Madly in love...with the women of Mad Men!

Not since sneaking episodes of Sex and the City when I was a teenager have I been this fashionably inspired by a television series. I must admit I’m a Mad Men newbie, having only recently started watching the first season. Yet here I am devoting an entire post to the glamorous 60’s fashion of the iconic, award winning television series, Mad Men.

From the painstakingly perfect Betty, with her neutral colour palette that suit her cool contained character perfectly, to the vivacious hour-glass figure dressed in jewel tones that is the spectacular red-head Joan, every female character of Mad Men is the definition of fashionably fabulous.

I’m intrigued by the notion of dressing up to do grocery shopping, curling your hair to welcome home your husband with a home-cooked meal and never failing to perfectly match your nail polish to your lipstick. Why don’t we live in that world anymore? I’d like to dress up to go grocery shopping...wouldn’t you?

In the mood for a stroll in the sunset?

Shoes have personalities, just like human beings. Some shoes fit better with certain kinds of people...they have moods, just like you and me. When I’m in a playful and fun mood I certainly won’t feel like putting on a pair of running shoes....No, I’ll slip on my dancing shoes or a sexy pair of heels!

When I look at a pair of wedges I’m reminded of hot sweltering summer evenings sipping cocktails next to a pool, watching as the sun sets over the ocean. So in the spirit of this holiday mood I bought this fun pair of wedges at Mr Price for only R119.95! Of course I couldn’t wait to share them with you so naturally when this beautiful sunset presented itself as a photo opportunity I immediately got out my camera and snapped some pics! Check out how lovely the wedges look next to these sunset photos! So now do you believe me? Shoes definitely have personalities!

Just fine and dandy!

 

The guys at Satruday Studio brand planning (view their website here) asked me to photograph these dandelions for their blog. I decided to shake things up pretty little pigeons style and throw some shoes into the mix! Let me know what you think!

HUGE new Mr Price Store

There recently opened a HUGE new Mr Price concept store in Sandton City! I can't wait to roadtrip (or gautrain!) to Joburg to go check it out! You can read all about the store on the Mr Price blog or on the Elle website, which is also where I got the photos!

For the love of fashion.

Recently I asked myself, what is fashion really? We spend thousands on expensive designer clothing and young girls with million dollar trust funds who own 300 pairs of shoes are the world’s new role models. We dedicate whole weeks to fashion, we talk about it, we blog about it, we tweet about it...but why?

For centuries individuals have used clothing as a nonverbal way to communicate status, occupation, wealth, gender, group affiliation and rank, to name but a few. What we wear and how we wear it provides those around us with a shorthand to subtly read beneath the surface of a social situation.

In order to not become one of those bloggers who blog about fashion without really caring about its meaning, its status, history and origins, I have decided to do a series on the history of fashion. I want to take us back to our roots, not only because I know everyone, myself included loves vintage clothing, but also because I’m becoming intensely aware of the importance of appreciating our origins.

There was a time when, due to the lack of proper communication systems, a fashion trend took 10 to 15 years to permeate to other areas in one country. It is only when rail travel improved communication that the fashion cycle speeded up and by the time we reached the Edwardian era in 1901 fashion was moving in a yearly cycle. I feel honoured to be able to have trends at my fingertips, to not have to wait months or years in order to get my fashion fix.

So watch out for posts from the ‘For the love of fashion’ series, in which I’ll try to take us on a fun journey into the history of fashion!

(Reference: 'Theory of Fashion Clothing', by Pauline Weston Thomas at www.fashion-era.com)

(Photos from metmuseum.org and madameguillotine.com)

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Today I face the world with a strange mix of trepidation and excitement, I’m in the middle of my third year exams and in no time I’ll be a final year student, on the doorstep of the scary, yet strangely exciting so-called ‘grown-up’ world. Every exam I write brings me closer to that new reality...Should I be excited? Or scared?

In order to counteract my mixed feelings I took to my closet and fished out this upbeat sea-shell print shirt, (previously worn here), and decided to fight trepidation with funky prints and fuel excitement with pretty jewellery. I wear this shirt with a skinny waist-belt from Mr Price. I also pair it with the key necklace I made in a previous post, here, and a handmade navy blue necklace I bought at a market!

One tribal print scarf makes all things new!

 

I’ve lately been slightly obsessed with the tribal print trend... and rightly so, the fashion world has come to Africa and I can’t help but itch to wear my tribal print African colours with pride!

However, it seems South African stores have not yet caught on. After a marathon tribal print inspired shopping session yesterday I was pretty much ready to give up on finding a new tribal print item when I finally found this beautiful tribal print scarf with pretty flecks of mustard yellow popping out all round. I’m in love! I bought it at Legit for only R39.95! Every piece of this outfit except the scarf is super old...yet one scarf makes the whole outfit brand new.

Don't you just love the combination of turquoise jewellery with tribal print? Let me know what you'd wear with tribal print!  

Check out my pinterest account here if you want some more tribal inspiration!

If the key fits...

I was busy tidying my room (which could also be translated into serious procrastination and avoidance of studying) when I found a bunch of old keys lying around. Don’t we all have those? Keys lying around that’s been long forgotten, know one knows where they fit or who they belong to?

I swiftly decided to put the forgotten keys out of their misery and put them to good use! I took an old chain I also had lying around (yes, I’m quite the hoarder...) and turned my unused keys into a beautifully unique accessory.

If the key fits...why not wear it around your neck?