Do Denim Joggers

I will begin by saying I have thrown a lot of names around to describe this particular pair of denims. In the beginning the label was “Cuffed Denim”, and it worked quite well back then because at the time everyone was using that term. Then came along the “Elastic Cuff”, but this was just the generalized term we used at college. Only recently have I discovered that this denim tucked away strategically in my closet is actually a “Jogger Denim”! Amazed and a little bit embarrassed, I did my research to find the correct term to label them without having my head all over the place. Making the link between jogger sweatpants, leather joggers and denim joggers was an AHA moment made in my fashion diary.

You might remember these denims from 2012; they had a moment on the blog with a casual attire suited for that time. Fast forward to 2015 and they have been given a much more chic revival to suit. I have been consuming myself as of late into finding a way to style these particular joggers, and soon enough this post will spread over 3 looks and ideas centred around them. Part of the reason is to find combining ways to make the most out of old trendy clothes without chucking them away completely (especially in my case where they still fit).

Denim is always a stylish alternative for a casual attire or a dolled up look. The best part about denim is the classic fixture in which it carries without being outdated or scratched out completely.

Black Peplum Blazer – Jet Stores Zimbabwe

Silver Grey Bauble choker – Bling Bling

Black tank – Edgars Stores Zimbabwe

Black belt – Thrift store

Jogger Denim – Great Gear (Noczim Building)

Red Heels – Wardrobe Mix

Sunglasses – Elle Magazine SA
Lipgloss - Sleek Lipglass Rose

In other news, I have been closely monitoring the progress of my #NaturalHairMovement. It’s a bit tedious; with the combing of the afro and twist outs every evening, but I have found relief in detangler, olive oil and a blow dryer to keep my afro smooth and manageable. Head scarfs and Head wraps are my best friend to tie up my hair on bad hair days, and bonus points because it’s a chic style alternative.

Don’t forget to find my blog and many style adventures on Instagram - @tendaitoscie!

As Always, Stay Gorgeous!

Monochrome Lady

One of the things that people don’t know about me is that I’m a big nature lover. If you look back at a lot of the blog’s outfit posts I’m standing in front of a tree or a pack of dusty brown staircases. Nature is my thing, and I contribute to the conservation of the environment in the littlest ways possible – like keeping my rubbish in my purse until I find a BIN! I really cannot throw rubbish out the window or whilst I’m strolling down the street. That is just one of my pet peeves.

Today’s post is a monochromatic vibe with one of my favourite skirts’, and of course my treasured peplum jacket both from Jet stores. Wearing a plain skirt “kind of” freaks me out, so I try by all means to purchase something that my personality falls back into. It’s obvious that I’m a huge stripe lover, and of course my closet boosts a few stripe-y pieces. I completed this look with an old black tank top from Edgars (that has seen better days), and the cutest office wedges from Jet SA. The black leather clutch is vintage and always seems to bring an edgy vibe with its metal clip and ruched top. And the little charm keychain was an added accessory to the all-black ensemble.

Now I’m sure you are well aware of the blog’s styling segment which is The GLAM Project ZW – well I’ve been doing some soul searching as of late, in line with some projects I have been doing and I felt it fit that I rebrand to Signature Toscie Styling. Just to keep it in line with the blog and the vision I’m going after. Posts on The GLAM Project will still remain the same, but future postings will direct towards Signature Toscie Styling #STS. So look out for #STS or #SignatureToscieStyling on some of the blog’s social media, and get to know a little bit of my quirky style.

All the same I wish you a fabulous Fashion Week in Harare and Bulawayo!

As Always, Stay Gorgeous

Tendai Sophia

Is #ZimFashion late on Fashion Trends?

I’M BACK! After a month long hiatus with a trip down south, myself and the blog are back; with fresh new content to indulge in. Whilst I was unexpectedly away on a trip to South Africa I had a lot of free time on my hands – observing and watching the entertainment industry in South Africa. I remember indulging in watching a lot of VUZU TV with V Entertainment and being glued to their 5^th birthday celebrations in Durban July. I remember focusing soo much on what the presenters were wearing – their look, style and fashion! They were always fashion forward and stylish, with my favourite personality being Dineo Moeketsi. Every time the VUZU 5^th birthday ad came on, the only thing I concentrated on was her short pink long sleeved jumpsuit with the gold belt to match - It was my fave!

Ok! Enough narrating and let’s get straight into it! The FASHION TRENDS – I started drawing a comparison between SA fashion and Zim fashion. SA fashion was somehow not any less different from American fashion – what you see in the mag is what you got in real life – fashion conscious, always on point and always on trend. There were different looks to suit different personalities and different stores to cater to different individuals which really ran down to your budget. My obvious shopping stint was Mr Price, The Hub, and Ackermans. But whilst I was doing this, I continued to observe what the trends where, what was dressed on the mannequins and what the current clothing campaign ad was. My conclusion ran down to the following items that where trending on the streets and stores in Joburg;

1. Crop top - short, cute, sexy, stylish, bold and printed! Crop tops where a big trend that dominated the shelves in MRP (Mr. Price). Not only embraced in the stores but with SA bloggers too; with looks from superficialgirls.com zeefashionista.com and fabulously-pink.blogspot.com. Back home the crop top trend quickly came in some stores and died, having spotted a few if not a handful of stores that carried a few crop tops. Not sure if it was a lack of popularity or the trend might officially come later on, only time will tell.

Chenai Muhwati from Fabulously Pink blog wearing a crop top with a matching skirt.

Carlinn from the very popular SA blog Superficial Girls wearing a crop top and Midi skirt both from MRP.

2.Cheeky shorts – denim cheeky shorts where in an upcoming ad campaign with Jays Jays for their summer collection which was slowly starting to take flight. Back home in Zim, I’ve spotted a handful of stores with cheeky little bum shorts but none worn on the streets.

Cheeky summer shorts worn by Carlinn from Superficial Girls, accompanied by the Bowler bag.

3,Circle/Midi skirts – just before I left, MRP’s summer ad campaign had a feature on ladies circle skirts both printed and plain. When I googled it the trend seemed to be going into its second season. Here in Zim however, full length or short circle skirts are embraced by local designs such as Mucha Couture, Blaque Excellence and Shashiko.com, as for the normal individual – I can recall myself and blogger Sharron Mungazi of Deffinatly Shaz who have taken on the trend publicly. But it’s safe to say, I’ve seen it picking up in parts of the city. I remember getting a circle skirt made late last year and my tailor of choice had a difficult time understanding why I chose a circle skirt and why I wanted a flouncy silhouette. Needless to say I had to look for a new tailor and new fabric!

A pic from Sharron Mungazi's blog - Deffinatly Shaz, wearing a deep blue Midi Skirt.

Back in June I did a second post with my print Midi skirt

Once again Chenai Muhwati also rocking the trend on her blog.

4. The Bowler bag - The bowler bag is a round little fellar that has three straps in  total; two shorter straps on each side and one long shoulder length strap. The bowler is super cute and comes in a block colour that can be accompanied with lighter or darker hues such as the one below. Once again, Sapatos had these bags in stock around June and Edgars has a colourful string of bowlers as well. Greatermans also had a few ‘Dazzle’ bowlers before it shut down, and street style wise I spotted a handful of ladies carrying bowlers.

Bowler bag
Sourced Online

5. Ankle Wedge boots – ankle boots where the winter boot of the season, whilst the wedge cut was a popular trend. If I remember correctly MRP, Legit, Ackermans and The Hub stocked on the wedge boot with both zip ups and lace ups. Which automatically meant the young and fashionable where taking on the trend strongly! Coming back home the trend was alive with my own ankle wedge boot from Sapatos, and a few boutiques in the city stocking some. Trend wise it wasn’t known, with a lot of individuals still opting for the good ol’ knee length riding boot to keep warm.

Ankle Wedge boots both from MRP during the winter season.

Ankle Wedges from Sapatos back in June.

6. Snoods – snoods were a big trend during July. Both men and women, young and old were rocking a snood, either knitted snood or the fabric type. The usual long wrap around scarves seemed to be a thing of the past. In Harare however I have only ever spotted a snood once at Joina City’s Sapatos.

Ladies Snood in Woolworths

Men's snood wrapped around a mannequin in Truworths Men.

7. Pullover knits – pullover knits were the order of the day. Whether lightweight or chunky and bold – they were stocked up in a lot of the stores and on the individuals as well. When it comes to knits at home, it hasn’t been fully embraced yet, especially the imprinted sweatshirt or one with graphics and print. Some of the nice pullover knits can be found in Edgars or Truworths – but it is usually streamlined to one look and not a variety.

Ladies stylish pullover knits on the mannequins by studio.w in Woolworths stores.

8. Wellingtons – I’m not sure what the fascination was but wellingtons where a winter favourite. Wellingtons are rain boots that had been given an updated and somewhat fashionable look. Wellingtons where just as popular as ankle wedges than your ordinary knee length boot, with bright colours, funky designs and characters for both the young and old. I haven’t seen a Wellington in Harare, as of yet. I’m still to find out, although they aren’t really my style.

Little kiddies Wellingtons in a variety of colours - also in Woolworths.

With the trends covered above, here is the verdict:

Can we Question Moral values to Fashion?

Where are we on the trend scale? Are some of Harare’s fashionistas too late or we put soo much reliance on tradition and patriotism that soo much of our trends are muted or non-disclosed to the public? You only see shorts, short minis and crop tops at suburban events or parties where the gate is closed and no one knows what’s going on inside OR at a night club where like-minded individuals hang out and understand each other. Taking a mid-bearing crop top to the streets or cheeky bum shorts out on the town may seem sketchy and not the brightest idea as society might shun you, look down upon you and more or less label you. The scenario is even worse if your mode of transport is combis and not your own personal car! Safe to say don’t go there..

Money or Fashion fad? Is it worth it to spend?

Not all cases of fashion trends are late in Zim. Some are on time and on point, if you have extra cash to spare in some of Harare’s top boutiques. Imported labels from Europe, America and South Africa are the norm, and the price tag is too hefty for a normal wallet. In most cases you find yourself calculating ‘the opportunity cost’ when it comes to buying a designer blouse once off or use that money to buy three cute blouses in Powersales. Options are limited as the designer blouse is one of a kind whilst your cute blouse from Powersales is worn by three other different women you bump into in the CBD. Creating an individual look is a challenge which really runs down to your finances. If you are not hesitant, kumabhero is always an option to check out.

What do we say about trends? Can we embrace them?

When we talk of trends we talk of the in-thing! What’s hot, what’s happening at that moment! With the economic scrunch in Zim and the textile industry still trying to revive, a lot of individuals just want to be clothed and not look at trends because it is costly, unbeneficial and sometimes the fabric makes you question twice on your investment. Whilst a country like South Africa can invest in trends, the same cannot be said about Zimbabwe. Until we rise above our economic scrunch, trends are the least concern on any ordinary Zimbo’s mind. Putting food on the table and paying school fees is top priority!

So there you have it - What do you say about trends in Zimbabwe? I have covered numerous articles on trends and I have tried a few here and there on the blog. A lot of reliance with the trends I have covered where either tailor-made or assistance from close friends who constantly cross the border between Zim and SA. Now onto you, do you think #ZimFashion is late on global trends? What are your thoughts?

DISCLAIMER: This article is in the views of the writer. From travelling to South Africa and back home – I only observed, asked and noted down notes through my own research. I’m not affiliated with any of the brands mentioned in this post. I'm always on a quest to question Zim Fashion; by redefining it, bringing it to your attention and finding solutions through this blog.

*The #ZimFashion debate continues! Check out the first post that covered "What's In the Fashion Industry in Zimbabwe", and weigh in.*

Tendai Sophia.

The GLAM Project Collaboration with Concrete Jungle NGOSIKADZI

The GLAM Project is my blog styling venture, which focuses on affordable, fun and chic fashion straight from myself. It’s something that I’ve been working on for quite a while now, and if you check links on the blog and on twitter, you can see a lot of my outfit posts have the hashtag #TheGLAMProject. The GLAM Project is really my story of styling clothing in an economy where fashion is linked to a lot of cheap imports, expensive goods and the tailor becoming your best friend to alter and design your preferred clothing. This is where The GLAM Project comes in, I try to link all of the fashion problems I face and create something exciting out of the negative – I don’t believe in turning a blind eye to something that could be potentially good; if and only IF you choose to change it.

With The GLAM Project I channel that through fashion, by mixing and matching, scouting around town for good finds and sometimes giving in the sacrifice to invest in a good piece that lasts long in my closet. So The GLAM Project is really my journey to creating classy, sophisticated, edgy and chic fashion in the streets of Harare. 

Earlier this month The GLAM Project took on its first collaboration with Concrete Jungle NGOSIKADZI (renamed from Concrete Jungle Fashion) to bring you two of Ngosikadzi African print dresses in Dutch wax African print, with the fabric texture being Kitenge from East Africa. Now this is a first blogger style collaboration so expect it to be super fun, affordable, chic and directly to YOU! The dresses in question are in two modern styles; the classic wrap design embodied by renowned international designer Diane Von Furstenberg (DVF), who introduced the dress in the 1970s. The tent dress is the second dress from Ngosikadzi that has a V neck slit at the back and embodies a 60s shift dress silhouette.

For each of the two dresses I will be giving you 3 looks in the following categories; a casual look, glam look and a quirky look – which runs down to a total of 6 looks. These looks will be flowing onto the blog for the rest of June and into the month of July with fun tips and suggestions coming from you!

Since African print is a really big trend right now, it’s only feasible to incorporate it into the winter season with fun and feminine ways of layering, which will also show bits n’ pieces of my personality.

With that said, my mission for this GLAM Project is to show support to our own designers and the textile industry, so any queries or questions OR how you wish to be featured on the blog as an emerging/upcoming designer, do email me or Tatenda with signaturetoscie@gmail.com or Tatenda with cjfashionzim@gmail.com.

The Wrap Dress – Casual Look

This wrap dress is absolutely super cute with the bold print and the little heart details. The fabric is a bit light for the winter season, so I did some super layering with a chunky knit cowl neck from Edgars, which picks up the strong red and purple detail very well. I let the dress speak for itself by toning down the rest of my look with a black peplum jacket, black stalkings and black ankle boots to keep warm. My personal favourite sunglasses to finish the look, and a bold watch to add a personal touch. What’s beautiful about the wrap dress is its timeless factor – it’s a go to piece that comes in many silhouettes, whether flared (like this one), straight, A-line, knee length or maxi long; as well as in different sleeves (this one in particular is sleeve less). You can take it from day to night, from the office to the happy hour and should be an important piece in a woman’s closet just like the LBD and LWD.

Yours with The GLAM Project,

Tendai Sophia!

The EcoCash Shopping Revolution

Mobile money transfer or mobile banking is the modern medium to take care of all your expenses and financial figures, straight via your cellphone. You can pay bills, pay for social outings (such as lunch), pay for your groceries and/or shopping, take out items on laybye and even pay school fees! All these benefits straight through your cellphone (makes you wonder if you might need a bank account; which of course you do for transactions outside your cellphone). Mobile payment platforms have become easy, fast, efficient and affordable, with Zimbabwe having mobile networks branching into mobile money transactions. Popular being EcoCash, OneWallet (Netone launched mobile money first before Econet by the way), and just recently TeleCash and NettCash. Now this blogpost isn’t in anyway biased, but I’m more familiar with EcoCash services of mobile money transfer, which has prompted me to write this post.

Why mobile money and shopping? Well to start off we are increasingly living in a materialistic world, with the personal brand, shopping as a plus factor (that can make you gain more), and technological advancements increasingly creating new innovations towards our seriously globalizing world. With that said, shopping has become much more efficient with mobile money transfer; I’ve a scenario where I purchased a jacket straight through EcoCash! No fuss, no queuing and no service connection problems (well service disconnections cannot be entirely ruled out), but my point is if you are obsessed with your phone, and your life rotates around your cellphone then having either EcoCash, TeleCash or OneWallet should be something you should look into (if you haven’t already). Since I’m quite familiar with EcoCash, I’m able to deposit, withdraw and transfer money (send money to a registered or non-registered EcoCash user), and have the option to utilize EcoCash Save - which is a smart money platform to save cash, watch it grow and cut down on loans.

I remember I was quite naïve with the idea of applying let alone having something called mobile banking in my phone; I asked myself what’s the fuss all about? Err…you could still save and put money in a bank account. Another factor was I was a student, why would I want to chuck my pocket money, if my intention was to directly consume it?! But I had my ‘AHA’ moment when a former employer urged me to apply for EcoCash, that’s when I realized its relevance. Heck I can now buy airtime from my phone!

So back to shopping, major retailers in Harare have EcoCash biller codes to make it convenient for their consumers to shop; top of my list being Jet Stores, Edgars, Truworths, Wardrobe Mix, Passport; pretty much any clothing retailer you walk into offers their consumers the facility of mobile payment/mobile money transfer, with the two most popular being EcoCash and TeleCash. EcoCash agents are pretty much scattered around Harare, so making withdrawals and deposits is not limited - although best advice is to make transactions directly to the service provider for personal reasons or if you wish to be safe.

According to TechZim, there is now a EcoCash mobile Android app on Google Play Store.

Mobile money transfer/payment services is one of the many technological advancements we receive and enjoy today to cater for shopping, bill payments, withdrawals and saving. Rounding up the group with bank accounts, credit cards, debit order and laybye services (which is another blogpost in the works). The ability to pay for goods and services in Zimbabwe is increasingly becoming innovative for consumers.

With that said, have you registered for a mobile money transfer service with your service provider? Sound off, and have your say on The EcoCash Shopping Revolution.

Stay Gorg and Glam with,

Tendai Sophia

EcoCash Merchant and Biller at Topics First Street.

EcoCash Biller Code at Truworths Sam Levy.

Mannequins in Topics First street Harare.

My Weekend Ensemble: Just Casual

The weather has been pretty dull as of late, with a lot more cloud, wind and rain (super dull if you ask me because it's supposed to be summer! With warmth and sunshine). The weather nowadays makes me determine what to wear which is quite hard for me because i'm trying to embrace skirts, summer dresses and easy-breezy frocks.

So this was yesterday's ensemble on a Sunday morning. I hadn't planned a blogpost, but the response to the 3 dimensional photo via Facebook was soo lovely that it honestly felt right to share it with everyone else. This was my first attempt at a 3 dimensional photo using an Android app called Photo Grid; which to me looks more like a phone game app! But i'm getting the hang of it.

So my ensemble was pretty simple and casual; i worked with neutrals with the beige blouse and matching cardi (which you might probably remember from here), black jeans and the grey purse, then added a pop of colour with the red heels. To be honest the weather isn't helping me to flourish because i'm not one who enjoys being cold.

Yours in Glamour,

Tendai Sophia

         

My Weekend Ensemble: Headscarf and Pink Blazer

Yesterday (Sunday, 24 March) was Palm Sunday which makes the beginning of Easter in the Christian Calendar. My main emphasis for my outfit post is the headscarf/doek (dhuku) i was rocking yesterday. I wanted to try something bold that i admired from editorial magazines and apply it to real life. Its safe to say i loved how it came out, despite the attention, i believe if you are gonna be a blogger you might as well experiment and try the craziest fashion. I don't think it shoulld be restricted to editorials only!

My headscarf/dook is an African/Paisley print stolen from my mom's closet (this isn't the first time i've declared my undying love for scarfs). My pretty pretty jacket is actually brand new, bought last week at Truworths in first street Harare. Its actually a formal jacket but when i tried it on, it looked more like a blazer jacket to me (i tricked my mind to believe this!). Needless to say this jacket is my brand new obsesssion in the months to come, you will be seeing alot of it!

My tank top is from SK2 and my beloved beloved jeans have been with me through thick and thin! They were in my first "Weekend Chill" post from 2012. And finally my clutch is old school stolen from mama's closet once again (i cant help it!).

Overall i'm loving how my little outfit experiment came out. It looks fab! And you will be seeing more of me in headscarfs/dooks!

Stay Gorg and Glam
GD