Monday 30 July 2012

With great winters come great responsibility- The iWalk Series



The day is 25th July, the air of spending spreads around Pretoria as the euphoria of pay day sinks in and it finally makes sense, the late hours in the office, the overbearing boss and complaints from the girlfriend/boyfriend who hardly gets to spend time with you. You have arrived.

I take this time to reflect on the impact that this winter has had on my life. One often associates winter with the end or the downtime of things but this winter has forcefully brought me to life in such an amazing way, affording me a chance to further my studies and challenge myself as I walk in a dream that I want to turn into reality and possibly be an employee for my favourite magazine. The one thing that the winter has stolen from me is my fashion sense. Being a summer baby, my hippie self thrives off summer dresses, high-waisted shorts, light crochet tops, open-toed shoes and shaved legs and although the winter has made it possible for me to start a small fire with my legs and gather some much needed layer of warmth around my waist most commonly known as the muffin top it, has rested my mind’s capacity for fashion innovation.

What interests me about this indecisive Pretorian winter, besides the hourly change of weather forecast, is how many of the citizens of this mad hatter city seem to just ‘GET IT’ when it comes to fashion. The winter here is much friendlier than in most parts of the country so its citizens have the upper and economic hand and can still get away with wearing their summer apparel and I must admit that my little green monster rears its ugly head when all I can come up with for a solid cold fighting outfit is a hoodie and track pants. I feel my bright spark personality fade into the persona of a sad house-wife who has lost her groove after getting too comfortable in the security of marriage. Thank the heavens that I am not confined solely to the four walls that make up my cosy apartment and that even though I may be fashion’s ugly step sister I have an eye that appreciates the effort, creativity and the absolute zeal that people have when it comes to what they put on. The streets of Pretoria merge into one huge canvas where the art is not dictated by trends but rather by emotion. Just as feisty as the weather, the citizens of the Jacaranda city wear their hearts on their fashion sleeves and it all comes together and sets the city ablaze in a kaleidoscope of colour.

The diverse people of Pretoria who take winter ever so seriously, who do not acknowledge it at all, those who take it with a pinch of salt and those make ‘fabulous on a budget’ look divine. I am inspired by your valiant efforts and as I soldier on towards my winter fashion journey I say a silent prayer for you all to live, laugh and love.




















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