Tag: Style

Outfits

Safari stylish in Madikwe

by s.a.b1 Comment on Safari stylish in Madikwe

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about what I usually recommend packing for an African safari, and I had planned to do an outfit post to go with it, but then I was enjoying myself so much during our return visit to Morukuru I forgot to do proper outfit photos… and when we got back life and work got in the way so I’m only now remembering to post. It’s lucky I had a few photos for one of our coffee breaks that I wanted for an Instagram post, as they also work for this post.

This outfit is exactly how I like to dress for a morning game drive. It’s usually quite chilly in the early morning when we go out, even in late Spring, but it also gets warm around 9:30AM, and layering is my preferred option to be comfortable from start to finish. The dress here is my bottom layer, it’s made of a super light parachute-like fabric, and has buttons all the way to the bottom meaning I could also wear it open form the waist down over jodhpurs for colder weather.

I topped it off with my favourite camo shacket (this is at least eight years old by now…), which is worn down and comfortable and has deep pockets for kids snacks, my phone, lip balm etc. As a middle layer I’m wearing a jumper cum cape knit with an asymmetric hem: it is sleeveless so works well under the thinnest outerwear unlike chunkier knits and doesn’t keep me too warm. I do love the modern look of it though, it’s a lot of fun.

I could have added a shawl for extra warmth but the week-end we were in Madikwe in late September had pretty mild temperatures. Still, you can see I’m a lover of accessories as I’m wearing a croc CDC bracelet from Hermès, plenty of little chain bracelets, and, more practically speaking, a wide brim hat and my new pair of Zara desert boots. The strap on my Sony Alpha is by South African maker Lunar Straps and perfectly matches the landscape.

I love this photo of Little Madame and me on the dead branch… alas you can’t see that she is wearing her own number one accessory: a leopard headband with little ears, but it’s on my Insta feed, go have a look, it’s adorable. There you have it, I think you’d agree I am looking both reasonably stylish and super comfortable.

With love, S.

Outfits, Uncategorized

Working from home day 72 (I think)

by s.a.bLeave a Comment on Working from home day 72 (I think)

Working from home is apparently going to be my new normal for a while still… Why else would my office management colleagues have recommended I order a bigger screen for my desk and made it possible for those interested to pick up their office chairs? I love my home office chair, it’s so beautiful, grey felt over light wood legs with a 1960s feel, there is not a chance I decide to bring the monstrosity that I have at work here… Still, I did get the bigger screen and even a proper keyboard. So now my home office is a little less pretty, but a lot more functional.

However, I am slowly relenting in the outfit stakes… Don’t let these photos fool you, this outfit feels almost as comfortable as if I’d stayed in my workout leggings and sweatshirt. And I think I am slowly finding my happy medium when it comes to dressing to work from home. And it seems a lot of it relies on long-line cardis.

I have decided long-line cardis are going to be my isolation staple, especially now that we are moving firmly into Winter here in Johannesburg. It’s basically like wearing a dressing gown, isn’t it? This one is in the softest traceable merino, and it’s from Country Road at Woolworths (I am not a snob when it comes to basics like this and I see Woolies as the SA equivalent to M&S), I love the paired-down chic look of it and the versatility. Sizing is quite generous, I’m wearing a small.

But the real ace in today’s outfit has got to be the jeans: we all love a flared cut, especially if you’re short and somewhat curvy like me… these jeans are the only thing that is going to make my legs look long-ish in real life (for everything else there are filters, thankfully), and of course the super dark wash does help. And what’s amazing? For some reason I managed to find the one model that has a high waist, all mamas out there will know why this is fantastic, and has just as much stretch as a pair of leggings, so everything stays nicely smoothed in. So they really are leggings disguised as jeans. They’re from Sissy Boy.

I did add my latest pair of Céline sandals for the picture, the Manon wedges (please excuse the lack of pedicure, lockdown oblige)… again it helps with the overall impression of length, although now I’m looking at the images I’m not entirely sure the light tan goes too well with the rest of the outfit. Too late now. And in any case that was just for the photo, if you want to know what footwear I’m really wearing, head out to my Insta stories and have a laugh.

With love, S.

Outfits

Sailor stripes and kitten heels

by s.a.b7 Comments on Sailor stripes and kitten heels

As South Africa moves slowly into Autumn, it’s still very much the same routine day in day out, with mornings and afternoons filled with video calls and emails demanding urgent attention (everything is suddenly urgent), but yes, we continue to work from home here.

I am still resisting the idea of spending my days in PJs; instead I’ve gone the opposite way and go visit my very redundant accessories in the morning, at least to try a bag or two or see how heels feel these days. Not very comfortable, I’ll admit, but so so pretty. Also, notice how I took these pictures by my Globe-Trotter wheelies, if that’s not a subconscious attempt to get closer to travelling again, I don’t know what is…

Today didn’t feel like a jeans kind of day, it might have something to do with all the delicious tarts and homemade bread we’ve been baking lately, although I’m pretending it’s just because I am a little tired today, so instead I am wearing cargo trousers that have a very nice drawstring waist, which means they can be let out or in as needed. I originally bought these trousers from Theory for travel days, however with the tapered cut and lightweight fabric they are perfect for transitional weather, and yes they are incredibly comfortable. Drawstring trousers are also a great idea for post-preggo waists that are finding their way back to their normal selves (I haven’t been pregnant in a good few years but we can still pretend my waist is working its way back to what it was ten years ago can’t we?)…

I adore big sailor stripe jumpers, and this one with the gold tone buttons on the shoulder is one of my favourites; it’s from Court & Rowe. I have a similar one with blue stripes on cream but find this one is more flattering as the darker colour is more predominant (and the shape is quite forgiving, isn’t it…). This is the kind of jumper that looks amazing with jeans and Stan Smiths, but it also gets dressed up easily: sometimes I wear it with a white button down underneath and some cigarette trousers.

And, just because it was the morning and I wanted to play with some accessories, I pulled a pair of Manolo Blahnik slingbacks from my closet (the kitten heels are easy enough but my feet are most definitely resisting closed shoes, especially the pointed toe kind) and a Céline classic box. It’s important that they feel the love as well even though we’ve got nowhere to go, right?

With love, S.

Outfits

Working from home… again

by s.a.b2 Comments on Working from home… again

It’s getting colder here in Johannesburg… and I’m starting to sympathise with that colleague of mine who was confessing with glee that she was very happy to work all day in her PJs (see, I told you I’d slowly get there, I’m not quite there yet, but soon, I’m sure), especially as I just heard our office would remain closed for another four weeks at the least… That’s a lot of home-based work outfits for me to pull together.

I found this knitted dress during last week-end’s closet clear-out, it was hiding under some (many) jumpers… It’s from Mango, which pretends it delivers in South Africa: in reality it still ships your orders from Spain and you get wacked with a major duty invoice if you’re not careful, I learned the hard way…

I’ve been wearing trousers most days since lockdown so this is a nice change. In all honesty this feels very close to wearing PJs at work… After all the knit texture is super comfortable, very unlike the more structured shapes I often wear in the office, and this outfit took exactly five seconds to pull together. I am however wearing Spanx-like undies, for obvious reasons (try wearing knit fabrics over lacy lingerie and get back to me), does that redeem me?

I did make an effort with the accessories (pretty much like my colleague of the PJs: she puts a nice necklace on top of a sweatshirt and there you have it, dressed) with my favourite Hermès CSGM, a design called A Cheval Sur Mon Carré (it’s over ten years old, is at the top of many H fan’s grail list, and yet I scored in a sale!), a few fun pearl earrings from Samira 13, and my favourite Chanel slingbacks, which would need to be replaced at this point after three years of traipsing the streets of many cities the world over, if only Chanel would re-issue this very classic grey flannel combo instead of issuing some pretty garish colourways…

Watch this space, at this rate it’s very probably I’ll soon be wearing something very casual indeed to get me through my daily video call marathons, and when I do, I’ll be sure to document it.

With love, S.

Outfits, Uncategorized

I love a denim jumpsuit

by s.a.b2 Comments on I love a denim jumpsuit

The fact that I adore jumpsuits and own multiple versions (linen, wrapped, zipped, work-friendly, beach-friendly…) is odd, seeing as the look, done wrong, can make anyone look like a toddler in a babygro. It actually depends on how you style them, as each different type of jumpsuit has the potential to look amazing but you need to thread cautiously: a boiler suit is not very flattering with trainers, but add fabulous sandals and you’re in Studio 54 territory, a jumpsuit with palazzo legs absolutely requires heels 12cm and higher, unless of course you the the gorgeous legs of a giraffe (if that’s the case I still love you, but please don’t rub it in by commenting just that) etc… That said, there is one thing jumpsuits are bad, even horrible, for across the board: going to the bathroom; the idea of sitting half naked trying not to let the sleeves droop on the slightly damp floor in a restaurant’s loo just because I needed a tinkle is, ahem, not how I saw my glamourous self move through life. My advice: drink little. Once you are able to see past these trappings, you soon realise that a jumpsuit is actually the perfect hybrid between a dress and trousers.

Like a dress, a jumpsuit removes the need to think through matching separates, it’s a perfect one piece outfit and it can be accessorized up or down depending on the occasion. But, like trousers, a jumpsuit is a little more practical and easy to maneuver than a dress. A denim jumpsuit is the most versatile of pieces, it works for all seasons and this one, by Rebecca Taylor, is my current favourite; the fact it makes my waist look quite trim may have something to do with it… It also looks quite neat underneath an cable knit on chillier days (not that I’m seeing many of these now that I live in sunny South Africa).

The simplicity of a jumpsuit means you only need shoes and a bag and you’re ready to go…  in this case I was going out for one of my rare outings in lockdown, for some groceries, so everything was quite pared down. A canvas tote for the groceries, some easy flats (with the animal print detail, I have standards, you know), sunnies, and there I went. I obviously prefer when I dress it up a little with strappy heels and a fabulous H handbag, alas these days it’s all about simpler and easier… But I promise, I will post some more interesting outfits very soon.

What do you think…. denim jumpsuits: are you a fan or that’s not a trend for you?

Love, S.

Style, Style Notes

The new office style

by s.a.bLeave a Comment on The new office style

I have to say, this whole working from home situation has created a conundrum for me. You see, most days, my usual getting ready routine in the morning involves getting dressed from the shoes up… and most office days, that means high heels, the more fabulous the better. Now, with most of us non essential workers (yes I also feel very valuable thanks to this term…) working from home, high heels are suddenly redundant, much to my chagrin, and in fact I feel a little odd even putting on shoes to walk to my desk, turn on my laptop, and start what usually looks like a never-ending symphony of video calls.

I know, there are some hardcore fashionistas out there who work from home with their 120mm Loubies on and I applaud them; there is also the other end of the spectrum, with the club of pyjama all-day lovers, and actually the other day I was on a video call where someone forgot to put a top on and yet hadn’t realised their camera was on (at least I hope they hadn’t realised). Let’s not judge…

Still, in these strange times where your bed is metres away from your desk, when your children’s headmaster is also your husband, and the school’s recess time with all its squeals often coincides with that big deal conference call about how this funding structure or that guarantee scheme will save the world’s economy, it’s fair to say office style has taken a whole new meaning. Also, why do most people insist on video calls? What is the appeal of a poor resolution image that is badly-lit and weakens the connection? And whilst we’re here, why can’t video call apps have a filter that smooths out wrinkles and exasperated facial expressions….? Dear Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Skype creators, food for thought. Until then, I’ll use a combination of my desk lamp and my selfie light to create the illusion of a glow, and the minute non essential goods are available to buy again in South Africa I’m ordering one of those ring lights used by make-up artists. If you’re going to spend your day on a video call, why not look good.

Anyways I digress. You’ll find I do that a lot. We’re talking style, specifically home office style. Getting ready in the morning is still very much a pleasure for me. With the aforementioned video calls in mind, I now start my outfits from the top down. I usually opt for a light top, because that makes a nicer frame for my face on video. I have loads of open embroidery blouses in whites and creams, most of them from Zara, and they are getting use a lot. When I have a very serious meeting ahead, I usually opt for a classic button down, like the one in the photos above, which is Misha Noonoo’s Husband Shirt. Without knowing, one could guess that my bottoms are just joggers, but to date I have not gone there yet; then again we’re only on week four of this lockdown, ask me again in a few weeks and I may be a completely different person. For now, I usually go for jeans (no, I’m not trying to prove anything to anyone, but it helps to make sure they still fit from time to time, what with the fridge and pantry so close to my office) or paperbag carrot trousers, they are my favourite cut at the moment and I love the ease of the knotted belt.

What I miss the most in this new office style is accessories… Picture this: me packing my wallet, mobile phone, make-up goodies etc into my favourite Chanel jumbo, only to walk down the corridor to my home office, how silly would that be? How about me wearing some serious heels, only to take them out as I fold my legs under my to sit more comfortably through virtual meeting number five… I mostly wear flat espadrilles, sometimes a wedge if I’m feeling particularly committed to the stylish cause, but yes, I miss my accessories. Sometimes when it’s a bit chilly, I wear one of my CSGMs, and seeing as we’re going into Autumn and Winter here, with a bit of luck that will be everyday. Until then… let’s just say my home office style is quite basic.

With love, S.