Kiss me more before you go.....

 Hello springtime! Spring, a season that doesn't seem to exist in this part of the world but still really I believe it's the best time of the year for fashion. My theory is that during the transitional seasons such as autumn and spring, fashion all around the world is more or less similar. According to the weather in these seasons some days its hot and other days its cold, thus for 6 months in the year the fashion of the world corresponds. Although winter remains my favorite season, in terms of fashion spring allows diversity.
The rules I live by for spring/summer fashion this year is remembering to keep it simple when living outside the box.

Spring party was the theme of my 3rd closet exchange. The 18 ladies in attendance had a lovely afternoon eating cupcakes, drinking cocktails and socializing while getting some awesome pieces of clothing in the processes. Here are some of the stuff that were available.

The skirt and the shoes featured

this is a white knit throw over which I wore backwards and these shoes were available

The top and skirt were both available

 These brogues have never been worn

More pictures from the closet exchange

and too the coolest lady I've seen......

With love,             

Esther

Remember remember the month of September

After  spending 3 days in hospital for severe constipation the month of september has taught me that change is constant and the guy I thought I'd never stop loving has become the last thing on my mind. 

Another constantly changing thing is trends, they come and go but some last longer than others. I was really hoping peplum would be gone by now.There are only so many ways this trend can be worn before it starts to look tacky and over done. 

A trend I only just got addicted to is leggings. These skin tight instruments of sin quietly crept into my life. It all started the day I found the perfect high wasted pair of black leggings at pep. Anyone who knows me knows that high waisted anything is my weakness. I was once apart of the skeptical few that judged girls for wearing leggings as pants but once I discovered the graceful way of doing it, my new motto became : ''When in doubt, wear leggings.''

  

"Say hell no to camel-toe"

 With love, 

 Esther

My personal guide to shopping

Nothing is worse than going shopping and returning home with nothing significant or returning half the things you bought because you have nothing that goes with it. So out of the greatness of my heart I've compiled a personal guide to shopping. Hopefully some of my tips could work for you.

Step 1

Online window shopping

Before you even consider leaving your house I suggest you spend several hours online looking at fashion websites and visiting web pages of the stores you usually shop in. This helps you create a mental picture of what you're looking for and also helps you create a budget (a word I hate using when I'm shopping). 

Step 2

Make time

If you don't make enough time to shop it really defeats the purpose. I usually go shopping early in the morning. As soon as the stores open, that time everything you're looking for is there and in your size. Preferably go by yourself, shopping with a friend usually leaves room for you to second guess yourself and who knows your style better than you.

Step 3

Shop Basics

Shopping for basics means buying important items of clothing that you can build your wardrobe around. To me basics include Black/white tank tops, a good pair of denims, pricey leggings or stalkings, little black dress, simple and versatile flats, denim shorts for summer and a sleek leather jacket or coat for winter.

             
 

 Remember your basics are timeless pieces and have been around for a long time. Also they should be in neutral colours as well, makes it easy to pair with what ever crazy colored item you might find. With your these items in your closet you can almost pair anything together.

Step 4

Try it on!!!

This is most probably the most important step. Everything that you even consider buying, try it on. I cannot stress any further how important it is to try on everything you want to buy. Some things may look good on the mannequin but not on you. When trying something on you are checking to see if the cut compliments your silhouette.

Step 5
When in doubt, leave it behind (unless it's a bargain)

I'm such a bargain hunter and by way of being a cheap skate I discovered thrift shopping. With thrifting comes a lot of doubt but if the top in question costs you N$10 then don't doubt it.
When you are out shopping on a students budget on the other hand, its always best to remember that if it doesn't look good in the store it won't work at home. If you are trying to step out of your comfort zone a little then find the confidence in what you're trying to purchase. Ask yourself, does it sit right? Does it send the right message? Does it go with anything else you already own? Is it a basic, a trend or predictable? Finally ask yourself if its worth what you're paying? Trust your gut when answering those questions and you'll leave the store a happy shopper!!


Try these out and please tell me if any of my tips worked for you.

 With love,            

Esther

Heels, Dogs and Chains

After the recession  I had to learn and master the art of recreating clothes, when making a good impression was the most important thing. As it has become a handy skill in my day to day, learning to make the best of what you have. I still wear tube tops and dresses as skirts and this is the proof.      

This shoot was done by my beautiful friend and alien sister, Bognahn Tarryn (Afreeca).

This isn't a skirt but rather a tube top I bought 2 years ago and wore it as a skirt ever since

Rocking several of my current favorite trends. black and gold, the mock turtle neck, crop top, lenons and strappy heels. 

Say hello to Princess. She lives up the road from my house and was more than willing to help out. 

As we approach september we get closer and closer to the next closet exchange which this year will be combined with the launch of a new boutique called ''Sweet Poppy Boutique'' Watch this space!!!

These shoes will be available at E S T H E R S   C L O S E T   E X C H A N G E

Comment and share to stand a chance to win free participation to the closet exchange.

 With love, 

Esther

The Knowstyle Lifestyle

Hey trend setters.....Came across a instagram profile called @theksls. This stands for the know style lifestyle. The name got me thinking about what really sets apart a trend setter from a follower. Came to the conclusion that knowing style means being aware of global trends and incorporating that into your own personal style. Also, knowing style means knowing what works for your shape. 

Many of these self proclaimed fashionistas tend to follow trends down to the t. They buy what's hot on TV. Some of us have become puppets of the media constantly imitating what ever's being cast by Hollywood loosing our personal identity in the processes. Lets reflect on what it really means to know style

What is your definition of personal style?

 With love, 

Esther

Focus On Photography: AnEli Info-graphic Technologies

A couple of years ago 2 boys were on a high school tour to Cape town when they discovered their talent for photography by taking over 500 pictures which everyone loved with a camera phone. A year later 20 year olds Eddy Kapembe and Dossantos Hindjou got new cameras and registered Aneli Info-graphic Technologies as a company specializing in  IT-Networking, Graphic design and Photography.

Eddy Kapembe

Dossantos Hindjou

The boys came up with the name Aneli  whilst being under a lot of  pressure on the day they registered the company in july. They eventually put both their moms names together. Anna and Elizabeth combined became AnEli.
Currently the boys make most their profit off of wedding photography and are planning to extend their work to Angola in August.

They are however not only limited to weddings, they have done numerous matric farewells and personal photo-shoots.

   

'' 5 years from now I see us owning a full studio and being renowned photographers in Namibia'' -Hindjou

I know these guys personally and its great to see how much they've developed their talent in the past two years. I finally summed up the courage to do a short photo-shoot with Eddy in the coast two months ago.

•    With love, 
  Esther

E S T H E R 'S C L O S E T E X C H A N G E

E S T H E R 'S  CL O S E T  E X C H A N G E  is an event I started after always swapping clothes at home with my cousins. We used to exchange clothes for as long as I could remember. What ever I liked in her cupboard I'd offer to trade which finally inspired me to create a formal event which I hosted at home with a small group of 8 girls.

This is how it worked. We did a 6 item exchange and what this means is that everyone attending needs to hand in at least 6 items of clothing. Clothes that you have but never wear or don't like (no t-shirts please) because as they say ''one mans trash is another mans treasure''. 

I then set these clothes up at home and on the day of the exchange the girls would come and pick 6 of whatever they like. If the individual found less things they wanted, whatever was left was donated to a charity.
There was participation fee which covered snacks and drinks and of course my hard work.

After my first closet exchange,expansion was in order. I needed to find a way to reach more people and increase the scale at which it started. In that spirit, the next closet exchange I held at an empty office space which with the help of my friends we recreated into a small boutique like atmosphese.

I encouraged the girls to post pictures of how they eventually pieced together what they found.

Bognahn Tarryn (write-my-curses-in-cursive.blogspot.com )
 Wearing two of her finds from the closet exchange

With love, 

Esther