Fashion - Inspired Living SA

My Style Spotlight on Blogger Rayne Alexander

Hello all my fashion forward friends! We took a bit of a break from publishing our Style Spotlight but it is high time to get back into the swing of things. Today our Style Spotlight is on Blogger Rayne Alexander…

Hi there! My name is Rayne, I am 21 and I stay in Fish Hoek (Cape Town) right next to the beach. I still live at home with my dad, two crazy sisters and two insane dogs.

Style Spotlight

Please tell me a bit about yourself – what you do, where you are from & any interesting facts.

I currently work as the Beauty & Fashion and Event Liaison for the biggest Event and Nightlife blog in SA. I also au-pair part-time and I work on my blog ‘Make It Rayne’ constantly.

How important is Style & Looking Good, to you?

This question has my opinion jumping all over the place! Everyone is entitled to their own style, and who is to say which style “looks good”? I do feel it is important to look neat and presentable at all times but to try and stay true to your personality’s style. That being said, I myself tend to jump all over the place when it comes to style.

Please describe your own Personal Fashion Style?

I am definitely a style chameleon. I love to play with all sorts of styles when it comes to fashion and make-up. You would find me in ripped jeans, a grunge top and vampy make-up but then next day I could be wearing a lace dress with heels and a clutch handbag. I love to play but if I had to whittle my style down to a sentence it would be ‘classic but comfy’. Most days I work from home or with small children so you would generally find me in very comfy jeans or leggings and a sweater. But I LOVE getting dressed up.

Where do you draw your most of your Fashion & Style Inspiration from?

I definitely prefer to draw inspiration from overseas because most of our stores in SA are very behind in fashion trends. It can be very difficult to find those items which are in fashion though.

Who is your ultimate Fashion or Style Icon and why?

Audrey Hepburn personifies style. She was all class no matter what she wore.

Do you have a current Fashion or Style Crush and what do they have sets them apart from the rest?

I really admire Blake Lively. She is so classy and sophisticated yet she is still fun. She is one of those women who looks amazing on the red carpet, when she’s walking in the street and when she is nine months pregnant.

Where do you shop for most of your Fashion items and do you have a favourite local Fashion Brand or Designer?

I love shopping at Cotton On. They are all about affordability and comfort. When it comes to designers I would have to go for Amanda Laird Cherry. She is just so inventive! Every single piece is a work of art.

What do you consider to be the 5 Must Have Fashion Staples, all woman should have in their wardrobe?

Brown winter boots or booties
A classic winter coat to see you through the entire season (or two)
A LBD of course. But one that can be worked many different ways.
I may get slaughtered for saying this; but I have a weakness for some comfy leggings.
That perfect handbag which can go with any outfit.

If you could own an item or items from any Designer Fashion Label what would it be?An Hermes Birkin handbag. Handsdown.

What is the most expensive Fashion related purchase you have ever made?

I was gifted with a Gucci hand bag and a Gucci wallet for my 16^th birthday by family members but that cannot count, can it? I do not really go overboard as I try to find bargains wherever possible but I do have a fabulous Lou Harvey ostrich skin oversized handbag which cost R1800.

Do you have a Signature Fragrance you cannot live without?

Call me clichéd, but I love the original Donna Karan New York Be Delicous.

How important do you think Hair & Makeup is to your overall look?

I would rate them as highly as fashion. You could wear a paper bag but, if you look fabulous from the neck up, no one will ever know.

What is your most important, never leave home without it Makeup Item/s?

Concealer. Always. Thanks for the bags, Dad. And also mascara, lipbalm and highlighter.

Do you follow international Fashion Trends? What is your favourite trend this season?

Fashion wise I would say the longer length trenchcoat is seriously growing on me. Make-up wise I am really into natural looking skin but dark and vampy lips. And of course, strobing.

Thank you Rayne for being featured on Style Spotlight! If you would like to connect with Rayne you can find her here:

That concludes our Style Spotlight for the month! I hope you have enjoyed it! If you would like to be featured or have a fashion forward person in mind {male or female}, who you would like to see featured here, please leave a comment below or email Fiona.

Be Inspired, Fashion, Interviews, Style Inspiration

My Style ~Abby Buchanan

My Style

I am really excited to introduce a new series on Inspired Living, called “My Style”! Those who know me well, know how much I love Fashion! I believe everyone has there own unique Style and thought it would be a great idea to celebrate it!

My Style is an interview series, which will explore the Style and Fashion sense of, Fashion Forward, South African women.

Hi I am Abby Buchanan and I run One Stiletto At A Time which is a fashion and beauty blog. I am also a health advisor and manager as well as a final year Bcom Retail Management student. I’m from the gorgeous city of Cape Town but am currently working out in the winelands which is fantastic as I am a bit of a wine aficionado too.

How important is Style & Looking Good, to you?

I love to be pampered and my beauty cabinets are overflowing (perk of being a beauty blogger) so I would say fairly important. Looking good and presentable can elevate one in many situations so it does matter, and style is your own unique way of putting garments together so it is essentially an extension of your personality. You can tell a lot from a person’s style so what image you want to present is important.

Please describe your own personal Fashion Style?

My style is mostly classic as I love well-fitted items. As a petite woman clothing that is too baggy or busy just doesn’t suit my frame. I also lean towards a very neutral palette but thanks to blogging I have also been able to be more adventurous and often will try a trend and see if it works or doesn’t with my style.

Where do you draw your most of your Fashion & Style inspiration from?

Blogs and Instagram, I will spend hours screen-grabbing inspiring looks and have a massive folder on my mac with all the looks and trends that appeal to me at the moment. From there I see what works from my own closet and then purchase key pieces to update my look. A few years back I used to be a bit of a mindless consumer but now I like to look at ways to re-use and re-style my most loved pieces.

Who is your ultimate Fashion or Style icon and why?

Olivia Palermo. Her style is so effortless and always looks classy even when she is playing around with new trends. I wish I could emulate her style but then I would need her wardrobe and she is a New York socialite so hardly in my budget!

Do you have a current Fashion or Style crush and what do they have sets them apart from the rest of the Fashion World?

I am very into clean aesthetics currently and like and follow many Australian bloggers since they are very into this at the moment too but there isn’t one particular style crush. I try not fixate on one persons style.

Where do you shop for most of your Fashion items and do you have a favourite local Fashion Brand or Designer?

It varies, I like to source items rather than just go to one store all the time. If I am say looking for white ripped skinny jeans then I’ll browse everywhere from Mr P to Topshop until I find the right fit. As for a local designer…it would Errol Arendz. He knows how to make well-fitted piece that are full-on sexy. Ryan Keys is another designer which I have spotted quite a few pieces in his latest collection which are breath-taking.

Do you follow international Fashion trends? What are your favourite Style & Colour trends this season?

As a blogger in the Southern Hemisphere it is easy to follow international fashion trends as most up North they are already ahead of us. I love when South African bloggers filter those trends into or current season and climate for a truly unique take on say (fall). With regards to trends… I’m still not quite sold on the current 70s trend, while I do see the appeal of fringe (thank goodness studs are on their way out, they’ve been in for far too many seasons), I can’t see myself swapping out my skinnies for bootlegs just yet. I do like that we are seeing more demure necklines with lots of leg, we all know how important balance is, with plenty of baby doll dresses seen on the runways.

What do you consider to be the 5 Most Important Fashion staples in a woman’s wardrobe?

A White shirt, black leather jacket, fitted piped black pants, a good pair of jeans and nude heels.

If you could own an item or items from a designer Fashion label what would it be?

Prada classic black handbag or a Burberry trench coat.

What is the most expensive Fashion related purchase you have ever made?

It is currently on pre-order…. A pair of Louboutin So Kate heels in the new Louboutin nude range which I’ll only be able to have in my hands later this year when I head over to the UK but yes that is the most money I have ever parted with for one fashion-related purchase.

Do you have a signature scent/fragrance you cannot live without?

This would have to be the original Elizabeth Arden Untold fragrance. I don’t wear this scent every day, I like to mix it up according to my mood though. I have a weird superstition when it comes to perfume… since I was little the quote from Coco Chanel “a woman without perfume has no future” which I took a bit too literally to mean “if you don’t wear perfume then you may die today” since then I cannot leave the house without a spritz of fragrance!

How important do you think Hair & Makeup is to your overall look?

It is all about looking neat and well put together. If you look good then you feel good, therefore hair and makeup are vital but there is no need to go full glam every day! Clean and groomed is all that is needed, although when I have my hair done really nicely then I always feel a massive boost in confidence.

What is your most important, never leave home without it makeup item/s?

That would have to be the Estee Lauder Little Black Primer, although it is a primer it works just as well as a mascara on its own. It lengthens ones lashes and gives one a more groomed look. I need some form of lash otherwise I look ill!

Thank you Abby for being our first feature on My Style!

If Fashion is your thing and you would like to be featured on My Style, then please email Fiona or leave a comment below.

Fashion, Fashion, Look of the Week, Style Inspiration

{ Fashion } Tailored Shorts

One of the fashion trends I am really loving for summer, is tailored or structured shorts. I am not the tallest person in the world and always feel slightly self-conscious wearing short-shorts but recently discovered that wearing more tailored shorts can be very flattering.

I think the key, for me anyway, is to ensure the shorts are not too short but not too long either. If they are too long they tend to cut off my leg in the wrong place and make me look even shorter! The key with fashion, is to always dress your body shape and showcase your best “bits”!

This is a look that can be very casual or quite chic, depending on how you style it. There are endless possibilities as far as tops go, either a short sleeved blouse or a long sleeved demin shirt work well. As far as shoes go, you can pair tailored shorts, with a pair of ballet flats or strappy sandals or you can glam it up a bit with a pair of sexy wedges or heels.

If shorts are tailored correctly and styled well, you can carry a great shorts look from morning to evening.

After a bit of hunting around, I found a great black pair of tailored shorts at Country Road. I have been wearing them non-stop since I bought them. I love pairing them with a pretty blouse, tucked in at the waist or a more fitted T-shirt or tank. To smarten up the look for evening, you could simply slip on a blazer or denim jacket.

What do you think of this look? Is it something you would wear?

Disclosure Ranking: 1

Competitions, Fashion, Fashion

GUESS 14 Dresses in 14 Days

GUESS

The silly season is almost upon us and soon party invitations will be flooding your inbox! What is the first thing you always ask yourself when you get an invite – you guessed it “what will I wear”? Finding that perfect dress, is never an easy job! Well GUESS South Africa has officially named November the month of the dress. The global lifestyle brand, which originated as a jeans company in the United States, will be giving away 14 dresses in 14 days locally, from 17 November 2014.

Partnering with COSMOPOLITAN South Africa magazine, the 14 Dresses in 14 Days Campaign will be hosted on the publication’s website, as well as respective social media profiles.

From 17 – 30 November 2014, one person will win a GUESS summer dress daily. The final winner will receive the 14th dress and a R2000 GUESS voucher.

The dresses range from mini to maxi-dresses, in a wide range of designs and finishes. The 14 dress styles will be clearly marked in all Guess stores with a MUST-HAVE COSMO tag.

For the duration of the campaign, from 17 – 30 November, these tagged summer must-have dresses, will be available at 25% off at all Guess adult stores.

The competition starts on the 17th November, so don’t forget to set yourself a reminder and enter to win one of these fab Dresses! You can enter via the Cosmopolitan Website.

Disclosure Ranking:1

Competitions, Fashion

Win Jeankelly Ballet Flats

You may remember a recent What’s Hot Fashion Finds post I did, featuring the amazing Jeankelly Ballet Flats. They have very quickly become my favourite pair of ballet flats and they were one of the first things I packed, to take with me on our trip to Italy!

I have simply fallen in love with my Jean Kelly Ballet Flats! They are the most comfortable shoes I own barring my slippers and they are super stylish too!

I am super excited to let you know that Inspired Living SA is giving away and pair of these amazing Jeankelly Ballet Flats ! To enter please visit the Jeankelly website & leave a comment telling us which pair of ballets flats you love the most and what you would wear them with?

Please complete the easy steps in Rafflecopter form below to enter and win a pair of Jeankelly Ballet Flats. {Please ensure you read the *Terms & Conditions below carefully, to ensure you comply with all the entry criteria}
a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Terms & Conditions:

Entries are open from 15th September 2014 until the 24th September 2014 the winner will be announced on the 29th September 2014.
Enter using the Rafflecopter form, as per the instructions above. You must complete all the steps:Leave a Comment, Like said FaceBook Pages, to validate your entry, failure to do so will declare your entry invalid. To gain an extra entry Tweet about the competition.
To ensure that your entry in processed correctly (please use a valid email address). Your details will only be used to validate your entry and inform you, if you are selected as a winner.
Prizes may not be exchanged for cash.
This competition is only open to South African residents.
By “Liking” you enter and agree that this promotion is in no way associated with, administered by, or endorsed by Facebook; and acknowledge a complete release of Facebook by your participation.

Disclosure Ranking:2