Let’s talk about ‘letting yourself go’. I’ve had those moments when I just feel like life has given up on me. Like really, what’s the point of dressing up when nothing is going your way? Why should you look pretty vele ? Be beautiful for whom and what anyway? That feeling sucks doesn’t it?

I told myself that I will never again let this happen to me since it happened two years back. I just didn’t care about how I looked and wore my old miniskirt, a vest and flip-flops to visit my cousin in Loop Street, Cape Town. On my way back to my place, my crush caught up with me. We were going the same direction and I just wanted the earth to swallow me – he talks to me on my worst day!? Whaaaat? He’s as stylish as ever and I look like crap. Argh, just the flashback makes me embarrassed!

Last weekend I visited my aunt. I took a sneak peek at her wardrobe and guess what I found? A bunch of oversized jeans, all similar design, if not the same.

My aunt used to dress up, like for real. How did this happen? She works, doesn’t have that many bills to pay and can afford to at least every now and then get a new item of clothing that fits perfectly. She’s always stressed now because she’s let herself go.

Fashion has everything to do with how you feel, your mood and how and what you communicate. You can’t turn your back on fashion because it means you’re just turning your back on you – and you’re going to be miserable.

Take it from Coco Chanel: ‘Every day is a fashion show and life is the runway.’

So right now I’m on the verge of reinvigorating my aunt’s style. When she goes shopping I go with her and I am her stylist, making sure that she feels like she’s on top of the world.

A well-styled person walks differently from the rest. You own the streets. Let yourself go and the way you walk won’t matter. You’re always exhausted from the oversized jeans pulling you back, dragging you to hell.

Since that walk with my crush, I have made sure I never leave my room looking less than great and we became best of friends.

Never go out in public underdressed. Like Oscar Wilde said: “You can never be overdressed or overeducated.”

What’s the worst that happened when you were under-dressed?

Written by Zikhona Gwadiso