The Second Hand Dress

I haven't been able to shop for the longest time and anyone who knows me knows that I'm a shopperholic. Anyone who knows me well knows that I go crazy for anything that's affordable, looks good and is of good quality.

One of my mom's colleagues is moving abroad and wanted to sell some of her belongings before she leaves. When I heard the words "clothes for less than R50", immediately went crazy! 

Shopping at a thrift shop or buying second hand clothes (from anywhere) can be a good way for you to save money and still look good. If you're not up for simply buying something cheap, you can swap clothes with some of your friends or family members. That way, everyone gets what they want.

who said good clothes have to cost three (or more) figures? If you like something, no matter how cheap it may be, grab it! As long as it doesn't look its sale price, no one will ever guess :)

SA Fashion Week

SA Fashion Week, for me, was about new discoveries. I fell in love with new designers, discovered some new cool trends that I'm dying to try out and I fell in love with some of my favourite designers all over again. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend this amazing event and that's why I am so thankful for the internet! Here's a quick round-up of my 6 favourites from Fashion Week:

October 15th: 

Gert Johan: One of my ultimate favourite local designers! Gert's collection theme was based on HIV awareness. Some of the prints on the garments were enlarged images of the virus under a microscope. 

Tweeted by: @CosmopolitanSA

Tweeted by: @GRAZIASAmag

Tweeted by: @GRAZIASAmag
This print is the virus under a microscope

Tweeted by: @safashionweek

Black by Black Coffee: Designer Jacques van der Watt's Figment collection was inspired by the works of Belgian surrealist artist, René Margritte. Jacques used bold and dreamy prints which were teamed up with some stunning accessories that were created in collaboration with the Ekurhuleni community. 

Tweeted by: @fashatitsfall

Tweeted by: @ChrisVMerwe

Tweeted by: @ChrisVMerwe

Tweeted by: @ChrisVMerwe

Tweeted by: @ChrisVMerwe

Wake: Winner of Renault's New Talent Search. I feel that their collection was relaxed and 'rooted', considering the colours and use of animal hide and organic prints.

Tweeted by: @EmilieGambade

Tweeted by: @People_SA

Tweeted by: @ELLEmagazineSA

Tweeted by:Cosmopolitan SA

October 17th:

Erre: (Pronounced "Air") is the new kid on the block and they totally won my heart with their all black collection. Their thick scarves and detailed garments were absolutely enough to get me ready for next year's cold season. Absolutely stunning!

Tweeted by: @Style_SA

Tweeted by: @EdgarsFashion

Tweeted by: @GRAZIASAmag

Kat Van Duinen: Another all black collection! From the feathers and fur to the beading and sequins. Each item  and accessory incorporated in this collection didn't draw attention away from the clothes themselves and I loved the soft touches, like the lace on some items to keep the looks chic.

Tweeted by: @GRAZIASAmag

Tweeted by: @ELLEmagazineSA

Tweeted by: @alexischaffe

October 19th:

Rubicon Clothing: My love! For the modern day woman, for the every day woman. Rubicon is just... life itself when it comes to women and clothes. This collection was one of the few that had me lost for words.

Tweeted by: @safashionweek

Tweeted by: @safashionweek

Tweeted by: @safashionweek

Tweeted by: @safashionweek

Tweeted by: @Style_SA

bright bright baby

I'm not one to go all out with bright colours-- I even skipped the colour block trend-- but after my mom gave me a turquoise skirt that she no longer wanted, I knew that there were only two ways to make this skirt work for me: a) let it pop and pair it with a muted top that was either white or a quiet shade of another colour or b) embrace the bright colour of the skirt and be daring by pairing it with a bright coloured top.

The fact that this skirt belonged to my mom made me think of dressing it up in a way that I imagined she would have in the 90s. I got my pearl earrings and bracelets as well as a pair of wedge sandals, perfect for the warm sunny weather of Johannesburg, and puffed out my afro, just like my mom would've.

What I love about this skirt, apart from the fact that it's high waist and appropriate for all the formal things in life, is that it's made of really soft wool so it screams comfort! I'm not a big fan of skirts (and dresses) so it means a lot when I obsess over one. I love to dress up every once in a while and after I put this look together, I felt ready to walk out of the house and be my unusual semi-formal self.

sometimes stepping out of your comfort zone is one of those things you need to do, to give you a push in the right direction and help you discover more of yourself in terms of personal style. Try something you never thought you ever would and maybe you might just like it.

Top: Mr Price

Shoes: Clarks

DIY: Pearl Perfection

I'm an aspiring fashion designer and anyone who loves fashion that much is pretty much guilty of doing things like buying an item of clothing out of pity then getting home and giving it new life in some way. I tend to do that with my old clothes too... A lot, so much that my mom complains and threatens not to buy me clothes for a while because I become a fashion monster when I'm bored and armed with my box of sewing essentials.

About a year and a half ago, I was helping my mom clean out her closet because it was overflowing (I'm still jealous of that cause my closet is so empty, I believe). I found this knitted top that I instantly fell in love with. I'd often ask to borrow it so I could wear it with things like leggings or skinnies but I eventually kept it in my room because I borrowed it THAT OFTEN and I guess my mom got tired of hearing me ask for it all the time. I noticed recently that I hadn't worn it in a while. I get bored easily with a lot of things and I love change. I guess I got bored with the fact that there was only so much I could really wear this slightly oversized knitted top with since it was so plain. I got my scissors, thread and needle and I found a necklace and inspiration hit me.

I love to DIY because it makes me happy inside. I'm that kid who looked forward to art class in school, especially when we were doing practicals or presentations (I'm left handed. Creativity's our thing, naturally). I spent about a week wondering whether or not I should crop the top slightly and I decided not to since it's wool and there are a whole bunch of complications that come with altering knit wear (although I might just end up cropping it in the future).

Before attempting to DIY, I love to sketch to see how the item would look in a certain way. I also have a habit of pinning clothes, especially when I plan on cutting them, just to see how they'd really look on me (in reality) if I did cut them. If I like the sketches and the real-life image I get, I go for it. Be daring and different, but also be smart. When cutting clothes, be sure that your scissors are sharp enough and that your lines are straight. Also, cut below your desired length so that you can always have space to snip if you make a mistake. The last thing you want to do is mess up a lovely item of clothing. Also, do your research if you plan on snipping knitted items and you've never done it before. Go with your gut too. If it screams 'NO!', put those scissors down and find alternative ways to dress up in that item.

I personally think my top's still cute regardless of the fact that I didn't crop it, and I have that pearl necklace to thank.

Accessories- Mr Price

vintage chic

Inspired by the late 90s' fashion, I got to raiding my mother's closet for some vintage items and discovered this Woolworths skirt and these cute gladiator heels that she got from Mr Price last year. I took those two items and dressed them up with a crop top I'd gotten from Mr Price about a year ago for less than R50. An old school look need not cost an arm and a leg. For a free outfit, set out to collect some items from your older relatives' or parents' closets if they kept items from their day.

Skirt- Woolworths

Crop top & Shoes- Mr Price 

Bag- mom's old school keeps from the 90s