Rebecca's World: Boots on Kloof Street

This just in from Rebecca - "I am not sure what this girl's name is but I thought she looked amazing. I tracked down this gorgeous girl roaming Kloof Street - as you do. I think that the combination of boots with more feminine outfits is a key trend to be able to pull off this season. She contrasts the very masculine leather lace ups with pretty feminine frills and the oversized bow in her hair. And you know how I love a hair bow!"

Rebecca's World: Aimee in Flirty Florals

Rebecca has been away in the wilds of KwaZulu Natal for the past few months and has sent me this missive from the farm. We miss her and hope she will be back in CT soon. Please.

"Trainee buyer for Foschini, Aimee, looks ultra comfortable and summery in this cute floral playsuit from Wardrobe accessorized simply with a dainty gold necklace and tassel bag. I love it!"

We love it too. Perfect for the hot summer we are having down here in Cape Town.

Rebecca's World: Simplistic Tribal Print

I get asked all the time about what constitutes African design. And I always say that it is about the essence of Africa. It is more than an indigenous print, rather it is a point of reference, a spirit, a natural fabric, a colour and yes, a print.
This dress fits that description while still being miles away from curio costume. An abstract repetitive print is very traditional Africa and wouldn't exist in a geometric way without its origins here on our continent. Something to think about?

Rebecca's World: Marishka, Fashion Assistant Off-Duty

We love Marishka, the fashion assistant on Glamour magazine. Her edgy hair and endless pins are her trademark, but her essence is sweet and fun and she is jolly good to chat to at the never ending round of fashion weeks, launches and events we all have to attend. This look is a perfectly on-trend summer vibe of corseted top on a cute floral mini dress with an exposed zip. Three trends for the price of one. Well played lady.

Rebecca's World: Anja van Zyl, Model Off-Duty

Anja is one of our most experienced local models and have placed in the top three at Miss SA and walked almost every fashion week for the past few years. She has elegance and poise and is a real sweetheart to chat to. Here she is off-duty, looking beautiful in her Honeysuckle colour dress and straw trilby.

Rebecca's World: Vintage Florals

This is such a beautiful vintage tea dress, combined effortlessly with the cute cropped modern cardigan and flashy sunnies. The ladylike character is inherent in the flower hem and the frill on the collar, but brought realistically up to date for contemporary life.
What a great example of how to do it.

Rebecca's World: Floral Goodness

This gorgeous dress is by Good. The hair flower is by Hello Sailor and both are available from various small independent stores around the country (like The Space) and more secifically at Mungo and Jemima and the Old Biscuit Mill.
For super-cute summer frocks and skirts, you really couldn't do better. Get yours today.

I know it is raining in CT today, but in the rest of Africa it is hot. I'm just guessing, of course, but I reckon I'm mostly right. And so white is the style order of the day. We wondered how to accessorise white this season and so we got a few trendsetters to show us how. My choice is the tan belt and bag. But I know that the fresher look is definitely the blue or sherbert accessories. Play nicely now!

So I hear that in the States they are calling Veldskoen 'desert boots'. I thought that I had better show you what desert boots look like. Awesome, but not veldskoen. Thanks for finding Rebecca.

The underwear as outer wear trend - have you been wondering how you are going to do it this season? Well I sent Rebecca out to find out how the folks on the streets are doing it. Here are three different interpretations all of which are decent and stylish. Of course, it depends on your personal interpretation of style. In my lipstick-goth youth I would probably have gone for the one in the middle, but now that I am a grown up, I think the lovely Leonie up top is the clear style winner here.

This is a very good outifit. Short of updating the choice of scarf and how it is draped, it is perfection. Shoes. Shorts. Colour. NAILS!! Look, this woman is beautiful. But it is the elgance of her outfit and the big smile that showcases it. Everyone can do that.

Want to know how to do boots as you segue from winter to summer? Well, this is how. Casual, comfortable, stylish and weather-appropriate. See, Rebecca's connections know these things.

This is a rocking colour combo. That's all. I am happy now. Thank you.

What is this? A man? No! Who woulda thought. It has been so long since we featured a real love local chap on the blog so I was delighted that Rebecca brought me this one. And with the inclement weather that has greeted the first days of spring, I think that a good coat and hat story can't go amiss.
Look how he has turned up the collar. Combined a selection of tweeds and woven wool. Popped on some geek glasses and a bow tie - very current. All fantastic.
I just think we could have done without those scabby trainers. A nice polished loafer would have finished the look off with much more style. But jolly well done.

I think that I may be starting to feel about head scarves the way I feel about neckerchiefs - in that if it is deployed correctly I LOVE THEM. It is so tricky though to get the look absolutely right. I know I have tried and failed on many occasions in the privacy of my own home. But this lady has hit it absolutely perfectly. Simple, classic but trendy outfit making a hero of the head scarf. Awesome. Thanks for the find Rebecca.

Style. It is something as unique and undefinable as a snowflake pattern. Sometimes you can craft it if you have a light touch. Sometimes it comes to you later in life. Sometimes it never will. But for those that really stand out to both the trained and the untrained eye are those for whom it is unavoidable. It just it part of them. So it is with the woman on the left. This is not fashion, this my friends is style.

This is the very lovely Amber from the Mr Price blog www.inthefashionloop.com. She is incredibly stylish and adventurous. She knows what she likes and considers an entire outfit. We can all learn from her.

Nautical Nice and Naughty
It's the head scarf, obviously. I totally love it. I want so badly to be able to do this. Sigh. Of course the stripes, the blazer, the high waist and the lace-up shoes speak to every tick box imaginable. And yet she still looks individual. Excellent work Rebecca for finding her. Excellent work nautical lady for being awesome.

Rebecca's World - Socks and Sandals

I know it is counter intuitive and against anything you have ever been taught about style, but if you haven't already, it is time to embrace socks and sandals. You can do it like this gorgeous woman, or you can choose a small ankle sock in a cute colour. But whatever you do, at least try it out. Now is the time.
PS: How incredible are these stems? And that mussy hair cut? Not forgetting the yellow bag?!

Rebecca's World - Nautical and Nice

Rebecca found this lady on the last day of fashion week when we were all a bit burny-eyed with fashion. The bold styling and colour way of this outfit was exactly what we needed for stand-out. Nothing too complicated, but subtly right on trend. The length of the stripe skirt. The belt and the brooch as details. Just lovely.