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 The best part about denim is the classic fixture in which it carries without being outdated or scratched out completely.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!

Signature Toscie LOVES...

I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching and restructuring as of late, trying to synchronize the blog under just one label with Signature Toscie. I always have a tonne of ideas that jump and constantly pop out of my head, that in most cases I just want to apply the idea right there and then! Looking back at#TheGLAMProject and #LocalLovelyFlavour, which I’ve relabelled to ‘Signature Toscie Styling’ and ‘Love This Label’ respectively so that it doesn’t confuse me nor you the reader. I feel more inspired by my growth and maturity that I feel synchronizing the blog in one direction, under one label will make a lot more sense and for a much easier navigation. So Signature Toscie LOVES is a new label that has replaced the trends section on the blog. ST LOVES will become a one label and header that will cover all the current trends that I’ve discovered in Harare and on the global front. 

For this edition of Signature Toscie LOVES I cover five trends that I’m currently coveting over at the moment: the boyfriend denim, thick chain accessories, sleeveless blazer, delicate necklaces and jumpsuit.

1.Boyfriend Denim
Boyfriend denim is the quintessential pair of jeans that have replaced skinny jeans. They are relaxed, with a loose fitting and can have an extra distressed finish. Rocked with a pair of heels, structured blazer and a tote, boyfriend jeans can be chic with an allure of glamour for a smart casual event. For a much more relaxed look, take boyfriend denim with a pair of sleek trainers and a sweater. 

Boyfriend Denim rocked by Ashleigh of The Dailegh.

2.Thick Chain Accessories
Thick chains can be classy and muted in a stylish way. They can also be worn with a formal ensemble, casual and/or edgy with thick silver chains. Usually come in the form of a neckchain or bracelet, thick chains can also be layered with other accessories, to give a chunkier and bolder look, to create a massive arm candy. I love this thick chain accessory by Dee Kaw Zee jewellery in the Summer Edition of INDUNA Magazine. Also check out accessory boutiques in Harare such as Bling Bling, Glamourize (in Avondale and Arundel Village) as well as Sassy & Chic along Cameron street. 

Snippet from INDUNA Magazine.

3.Sleeveless Blazer 
Something I purely love are blazers, because they are an instant pick-me-up piece of clothing that give a polished finish to an ensemble. When I came across a sleeveless blazer, I was utterly intrigued by the sophistication attached to it. I haven’t come across a sleeveless blazer in Harare yet, but rest assured I will share details if I do. In the mean time, having one tailor made is an alternative route at the moment. 

Crystal Kasper of NewHipster.co.za

4.Delicate Necklaces
These little gems are delicate because of their understated glamour. They can be worn under a blouse or with a deep cut V neck to show off the detail in the charms. They are the perfect summer accessory, when two or three different necklaces are layered together. These gems are on point and super trendy. 

5.Jumpsuit 
A very stylish closet piece for the summer is a jumpsuit. Long and sleek paired with a clutch and/or a tote OR with heels and/or flats. A jumpsuit is easy breezy and stylish, perfect for just about any occasion. Quite a few boutiques in Harare stock jumpsuits, having spotted Passport boutique at the Village, Wardrobe Mix, Lotus in Joina City and Just Fab along Second Street extension. 

                       

A Navy blue jumpsuit with embellishments at Passport boutique, Sam Levy Village.

Now, which are your top 5 trends in Harare at the moment? Do share!

 Stay Gorgeous! 

Tendai Sophia.

Photo Credits:
www.thedailegh.com
www.pinterest.com
www.etsy.com
www.newhipster.co.za 
www.indunamag.com

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

NGOSIKADZI Wrap Dress Goes from Day to Night

I have been having a lot of fun styling the NGOSIKADZI dresses for the blog, and I’m even more certain that print dresses will be a big trend in Harare pretty soon (I have already spotted quite a few printed frocks, and I’m soo glad the trend is finally taking flight). This post focuses on the NGOSI wrap dress which was a huge highlight for me on Sunday (24 August 2014), as I took the dress from Day to Night; with two looks that I’m going to share in this post. And I will honestly say I was truly a highlight as everyone kept complementing the dress – a lovely feminine print if I must say so myself :).

Pretty in PINK

I love the colour pink, and I’m not ashamed to say I own a few pink pieces in my closet (check out Pink Nostalgia here). So when I had the “AHA” moment of styling this dress in pink, it was a visionary ‘Modern African Princess’ (this is the theme I was going for). I paired the frock with some of my favourite pieces, keeping in mind to match with the colours on the dress:

1. Pink blazer from Truworths Zimbabwe – this is my go-to blazer that doesn’t let me down and looks good with just about anything.

2. Pink head band from Bling Bling – Lost accessory but found right in time for this look.

3. Silver Bubble choker – great solid colour that works with just about anything, and adds a quirky/edgy pizazz to any look.

4. Zara Black tote – I personally think totes are great to carry anything and for an uber stylish feel; bonus points if it’s black because black is a neutral colour that blends in with anything.

5. Black pumps – since I took this look to church, pumps where the preferred shoe choice to keep it neat and polished for the church environment.

6. MrP Sunglasses – I don’t think any outfit is complete without sunglasses, and this particular pair is a go-to favourite, #BigAndBoldSunglasses.

You can't go wrong with Black accessories.

African Themed Wedding

Later in the day I took the dress to an African themed wedding; #NaijaZimWedding – which was absolutely beautiful at the Wild Geese Lodge. Although a lot of the reception party took a modern route to dressing for the ceremony – I was glad I was one of the few who opted to go African. There’s soo much I can describe of Wild Geese Lodge but it will take two good blogposts because I wouldn’t want to leave out any detail. But I will say the lodge is a great recommendation for any wedding, conferences or party – with a 10 km radius out of Harare, if you are coming from Harare drive.

For the evening I switched from pink to black and gold, with a black peplum jacket form Jet, Gold Envelope clutch from Sapatos and black sandals from MrP. I kept the silver neckpiece and the sunglasses, whilst my hair went from sleek pushback in the morning to a low pony tail for the evening. I must say I loved the sunset over the lodge that it was a perfect scenery for a photoshoot by the stairs of one of the buildings – a hazy but golden light as the sun goes down. An “African sunset” it was.

That beautiful African sunset.

Forgive my poor home pedicure but these MrP sandals are too adorable!

Scenes From the Wedding

With that said, I hope this post has inspired you to invest in a print dress this season, because with these two looks in one day – I guarantee you there are a ton of ways to style and rock a printed frock for the summer!

With these two looks, I want know to know which one is your fave NGOSIKADZI Wrap Dress style? Sound off and share your thoughts.

Stay Gorgeous,

Tendai Sophia.

My Weekend Ensemble – Tux + Denim

Tuxedo Blazer
Jeans from Wardrobe Mix
Flowing black blouse - Vintage
Black & Gold MRP pumps
Black MRP snood
ELLE magazine SA sunglasses
Sling bag
Stone beads
BEST ACCESSORY - New Hair.

Happy Sunday Empire!

I surely hope the past week has been smooth, with the Heroes and Defence Forces long weekend and jumping right back to work! As for the blog, well I’m sure you are well aware of the on-going Ngosikadzi collaboration that’s been bringing FUN-tastic styles to rock with print dresses! All in the preparation of SUMMER!

As for my look today – it’s pretty casual and laid back, encompassing some of my favourite closet pieces and of course a NEW HAIRDO. The tuxedo jacket has had a cameo on the blog before, whilst the jeans are a go-to favourite. As of late I’ve been feeling nostalgic – pulling out tucked away pieces from the closet, and giving them a fixer upper! One of the pieces is this blush pink sling bag from December 2011, which I have been embracing as of late and these stone beads that I bought way back in high school. I have another post in the works that also includes the sling bag and a little something working around pumps! I find comfort in wearing pumps a lot of the times as I maintain my heels for events or outings – and my lifestyle revolves around public transport so heels aren’t always a go-to factor.

Other than that, I sure hope you are relaxing this weekend in preparation for another busy week ahead. Don’t forget to check out my styling venture with the Ngosikadzi dresses on the blog. The main emphasis is to create awareness on locally made and affordable #ZimFashion – and some of the styling tips I share are curated along those lines; which is Chic and Affordable! If you are an up and coming brand/designer and want exposure for your work, please do not hesitate to contact me as I’m always looking to emulate local and fresh designs on the blog.

Stay Gorgeous Empire!

Tendai Sophia.

The GLAM Project – NGOSIKADZI Evening Look

Beyond excited to bring back this project, after a mini hiatus. I always love a good styling challenge and giving it my Signature look. With the continuation of The GLAM Project ZW and NGOSIKADZI collabo, I bring you the NGOSIKADZI tent dress which is very bold, colourful and too cute for words. Now if memory serves well, the GLAM Project ZW - NGOSIKADZI collabo covers two Kitenge print dresses. The first being the NGOSIKADZI wrap dress back in June, which I styled appropriately for an evening look, with boots and all!

The second dress is this cute but super bold tent dress that has a plunging V neck at the back and pockets in the hem sides. I styled this dress for an evening look with some added quirkiness. With such a strong print, it’s only natural that the dress has to do all the attention grabbing. I paired the frock with a black cropped jacket, black stalkings, black scarf (tied as a head wrap), red heels (to pick up the accents of red on the dress), a gold envelope clutch from Sapatos (again this helps to match with the yellow and orange accents on the dress) and a gold with black neckpiece from Bling Bling in Harare.

Now seeing that this is an evening look, it makes it perfect to stand out on a Night Out On The Town, a romcom with the girls or even a subtle date. Personally, this is my favourite dress and I can see it going pretty much anywhere this upcoming Spring/Summer – especially with the Casual pairing and warm summer nights (Coming up soon on the blog).

Now, how would your style this sassy little frock? Sound off and let me know, because there are soo many ways to style and play around with print!

Lots of Love,

Tendai Sophia

NGOSIKADZI Look:
Paisley print tent dress
Black cropped jacket
Black stalkings
Black scarf as head wrap
Red heels
Gold clutch
Black and Gold neckpiece
Sunnies for an added touch 

NB: Don’t be left out of The GLAM Project ZW styling and NGOSIKADZI dresses by purchasing your very own NGOSIKADZI tent dress or Wrap dress at $25.00 on the Concrete Jungle NGOSIKADZI online store or email robynchaibva@gmail.com to make an order!

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!

My Weekend Ensemble: Print Skirt + Ankle Booties

I wrapped up with the school in the past week, exams finished, now I wait for the fate that my results will bring but I surely hope for the best. In the past week and during the weekend, I have been using my time to read up on some of my favourite SA blogs (Superficial Girls, Baked The Blog and Mr Price’s In The Fashion Loop), trying to find ways to inspire myself to give you and the blog the best content relatable to Harare (I think I’ve succeeded in keeping the blog tres local and talking about Zim fashion, and making my outfits also relatable). So my main focus is to make the blog better especially with the photos. It’s been two years on and still my main goal is to give you high definition photos; which I’m still working on – cellphone photos aren’t making the cut for me anymore (hence I’ve opted to slow it down on the outfit posts). So I’ll keep you posted on that endeavour.

So my student life is temporarily over (Although I miss it already), but I guess it means more time to work on the blog. I’ve quite a few posts already lined up, one which is way overdue on Mafikizolo’s Nhlanhla recent fashion (did you see her evening gown on the MTV MAMA’s 2014 show?! Gorg, right!). Anyway onto the business of the day, is a style post with my vintage print skirt (that I believe is a 2 in 1 because it’s a midi skirt on which I altered the hem into somewhat a circle skirt, but still looks like a midi..) and ankle boots. I pretty much broke a fashion rule with the wedge ankle booties, because apparently tiny girls can’t rock a thick shoe due to our tiny calf, but I still went for it because I love this boot. I bought this boot in Sapatos at @JoinaCityZW, and I love it for its classic black colour and the fabric detail in the front and extra points on its comfort.

For Sunday’s look I paired the boots with the print midi skirt, nude blouse and caramel-inspired (brown) blazer finished off with a Mr Price woven belt. Sunglasses are from a FAIRLADY issue back in November 2013. The boots were a part of my Winter Preparation kit, where I acquired myself with three distinct and must have pieces this winter; the statement coat, knit scarf and ankle boots. Now we all know Sapatos Footwear and Luggage is a part of the Signature Toscie fam (big fan we are), and it’s exciting to note that Sapatos in collaboration with “With Love Foundation” are bringing you Fashion Forward ZW. One winter night of a fashion show at @JoinaCityZW on Saturday 5 July 2014, which launches my good friend Blaque Excellence’s S/S 2014 collection. Tickets start at $20, for any more information do contact @Fashion4wardZW or info@nailamanagement.com.

Now as noted, this blogpost is entirely about #MyWeekendEnsemble, which is another good inspiration to help you rock print skirts this winter. Yes, the weather is taking a turn for the cold in Harare.

With that said, I leave you with pictures of my weekend look.

Yours in New booties and Vintage prints!

Tendai Sophia!