STYLE 101

LOOK ONE

Life is too short to be wasting your talent away being afraid and doubting yourself. Take a leap of faith and just go for your dream. I know this is what I have always wanted hence my decision to work on this project. Buying versatile fashion pieces allows you to be creative and diverse with your outfits. If there is one thing I enjoy and I know how to do is building a re-mixable wardrobe. I have mastered the art of dressing my piece up and down for different occasions and times. I styled two beautiful ladies and directed the shoot. I was going for a casual but sophisticated look for this shoot.

    

I accessorized model Amantle who has this nice big Afro with this monochrome Masaai head piece and a black rope chunky neck piece. I styled her with an over-sized white plunging top and a black 3 quarter pants and a denim jacket to seal the whole look.

THE COMPLETE LOOK WHICH IS PERFECT AGAINST THE LIME GREEN WALL. You can recreate this look and wear it for any occasion appropriate to where you wear it to.

LOOK TWO

If you know me very well you know how much I love love A-Line skirts. You can almost where them anywhere you like. Verinah is wearing a royal blue tulle midi skirt with a with stripy off the shoulder top. I love this look because its so flowy and in this heat it would be ideal for its light weight.

Accessories are a girl's best friend. ALWAYS

Verinah looking trendy and fabulous.

The stable for your wardrobe could be different from mine and styling could not come naturally to you but I edge you to just wear what you are comfortable but also don't be afraid to take bold risks. People will stare make it worth their while.

Photographer: Photogenix
MakeUp: Beulah's Beauty Haven
Jewelry: Tribe
Stylist: Bonolo Simply Soulful B
Wardrobe: Bonolo Simply Soulful B
Location: Somewhere in Gaborone
Models: Amantle Monaba and Verinah Malope

BUT, First love yourself...

We often hear people talk about loving themselves and being confident and happy in their own skin: But we need to love yourself to love ourselves before loving anyone else. In the past years I have learnt truly the power of loving myself from deep within without any doubt. At times I feared being rejected or being judged hence hindering myself from thinking that I am beautiful or that I have any potential to do greater things in my life or that of the people around me.

You are so stylish for a person your size is what I get from people making small talk about my weight. Listen, growing up I didn't think I was any different from other people until I noticed how people referred to me compared to how they did my peers. To be honest I wasn't aware at all. I was a child I didn't think about how I looked; I was only concerned with playing no worries in life nothing. One day I decided I will worry about loving myself, instead of the idea of other people loving me. It just didn't matter anymore I dont have anything to prove to anyone. I choose to be happy in my own skin, I am comfortable in my own skin. Happiness meant that I am choose to love myself and being less concerned with the approval of others.

My style is really hard to pin point so I love to stay comfortable. I change between being African chic, vintage, tom boy and minimalist depending on my mood. I styled this simple laid back look for this shoot at Mondior with photographer Jerald Malebe. I loved how well it went with the background and Im sure to wear this look again for an outing. My shirt is from a thrift store and the mum high waist denim from BBS market. The platform heels I bought a few years back from Options. For someone with my body type it is always wise to wear a loose top with tight bottoms and vice versa to balance the outfit as well as hide away problem area around usually being the midsection. It is all in how you style your looks to suit you. Dont limit yourself, take risks and have fun styling your looks. Most importantly love yourself.

To love yourself means to accept yourself as you are and to come to terms with those aspects of yourself that you cannot change. It means to have self-respect, a positive self-image, and unconditional self-acceptance.-By Z. Hereford