Welcome back to Style Secrets with A & B

Food for thought: Style is not fashion, style is not a trend, and style is personal to you.

I know it’s been a minute since we posted our last blog, but we promise to be consistent from now on. We will be posting after every two weeks.

The weather has been so cold that even going outside feels like we are going to the winter games and as such, being warm should be the number one priority. But you need to be warm in style babes, we can’t go outside looking a mess. It may be cold but style isn’t seasonal so dress up or down to your heart’s desire.

When I was younger, I was always drawn to bright colours like pink. The older I get the more I have just became more attracted to darker colours like black or brown. I have also started to dress more gender neutral, and I love that in 2021, you can dress as you like and no one will judge you for it. That’s what you should always remember, style is how you WANT to EXPRESS yourself and how someone else receives that is none of your business.

Now in this blog since it’s been so cold in South Africa, we will be focusing on winter essentials. Things that you must have. It can differ from person to person. It can be an accessory or a pair of pants but whatever it is can somehow tie an outfit together.

Amber and I have different styles but also the way we buy clothes is different, I usually buy second-hand clothes and never really ever buy expensive clothing unless I absolutely feel like I need to. While Amber is somewhere in between expensive and affordable.

Before we get into our essentials let’s share our shopping and clothing tips that work for us – we hope they will also help you.

Tips on clothing and styling:

1. If you buy something expensive, make sure it’s quality and more of an investment piece that will last you a long time.
2. If, like me, you buy at factories or second-hand stores, make sure that you are looking through the clothes for things like a tear.
3. Many people will not understand your sense of style because it’s not a trend hun, and in this household we lead, we don’t follow.
4. Have the basics for each season. For winter make sure you have a nice warm jacket, boots and hat. For summer make sure you have maybe three cute dresses to play around with, but always make sure you clothes reflect all four seasons.

Now as we know SA is under lockdown and let me just say, my pyjamas have been my winter uniform; I only wear clothes when I absolutely have to.

I just like dressing warm while making sure my style footprint shines through because not even winter will get in the way of my slayage.

My winter essentials:

Coats – I can’t tell you how important it is to have one or two quality coats that will last you a lifetime. Also, make sure that they fit the vibe you are trying to convey from casual to even formal, make sure to get clothes that are always versatile. Also since we on coats, a nice denim or leather jacket is a must-have whether its winter or summer and it doesn’t need to be from expensive shops. I got one from a factory shop for just R200

Sneakers – As you might have guessed at this point, I am obsessed with cheap clothing because money doesn’t grow on trees babe. So I only have like two pairs of name brand sneakers and then all my other sneakers I got on sale. Especially on those two for one sales for like R500 sometimes.

That special pair of jeans – Let me tell you, having one nice pair of jeans will save your life. Jeans fit any mood whether it’s daytime or night time, whether you are clubbing or just going out for dinner. So if you don’t have that many pair of jeans don’t stress, I don’t either.

Amber’s Essential:

Boots – Unlike Busie, raving in her sneakers, I absolutely adore my boots. I find boots so sophisticated and fancy. I have a pair of boots that I bought more than five years ago and they still do the job. I did purchase them for about R1000, but they were worth the investment considering I still wear them after so many years.

Bags – I have become obsessed with bags, Busie too. But as they say, a girl can never have too many bags. If you can’t afford to buy many bags then it’s essential that you at least have a bag that mostly matches every outfit; black, brown or beige will do.

Polar/Turtle neck – Don’t get me started on polar necks, they are absolutely the best item of clothing ever. I own about five pairs, all in different colours. A polar neck not only looks good, but it also keeps me so warm, which is needed in this cold weather.

The final word

For every blog, we will have a food for thought section where we give you words of encouragement, so also drop your food for thought in the comments section and we may feature it in our next blog.

We will also have a section where we shout out a special commenter that stood out and why.
For this week, we would like to shout out @BeeABlur, we see your support and thank you for commenting your encouragement.

Now remember to always dress the way you want. Remember clothes are accessories too and they are meant to be fun. Dress how you like and don’t let the world ever make you feel like you are dressing for it.

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Read our second blog on natural hair if you missed it here

Tell us: Any winter items that you can’t live without? Let us know in the comments section!