I am on the inside.
I was doing an interview in which one of the questions was “what is the most consistent colour in my wardrobe” and, although those of you who are regular readers will know that the answer is quite obviously black, it was not an answer which came to me so readily. This is not because I hold any resentment against black but rather that this colour is relatively new to me. When I originally showed a sustained interest in the fashion world I don’t think I owned a black item of clothing. To me colour was important and I believed quite heavily in the myth that pale people can’t wear black (this is very, very, VERY, false by the way). I wore lots of bright colours and plane blue denim jeans. I contrasted patterns and textures and focused on investing in interesting statement pieces.
At the end of last year however I rediscovered the beauty and power of basics and as this year has progressed most of those basics have been in the shade of black.
I don’t think that this has coincidentally transpired alongside my personal transformation as a young woman in society. I grew up, moved into a new place, and most importantly I actually started to confront my socially prescribed beliefs.
I have grown my knowledge on the world and have taken a step up as someone who speaks out and gets involved. This requires one to be assured of oneself, passionate and brave (the last of which I am still working on) and as I step up and represent myself and the ideals which I now stand for a larger more impressive stage I needed to be wearing something worthy of this and this new look is somber and dignified. Simple and composed.
But the clash and the craziness (and the passion) still holds a prominent place in who I am and how I dress.
In a kind of overly confident manner I’d like to claim that I am a reader. Now considering how little reading I have done in the last couple of years I do feel like this may be a farce but all the same I shall claim it.
When I was little and we were learning to read in school, I remember my teachers being rather discouraged by me and my abilities. I was very slow, probably disinterested and – I don’t know – just not the amazing reader that 7 year-olds are supposed to be. But I struggled my way through. Whether or not I enjoyed it, I cannot remember.
What I can tell you is that I was always attract to anything involving creativity and I think this was inspired by literature. Yes I may not have been the best reader but I still had grown up among books and even in my 7 year old room there was a bookshelf. My parents had read to me, along with all stereotypical fairy tales, a lot of Dr Seuss and probably the complete works of Beatrice Potter (creator of Peter Rabbit) and I think this helped me develop a belief and connection with the arts and all things creative predominantly literature. (Also I didn’t watch a lot of TV at all. And although I’m not completely against TV I do think this a factor and it is unsurprising that so little inspiration to read comes out of my TV driven generation)
Now jump forward another couple of years to a ten year old me. At this point I hated Harry Potter. I had watched the first movie with my parents when I was quite young and Fluffy, the three headed dog, had terrified me and I had vowed never to have anything to do with the Potteredom ever again. But my father eventually goaded me into watching the movie again about 4 years later and I was hooked. I watched all four movies (which were out at the time) in a weekend and then started reading the fifth book. An odd number to start at, I do realize but the truth. It was the only book in the series that I owned and I wanted to know what happened next. After that I read six and then from one to four and then had to wait patiently for the seventh book to come out.
Now according to my parents my love of reading started with Harry Potter or at least was kindled by it. I don’t remember enough of my life before then to comment myself but I certainly read a hell of a lot afterwards. When I first read them it took me about a week to read each one. As the books got longer I got stronger and more enthralled now (if I have time) I can read them all in a week.
After that I couldn’t keep my nose out of a book for very long. I was one of those people who didn’t feel like the fitted in with the world around them but in books nobody judged me and nobody cared and I could surround myself with the most amazing things.
As I got older I learnt how to deal with (and spend more time in) the real world and I started to find my space in it but I never let go of that love of reading. Reading is what taught me, it taught me my morals and my goals and my ever so over-the-top opinions. At the moment in my life I haven’t worked hard enough at making time for the books that I love so much. When I do pick up a novel that I love, it is like I never left and when I stuck my head in the comfortable pages of Half a Yellow Sun, I was excited by the simple experience of reading.
I don’t think I have ever experienced anything better than being lost for hours in the speckled pages of a book. Our world is scary and harsh but the worlds we create are spectacular beyond even realities potential. For little girls (and boys) like me who don’t feel like the world accepts them, books are there to hold your hand and be your friend and guide you through your greatest perils.
Novels, writing, stories of all kinds have been there as something I can turn to throughout my life and if my parents are right I may just owe some thanks to Joan Rowling and Harry Potter for leading me onto the path.
Before I start throwing my Cape Town adventures at this blog I have one last Jo’burg outfit that I must share. The look is fun and exciting but I have not had time to show it to you so as I sit procrastinating instead of doing my laundry I thought I would use the time somewhat productively and finally share this look with you.
Just being in this dress puts me in a good mood
So one of the best parts of this dress is that I can turn in circles and the dress reacts beautifully.
I love this camera
The look involves an old vintage styled dress that I have and a hand me down red scarf. I was at the time in a good mood and I needed a look that would mirror how I felt. I grabbed this dress doubting its abilities to be fun but still willing to give it a try. I am glad I did because it lifted my mood even further. It is light and loose and when you twirl yourself in a circle while wearing it, it responds almost magically. The only complaint I have about this dress is that it has no petticoat and so I had to scrounge for one of my own and it is never good to add an extra piece of work to an outfit (for someone lazy like me) but when I am in a good mood I don’t mind nearly as much.
The scarf that I have tied around my head in a style to which my mother almost always gives a look of dismay, was my grandmothers and I like it because it seems like the typical red and white bandanna but when one gets closer one may realize it has more individual characteristics (this also makes me feel better about following the crowd).
I had to end the look with the white socks and sneakers. I realize it imitates a sort of school uniform look but that helped the feeling of having fun and being a kid again that the dress brought anyway.
The Polaroid went so well with the colour of my dress that I had to grab it to bring along besides one cant where such a vintage look with out recording it as a vintage (polaroid) picture.
I still think that a contributing factor to all dresses designs should be how well they twirl.
Enjoy your weekend and hopefully I’ll have new Cape Town inspired stuff up soon x
A new look. Don’t worry I am working on a blog post that isn’t about fashion but for the moment bare with me. I just got a new playsuit. After the misfortune of having my black jumpsuit shrunk in the wash I have been looking for a new one and although I have not found an affordable one yet, my eye did move to the short version while wondering through the Cotton On store. I like this because it is simple and so can be easily styled with loads of accessories. I also love the fact that you can dress this down with a pair of sandals and a cardigan or dress it up like I have with a nice chunky chain and a pair of killer (and sadly these are also feet killer) heels. I like the way this shows off my waist but is also loose and comfortable although I must admit that I don’t know how comfortable I am with the strapless shape as I am slightly self-conscious about my arms but I reckon one has to take the occasional risk.
I haven’t had an opportunity to wear it out dressed up like this but I have been wearing it a lot. Of course it is probably obvious that I am still following the black on black trend. Over all I think this gets a successful tick in the ‘staples’ box (I think a little black playsuit is just as good as a little black dress) and I think I will be wearing this for a while still.
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…
So I am currently enjoying the summer vibe that Factorie, an Australian brand surrounding teenage fashion which has found its way to South Africa, has to offer. I must admit the place isn’t perfect and I have found a few clothes of bad quality but the general trend is fun clothes which are easy to slip into and fall in love with. They are so popular that you can’t help but bump into people wearing the same clothes as you which is a bummer but I suppose it only speaks for the on-trend atmosphere of the brand.
One of the new style trends which has arisen this season which Factorie has taken full advantage of is what I like to call the skirt-shorts. These are shorts which are loose and casual and take on the look of a skirt except you don’t have to worry as much about the wind causing you to flash everyone. I, being an anti-short person, have found that this trend works to my advantage because it looks and feels like I am wearing a skirt so I invested in a pair.I am now very fond of them and maybe (just maybe) I may have to invest in another.
Another favourite from Factorie are the new halter neck crop tops. I love this shape on me, I love how it makes me look and feel and I already own two versions of this shirt.
Of course, me being me, I had to have a moment of clashing patterns. I haven’t done it in a while and I feel like I have an empty space in my fashion soul so I decided to go for it once more. It may look like I am wearing very little clothing but what you must understand is that with temperatures reaching above 30 degrees Celsius almost everyday one rarely wants to wear clothes at all. I love this look because it’s cool and comfortable but has my added bit of mischief to it.
moment in my life I haven’t worked hard enough at making time for the books that I love so much. When I do pick up a novel that I love, it is like I never left and when I stuck my head in the comfortable pages of Half a Yellow Sun, I was excited by the simple experience of reading.
Plain Old Glasses 