Special Blog Post - Elma Postma

When I think of Elma Postma I think of South Africa’s own sweetheart. She has been part of our lives since 2000, when she started portraying the role of Dezi in 7de Laan. This actress can be regarded as one of South Africa’s cover faces as she has been featured on a lot of South African magazine’s covers.

Being an actress, it enables Elma to wear different styles as each character she portrays has a different look. She also goes to functions where she can wear formal dresses now and then, but Elma considers her personal style to be more laid back and very relaxed. As Elma spends most of her time in her car – travelling to the theatre, going to voice overs, rehearsing etc., comfort is key. Although she knows that it is important to look good when you are in die public eye, Elma says that it is very important to “stay true to yourself and who you are when you choose clothes”. Elma’s favourite clothing item is a soft, black off the shoulder jersey that she loves to wear with jeans and earthy inspired jewelry. 

This friendly, loyal, caring and adventurous young woman loves navy blue and turquoise colours because it goes well with her green eyes. When I asked Elma if she is happy with her current style, she said that she is currently a bit tired of the way she dresses – mostly due to the fact that it is so easy to fall back into your own comfort zone of wearing clothes. I, myself struggle to get out of my comfort zone and to try out some new clothes sometimes, but to me Elma’s style has always been classic. She knows what complements her body shape and what to avoid -something few women have mastered. With Elma’s life being at a very creative point – she would like her fashion to portray that.

If you ever had the honour of meeting Elma, you would have experienced her amazing personality. I met Elma when I was in grade 3 (almost 13 years ago) in a shoe shop. Back then Elma was famous for her role as Dezi in 7de Laan. I remembered that I was rather intimidated walking up to a celebrity and kindly asked if I can have her autograph. Elma was incredibly kind and warm hearted and wrote me a little letter which says:

“Carike,

Nice meeting you! Enjoy everything that you do!

With love,

Elma Postma

(Dezi)

xxx

7de Laan”

I kept this letter in my school album and it is a reminder to me that no matter how famous you get, being kind is always a must – something Elma sets a great example of. What Elma doesn't know is that we both share the same hometown and be both went to the same high school. Another thing Elma and I have in common is that we both love the designs of Anel Botha Couture, another lady that also comes from the same home town.  Elma especially likes the vintage feel some of Anel's dresses have. It is great to see that talented people from smaller towns can also make a name for themselves in the entertainment industry and Elma sets such a good example for everyone out there.

I have a question in the questionnaire where I ask the people I interview if they would like to have a fashion stylist to help them pick out outfits for everyday living or special events and it is always so interesting to me to read their replies. Elma thinks it would be nice to have someone who can look at her current wardrobe and help her to see how she can use her clothes a bit different and to throw out all the wrong items.

 Elma is going on a trip traveling through Europe in early July. Usually I take something from the questionnaire I used to get some inspiration for the outfit I style, but this time was a bit different... As the trip Elma is going on is only for 8 days, I decided to style a travel look for traveling through Europe, something French Chic inspired.

The main idea behind the clothing I chose was to help Elma and give her some tips on what I think will look pretty in Europe. I decided to keep the palette simple so that Elma can mix and match these looks to always look beautiful.

When it came to choosing tops/dresses I wanted to incorporate some form of French inspiration and I did that by adding the striped black and white blazer and the two crisp white shirts. I then decided to add the light wash denim top as this will look beautiful paired up with the A-symmetrical white skirt I chose. I then decided to add to shift dresses. The one black and white and the other a dropped waist light grey dress. The black and white shift dress is a classic piece and gives that Coco Chanel inspired look to it whereas the light grey dress is more laid back but still stylish – like only the French can do.

Choosing pants and shoes was rather easy. I like to keep it simple and choose only basic items as this will make the mix and match part of dressing up so much easier. First of all I decided to use a classic dark wash blue jean in a bootleg cut – flattering for Elma’s body shape and a timeless piece to have when travelling. Then I chose the asymmetrical white midi length skirt and last I chose a pair of black ankle length leggings which she can wear with both the shift dresses. I simply love nude coloured shoes – mostly due to the fact that it works perfect with almost everything. For Elma I also decided to choose nude coloured shoes as this goes well with the plain and light palette I have selected for her. First, on the right, is a pair of cut out slip on sneakers in a nude and white, then there are the nude pointy heels with some amazing strap detail and last are the pointed stone/beige pumps. This will ensure that Elma can walk comfortably wherever she wants to go.

When it comes to accessories the French believe gold is the way to go. I believe that the French women are the trendsetters and so many can be learned from them. When travelling overseas it is important to always keep your own country in mind, bringing some of your culture to other places around the world and that is exactly what I did when I selected accessories for Elma’s trip. Starting at the bottom, I decided to use pearls in most of the accessories as it is one of the most classic pieces a woman can ever wear. From the right, I decided to use the diamante earrings, second was the rose gold earrings with pearls and last was the crystal pearl earrings with diamante detail. I then also decided to use a chunky cluster bracelet and a stunning rose gold watch from Mimco. No French woman will ever be seen without her sunglasses, so I decided to choose a pair of Eclipse sunglasses as this will complement Elma’s face shape. Although it is currently summer in Europe, I decided to throw in a light weighted white and black gridlock scarf when there is a chill in the air. The natural straw hat I chose will go perfect with every look that Elma decides on. Now, for a bit of south African inspiration I decided on the protea shaped brooch from Stiki and when it comes to handbags, the LDJ Collection was the perfect choice. While travelling I decided on the light brown leather briefcase and the light brown sling bag. 

Black and White Shift Dress from available at Mr Price.

Grey Easy Waisted Dress available at Mr Price.

Black and White Striped Blazer available at Mr Price.

White shirt from New Look available at Zando.

Utility White Shirt available at Mr Price.

Light wash denim shirt available at Mr Price.

Cut-out slip on sneakers from Zoom available at Spree.

Nude heels from Madison available at Zando for.

Pointed pumps in stone/beige from Zoom available at Spree.

Boot cut jeans in a dark blue wash from Next available at Spree .

Asymmetrical white midi skirt from edit available at Spree.

Black ankle length leggings from Mr Price.

Pebble diamante stud earrings from Lily Rose available at Zando.

Rose pearl and gold earrings from Lily Rose available at Zando.

Crystal pearl earrings with pearl white from Lily Rose available at Zando.

Chunky Cluster Bracelet available from Woolworths.

Timepiece watch from Mimco available at Woolworths.

Matt and Gold sunglasses in mid Brown from Avant-garde available at Spree.

Natrual straw hat from Hurley available at Zando.

Gridlock print scarf available at Mr Price.

Protea brooch available at Stiki.

Light brown leather and cork briefcase handbag from LDJ Collection.

Light leather brown and sling bag made of cork from LDJ Collection.

So now I gave Elma ALL these items with endless options for mixing and matching, but I decided to style one outfit for her - just to give her an idea for the look that I was going for.

So when Elma boards her flight from South Africa to Europe she has to be comfortable at all times, and with the South Africa currently being in winter season, I decided to pair the black and white striped blazer with the white op, dark was boot leg cut jeans and the the comfy, yet stylish nude slip on sneakers, the rose gold Mimco watch and the pearl and rose detailed earrings. Finish this look off with the light brown leather and cork handbag and Elma is ready to do some travelling in style.

Be sure to check out Elma's social media platforms:

It was such an honour styling a whole travelling look for Elma who is such a wonderful and inspiring woman.

(Al the items used in this blog post is available at the following stores)

 

Have a lovely day.

C

xxx 

Study Break

At the beginning of the year I never really thought my life will be this busy.  Being an honours student really changed my life – in the best way possible.  I learned so much of myself and what I am capable of doing. Juggling the busy academic life with my blog has only proven to be successful when it is done with passion. Again I realised that you should not do something just because it is expected of you, do what you love and you will love what you do.

With my exams that started last week I will be blogging a bit less – to ensure that my full attention will be given to my academic life.  Nevertheless I thought it is only appropriate to bring my exam fashion wish list, showing all of you what is most important to me in the exams.

When it comes to writing exams, comfort is key. My exam papers differ from 5 to 7 hours long, so I have to be warm and comfortable.  With the weather in South Africa being a bit decisive, it is not always easy to pick out something to wear due to the fact that the mornings have been really chilly, but later in the day the weather becomes quite pleasant. So first of all on my wish list is the cute Rib Cuff Glove which will enable me to still type my exam papers and my hands staying warm in the process.  Next is a hair bun – now this is something I cannot live without.  I do not want my hair bothering me when writing an exam paper, so this will ensure my hair to stay in place. I cannot go a day without my glasses, so when I saw these I just knew I needed an upgrade! When it comes to pants, I am a huge fan of the jegging as it provides a warm, yet comfortable feeling due to its elasticity.  For some variation I also added the boyfriend jeans – for those days when I am not in the mood for something skin tight. Still keeping this look soft and simple I would love to have all three these tops/coats. First of all is the Wool Silk Cashmere V-Neck Cardigan where I can pair up basically any top underneath and when the cold strikes, I can only add a scarf and be nice and warm. Second is the Utility Parka Jacket in a cream colour.  I decided on this type of jacket instead of a coat as a parka jacket is more movable. Third is the Colour Block Knitted top in neutral colours such as grey, cream and camel.  This will be perfect paired up with any jean and nude shoes. Last but not least, is the stunning cork and leather briefcase from the LDJ Collection to ensure that all my books and notes stays in place. 

Rib Cuff Glove from Witchery available at Woolworths.

Hair Bun Accessory available at Woolworths.

Retro Reading Glass Frame available at Woolworths.

Mid Rise Jegging available at Woolworths.

Mid Rise Boyfriend Vintage Jean from Country Road available at Woolworths.

Wool Silk Cashmere V-neck Cardigan from Trenery available at Woolworths.

Utility Parka Jacket available at Mr Price.

Colour Block Knitted Jersey available at Mr Price.

Cork and Brown Leather handbag available at LDJ Collection.

With two exam papers that still lie ahead I can only imagine all the late nights that I will be having before the holiday kicks off. With my blogging slowing down, the ideas I have will never end and I cannot wait to keep you updated on everything fashion.

Have a lovely day and to all the other young people also writing exams, whether in school or at university, good luck and remember, hard work pays off.

Have a lovely day.

C

xxx

(All the items used in this blog post is available at the following shops)

Theron & Theron Designs - Leather Handbags

Simoné and Berné Theron, two very talented sisters decided to start their own company, Theron & Theron, designing the loveliest leather handbags I have ever seen. As kids, these two sisters always dreamt of starting their own business and to the end of 2014 they started thinking of ways that they can achieve this goal. The idea of leather handbags came to mind as both of them always had a love for handbags. By the beginning of 2015 these passionate sisters took the business by full storm.  The name of the company is the sisters’ surnames combined, due to the fact that they both had the idea of starting the business.

When I asked them why they decided to work with leather, their answer was as follow:

“Leather is timeless.  It is a fabric that will never go out of style and people will always be drawn to the quality of it. Every piece of leather is unique and tells a different story.”

The very talented fashion designer, Kobus Rautenbach, with a Theron &Theron design.

As you might know by now, I love handbags and I find the designs of these sisters impeccable with exquisite quality and craftsmanship. I first came across their brand on Instagram, where I saw Leandie du Randt with one of their designs. The Theron sisters like to design bags that represent their own personal style and they try to incorporate something of their own in every design. They come together in their studio and plan a bag from scratch. By brainstorming together, the design is representative of both their ideas and styles. As designers and manufacturers, this is a full time job to the sisters. As this is something both of them are passionate about, they cannot think of anything else they would rather do.

Theron & Theron has a Facebook page as well as an Instagram account where all their work is showcased and if someone would like to order one of their designs, they can be contacted by e-mail. At the moment they only manufacture on demand, but they would like to expand the business in the future to an online store. These sisters are also working on entering the tourism market where they would like to work with a lot of genuine zebra hide to cater for a more specific market.

I would definitely love to add Theron & Theron to my fashion wish list – as I would love to have all their designs in my closet. If you want more information on this stunning leather handbag collection, be sure to check out their Facebook page by clicking on the link below.  A permanent link to their Facebook page will be available in the right side bar of my blog.

C

xxx