I always get mocked for my love of color and my sometimes – um – vibrant – fashion choices. But, as you can see, it started early for me… Two hats, hot pink, tartan – some of my favourite outfits

This one to the right is one of my favourite baby pics. It’s from my very first dance show. I think I was about 3 or 4. You’ll notice that my white tennis shoes aren’t exactly plain white I apparently flat refused to wear white tennis shoes so I attacked them with glitter glue!

Dear South African clothing shops

Please get your shit together and work out a way to standardise your sizing!

I spent the entire morning and half the afternoon yesterday walking around Canal Walk buying new clothes. Unfortunately, most of my time was spent heading back into the fitting rooms. This is because I genuinely have NO CLUE what size I am… None whatsoever.

I ended up buying pants and skirts in:

• Size 8
• Size medium
• Size 12
• Size 37
• Size 38
• Size 40 (actually I didn’t buy these because I refuse to be a size 40)

How can I be all these sizes at the same time?!?

It’s got to the point where I hate shopping because I never know what to pick up and take to the fitting room. With a limit of 5/6 items, my options seem to be to either take several items in a random size each and hope that one fits, or take one item in every possible size… In the last year or two I think I’ve bought 2 pairs of pants because I keep giving up after trying on 2/3 different sizes.

The only reason I ended up getting so much yesterday is because I just plain refused to give up. I was in desperate need of new pants and had to make something happen now.

This is kinda sad because I used to love shopping. But ever since sizes started to become so erratic, I dread trying to find pants to fit me… So please South African shops, sort this out!

Regards,

A sizeless shopper

*Image sourced here

So what will you be wearing for the Royal Wedding? I haven’t quite decided yet…

Wait, what? You don’t know why I’m asking about your outfit for the Royal Wedding???

Um, it’s only the biggest event of 2011!  In case you missed the memo, Prince William will be marrying the very lucky Katherine Middleton on the 29th of April in an lavish ceremony with much pomp and ceremony, as only the British Royal Family can pull off. And we’re all invited Thanks to the wonders of modern technology of course

Now that we’ve established that we are not all flying to the UK to attend the wedding (only a special 1900 guests will be doing that). And we know that we will be watching in the comfort of our own homes… This is still the Royal Wedding. You cannot, repeat cannot, wear your fluffy bunny slippers and eat chips and drink beer! Oh no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no…. No, just no! No! Once more for luck, NO!

So I repeat, what will you be wearing for the Royal Wedding?

I’m not sure yet, but I think I want new shoes for the day

I’ll let you in on a little secret I swear by; underwear.

It’s not just about good underwear in my book. If you need a pick me up, a set of nice, matching underwear can do you so much good. And it makes me feel pretty when I wear underwear with a bit of lace or sparkle, even if I’m not wearing anything fancy clothes wise.

Don’t believe me? Just try it. Tomorrow wear something nice (and matching) under your everyday clothes, you will feel the difference. It makes you feel a little naughty because you know if you somehow happened to get caught in your underwear, you would look hot. It’s amazing how a set of matching underwear can make your body look so much hotter! I have few proper sets but other than that I just make sure the colours match. It’s my way of feeling good when I get dressed

I always used to look at pretty underwear in the shops and think that there is no point in buying it if I don’t have someone in my life to buy it for… But then I remembered that my motto is do things for me.

And I also always hear my mother telling me to wear nice underwear in case I’m in an accident and the paramedics have to take my clothes off…

Be different

While I was still in university my mother and I spotted this pair of purple boots. I fell in love with them instantly! But I didn’t buy them… What would I do with a pair of purple boots? Where would I wear them? What would I wear them with? It just seemed a little too much and too over the top. My mom wanted me to have them so badly she ended up buying them for me. Basically she decided that these were “me” boots and my life wouldn’t be OK without them. She was right… (Always listen to your mother, she really does know best.)

So what made these boots so life altering? I’m not a hundred percent sure actually. They are just cute boots, little kitten heels, mid-calf height, round toe… Oh and they are purple.

The Purple Boots

Up until this point, I’d always had a slightly off-beat sense of style but never really shown it. I was a shy kid, and still can be very shy, and I grew up going to school that had a uniform, so fashion and style was never really something I had much opportunity for. I knew what I liked but didn’t really buy much of it. At university was the first time in my life I could explore this notion and I really had started slowly. I sought constant approval from those around me and always looked at what other people were wearing so I didn’t get it wrong. I guess always being surrounded by people wearing the same uniform as you kinda rubbed off.

These boots to me were a bold thing. They weren’t a basic colour that would go with everything and they were fun and a little different. This was life changing for me. I always got comments when I wore them, good comments. It slowly dawned on me that the reason they were different and not what I saw other people wearing was because everyone else thought the way I had originally: I love things that are different but I don’t have the guts to wear them, people don’t wear things like this, only the risk takers do. Will I get approval from those around me if I take a risk?

Now I know I’m only talking about a pair of purple boots, it’s hardly Lady Gaga level of out there-ness, but for me it was a big deal. I suddenly had flashbacks to when I was little and I had begged my mom to buy this pair of shorts that I LOVED. They were yellow with pink polka dots and pink bows on the sides (I was about 6 here so that was cute, OK). I wore them once. I am actually still berating myself for that. I loved the shorts but they were so “look at me” I couldn’t wear them. So all my life I’ve wanted to be a risk taker and enjoy fashion, but I’d never been able to.

So now I had my purple boots and I wore them all the time I’ll never forget rocking up to a friend’s place in my purple boots and my red trench coat (other clothes were worn underneath, I promise) and my friend saying “Only Fae would wear a red trench and purple boots! And only Fae could pull it off!” I had arrived and I had found my style… And I approved of it first, I didn’t wait and get approval from others. That came after I had accepted it.

So I have to say thank you to my mom, for knowing me better than I know myself some times. And thank you to the purple boots for igniting my style. And even a thank you to those poor yellow shorts that only got worn once, you remind me to give myself and my choices approval, because no one else will do it for me.