Yoliswa Dube
ON some days, you leave the house and you just know you’re looking good.
You look at yourself in the mirror several times and think — this is it!
It doesn’t matter if anyone else notices, but when you’re looking good and you’re sure you’re looking good; even the way you walk changes.
It’ll be a little bit more pronounced, you’ll exude more confidence than usual and for some reason, you’ll be happy to go almost anywhere. It’s almost like you’re singing a song to yourself and could just break into some dance move.
I can assure you, on a day I’m wearing a fragrance or a fashion piece by a reputable designer — Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Choo, Giorgio Armani — it’s all this confidence trebled.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m far from being conceited — at least I hope I’m not, but it sort of just happens when you look and smell good — you’re more confident.
It’s not every day though that I wear expensive things. I’m not a “label” kind of person actually. I generally wear whatever looks good and sits well on my body. I think many of you have experienced this.
You compliment someone’s bag and they tell you, “It’s Gucci”. Well, in all frankness, it really doesn’t matter whether it’s a Louis Vuitton or Louis Vundla. What would have made someone comment, I’d imagine, is the outlook of the whole outfit or the particular fashion.
In any case, how authentic is that “label” considering there’re a lot of replicas going around? How do you know your Giorgio Armani is the real McCoy?
It’s determined by where you’d have bought the item I think. If it’s a reputable distributor or departmental store, chances are high you’re buying the real deal. It’s important to at least know how the original should look like though.
A friend went to China not too long ago and she was telling me about how honest Chinese merchants are. I just love the Chinese after hearing about her experience there.
She says whenever she attempted to strike a deal she’d ask, “is this original” and the Chinese would be like “no, not original but good copy”.
Yes! This is the way to do business — honesty. You know you’re not buying the original but a good imitation.
But at the end of the day, it’s not so much about the “label” but whether or not you look good in the item you want to buy.
Too many people think they have to wear expensive things to look good. A price tag means nothing. It’s a combination of several things that make someone look well put together. After all, you can buy fashion but you can never buy style.
Consider a couple of things before you march out of the house. It may sound silly, I know, but it’s important to make sure whatever it is you want to wear is clean and if there is a need, it’s ironed well.
Trust me, no matter how expensive your shirt or blouse is, no one will notice how lovely it is if it’s stained or full of creases. This should be basic — wash and iron your clothes well. Even the cheapest piece of clothing will look like it cost an arm and a leg if it’s well taken care of.
Make sure that the fashion piece fits you well. Not too tight, loose, short or long — just right. A foul fit usually cheapens the entire look. Next, ensure the clothing item still retains more or less of its original colour and state.
When you see your black or navy blue shirt fading on the collar, it’s time to let it go. If your favourite T-shirt is no longer as white or has lost its shape and has a couple of holes in it — let it go.
The secret to looking flawless is being aware of your body type and what looks good on it.
Until next week, flaunt your pattern and style and don’t forget to catch up with me on Twitter handle @Yolisswa