Dress to depress

It is said that every day is a fashion show and the world is your runway. Well, it takes firm self-awareness to know the appropriate garments that will best suit your body type and look fabulous while you are at it and not just that, but good advice from fashion advisors might just do the trick.  Dressing for a specific event should not be a hassle either, after all style is much more eternal than fashion so mixing and matching the exact colours for your outfit will do any girl good. Dress to depress means don’t just dress up, but dress your best in a way that makes a sister envy your look and wish she had what it takes to look just as good as you so even when you enter a room turning heads should be a norm.  Whether you are a big girl, petite or just medium sized, there is always a perfect outfit for you.  

These are just some of the items that every girl has to at least have when leaving the house:

Ø  Stilettos/high heels

Ø  bold & bright lipstick

Ø  Stylish handbag

Ø  Gladiator sandals

Ø  A pair of shots

Ø  Casual, smart & event dresses

Ø  Straw hats

Ø  Sandals

Ø  Prints (floral, stripped etc)

Ø  Chic sunglasses

Ø  Peplum (Tops & dresses)

Ø  Denim (We all know it never goes out of style)

Ø  Crop tops

Ø  Boob-tube (dresses, tops, jumpsuits)

Ø  Good make-up

Ø  And of course, a smile

Stunning straw hats are a must have. Source: www.galleryhats.com

A bit of make-up to feel extra fabulous. Source: www.crazyfunspot.com

 

                       

You can never go wrong with a crop top. Source: www.asos.com

What you dress says a lot about you as a person, especially if you are a lady. We are approaching Summer time where we dress less and show off our amazing toned bodies right? Well, unfortunately that is not always the case. Ladies have a weakness of wearing the wrong type of garments that do not compliment their shape and make them look the opposite of wanted they wanted to achieve with their look and bad make-up is just the icing on the cake and makes the entire outfit one total disaster and an urgent call for the FASHION POLICE. Here are some of the few things that ladies should avoid wearing this season:

Ø  Wearing printed garments from head to toe (Makes you look like an animal of some sort)

Ø  Matching your eye shadow and lipstick colour

Ø  Wearing clothes that make your underwear show through

Ø  Wearing shorts that are short enough to expose your rear end (A big NO NO ladies!)

Ø  Avoid clothing that exposes your skin a lot (Makes you look trashy & cheap)

Ø  Carrying a hang-bag that doesn’t compliment your outfit

                                            Make-up gone wrong. Source: www.dudeimchick.blogspot.com

Prints from head to toe are not a good idea ladies. Source: www.khojodresses.blogspot.com

These type of shorts are not appropriate for any occasion. Source: www.momgrind.com

 

Showing too much skin is trashy. Source: www.enstarz.com

"Style is a way of saying who you are without having to speak" - Rachel Zoe. So whether you are going to attend an event hosted by Pick a Flava Events & coordination or just hanging outdoors- arrive in style, make a statement and look as fresh as a cucumber!

Here are some of the outfits that are the true definition of “Dress to depress”

                                                                   Stripped outfits still look fabulous. Source: www.facebook.com/shoes-I-like

Perfect attire. Source: www.facebook.com/shoes-I-like

 

Boob-tube is the most sexiest and elegant way of saying "I am confident". Source: www.facebook.com/shoes-I-like

                            The perfect way to wear your prints. Source: www.facebook.com/shoes-I-like

Yellow-bone

Perfect makhwapheni material (the other woman),drama-queen, man-eater, home-wrecker, promiscuous, shallow, loose are just some of the words that come to mind whenever one thinks of the term "yellow bone". Nowadays we live in a society that is very commercialized and obsession about beauty is overrated everywhere we go. There is a stigma that- the lighter the better, which is one of the main reasons why our African sisters are caught up and blinded by complexion-fueled ethnocentrism. Rivalry between "Team yellow-bone" vs "Team chocolate brown" of females of the same race with just different shades of black say negative things about one another just to maintain superiority. It is almost like it is a competition of who is better and who is not.

The outer layer of our bodies is more than just mere shell- skin forms a huge part of our identities. It is puzzling why most black females choose to use skin lightning and bleaching creams that are advertised daily on television and magazines but yet again tend to be hypocrites and shift their own insecurities about their looks to confident, young light complexioned ladies by labeling them as "they think they are better just because they are lighter".

It is an utmost shame that we have been brainwashed since forever that white and black are not equal nor should they be categorized in the same level. Black as a norm for us symbolizes darkness, dirt and evil whereas white represent peace, life, purity and cleanliness. Racial segregation has always been a serious and enormous problem not only in South Africa but the whole world. The complexion conundrum is just one of the many effects of the Apartheid and post-apartheid era.

Hypothetically speaking, yellow-bones turned out the way that they did because they are a mixed breed of black people and other races. Well known celebrities like Beyoncé Knowles can be categorized as yellow-bones because even though her parents both look black but the truth is her mother is Louisiana Creole - a mix of African, Native American and French which explains why she (Beyonce) has light skin and blonde straight hair.

Beyoncé Knowles and her parents, Tina and Matthew Knowles.

An image of the ever so famous songstress Beyoncé Knowles for the Loreal cosmetics brand that had critics question why her skin was lightened in the adverts.

Truly speaking,it is highly unfair how yellow-bones are treated in social media, social gatherings and the society as a whole as if they are the enemies of the state especially by fellow black females and men of course who say they are cheap and should be taken less seriously because they do not look nor represent the true definition of a real woman and are just good enough for showing off since they have no substance. Yes, some of them do lack morals but it is unjustifiable to generalize, it is like saying all men are the same which we all know is not true. After all they did not choose to look the way they do, it's just nature.

The Michael Jackson and Nomasonto "Mshoza" Maswanganyi saga are different cases and they raise a lot of eyebrows and create anger, bitterness and confusion among blacks as to why they chose to bleach their black skins to white. Does that mean that they are not proud of their ethnicity?

The late king of Pop music Michael Jackson was the first to shock the world with his skin bleaching surgery.    Kwaito star "Mshoza" shocked South Africans with her recent skin bleaching.

At the and of the day we are all a creation of God and in his eyes we are all equal and he loves us irrespective of the color or shades of our complexions. No one has the right to bring another human being down just because they think they are better than them.










It is a matter of IDENTITY



The old green barcoded ID that will be replaced soon. Source:southafrica-newyork.net

 The South African Minister of Home Affairs,Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma announced on 25 April that her department is aiming to replace the old green Identity documents (ID) with the new smartcards.

Minister of Home affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma shows off her new smartcard. Source:eyewitnessnews.co.za

The minister emphasised that the smartcard will go a long way towards stamping out corruption in the Home Affairs department, she said that this is more like a transition from the dompass to the smartcard. The smartcard will allow citizens to have modern identification cards rather than the outdated book, which is easy to forge. The card is not easy to forge, it is easy to distinguish between the forged and the real card. The card would be linked to a system containing all the department's data including the population register and information register on refugees and immigrants. The pilot phase roll out to the public would start with people applying for identification documents for the first time. The machines the department had for the project were "small" and able to roll out only about R3 million cards a year. The pilot phase will be active in full force hence they still need more machines which would take 18 months to manufacture to the departments specifications then in the next 2 years the bigger roll-out will take place. The first face of the project will cost about R5 million. The second face, with the larger still-to-be-built printing machines would raise the cost of the project. Home Affairs officials will be able to read information on a card by placing it close to a mobile reader that used a radio frequency to communcate with the chip. The reader would also take a person's fingerprints and instantly provide identity details to the officials.

I am proud of the department and its plans for us the citizens but, am I the only one who is wondering though as to,what took them so long to implement this...?

Ugly!

The weekly newspaper publisher Sunday World published a story on Sunday 22 April 2012 about an article that had a lot of citizens talking. A well known/familiar face on our television screens actress Maggie Benedict who plays filmmaker "Akhona Miya" on local soap series Generations on SABC 1 was allegedly called "ugly" live on air by a morning radio presenter.



Young, vibrant actress real name Maggie Benedict called "ugly" by radio DJ.
Source: channel24.co.za



DJ Mo flava is a breakfast show presenter on the youth radio station called YFM weekdays between 6-9am. He is also a television presenter for E.tv's musical show Club808(make some noise) that airs every Friday at 19:30pm with co-host and recently exed YFM DJ Dineo Ranaka.





Breakfast show host DJ Mo flava from YFM. Source: kasitimes.co.za



Youth radio station YFM in hot water. Source: twitter.com



The article reported that a listerner identified as Andrew Maringa was listening to the show that morning and heard the DJ and his crew constantly calling the actress "ugly" several times live on air and decided to lay a complaint at the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA)- which is a corporate body with objectives to ensure the adherence to high standands in broadcasting and to achieve a speedy and cost affective settlements of complaints against full members of NAB who have submitted themselves to the jurisdiction of the BCCSA and its code.

 The complaint was bought to attention to BCCSA on April 11 but was thrown out because the regulatory body said the case could have had more chances of succeding if the case was laid by the victim herself. Maringa also said that the YFM programming manager Tumelo Diaho-Mohaneng dismissed him and defended the team by saying that they did not call the actress ugly but said that she looks more like international actor Wesley Snipes and singer Estelle. Bizzarly though, the station manager of YFM Kanthan Pillay said he had no idea the station had a complaint laid against it hence Mohaneng did not inform him about it. .

Do you think this bad publicity will make people still want to listen to this station? and are you satisfied with the way the BCCSA handled the matter? Lets talk about it...











Alcohol draft bill

Why now after all these years?!

The Health department is drafting a bill regarding alcohol advertising in South Africa. The spokesperson of the Department of Health Fidel Hadebe said that the Control of Marketing of Alcoholic Beverages Bill will go through various stages of consultation before it is released for public comment, this in turn will prohibit the advertising and promotion of alcohol products. The government task team is now reworking the bill behind closed doors.



The banning of alcohol adverts-a serious issue. Source:knowledgebase-script.com



The drafting of this legislation to curb advertisements and marketing of alcohol comes after the health ministry sees alcohol as a contributing factor to highway deaths and a murder rate that is one of the highest in the world outside of a war zone.

This is a downturn for media companies as it raises a concern of a loss of revenueof as much as R1.8 million a year. The study, based on interviews by Moerdyk with media houses, found that:

• The ban would cost the SABC about R400-million;
• DStv and e.tv would lose R500-million;
• Radio, lifestyle magazinesand newspapers would lose R900-million;
• A "conservative" estimate was that about 2500 jobs would be lost, depriving about 30000 people of an income;
• Loss in VAT of about R280-million
• The ban would lead to a short-term drop in branded liquor consumption of 5% to 8%



A caution image against alcohol. Source:m-a-d-d.wikispaces.com



Youngsters enjoying a sip. Source: trendgeeks.com

But the question in my mind and I think on everybody's mind is that, why now after so many years? and will this bring about the change they are expecting in our roads and what about the prohibition of persons under the age of 18 who are allowed to consume alcohol without the concern of legislature? Lets debate people shall we...

Famous for no reason- Kim Kardashian

Fame is just the price of hard work or a special talent. That is why we have "celebrities" these are the people who are celebrated for their talents and the entertainment they bring to our lives-it can range from music, acting, sports personalities, radio personalities, television hosts,etc.

...and then there is Kim Kardashian who is famous...for being famous!

Kim Kardashian. Source: justthefab.com

 She first rose to the media scene in 2006 when she was a rebound date of Nick Lachey during his divorce to Jessica Simpson. Her first acting role was in the television series Beyond the Break. She is not the type with humble beginnings though, her dad Robert Kardashian was a power-attorney, her step-father Bruce Jenner is an Olympic athlete. Her priviledged upbringing surrounded her with money and ensured her a certain social status especially when she was friends with Paris Hilton who introduced her to the socialite scene.

In February 2007, a home sex video with then superstar boyfriend Ray-J was leaked. Vivid Entertainment bought the rights for $1 million and released the video as Kim Kardashian: Superstar on February 21. Kim sued Vivid Entertainment for ownership of the tape which in late April saw her dropping the suit and settled with Vivid Entertainment for $5 million-these are just some of the most controversial stories of her life. She is not just a pretty face with scandals though, she is also an entrepreneur with retail ventures under her name. She co-owns a clothing boutique with her two sisters Kourtney and Khloe. In 2009 she launched an endorsement with ShoeDazzle shopping of which she is co-founder and chief fashion sytlist, she has also released a workout DVD series and her own fragrance product and jewellery with her sisters in 2010.




The family reality show wallpaper. Source: entertainmentwallpaper.com



In October same year along with her two sisters, mother, brother, half-sisters and her step-father starred in the E! reality television series Keeping up with the Kardashians. This reality television series is all about the Kardashian family and their everyday lives, it received an enornomous response from the public which has ultimately made her the famous person she is today.



Kim with her husband at their wedding day. Source: funcrunch.com

Their wedding made front cover news. Source: officialkourtneyk.celebuzz.com



Last year August she married NBA player Kris Humphries and then filled for divorce 72days later. Several news outlets have surmised Kim's marriage to Kris was merely a publicity stunt to promote the Kardashian family's brand and their subsequent television ventures, her former publicist has also revealed that the short-lived wedding was staged and was a ploy to generate money and this has caused a widely circulated petition to remove the programme from air after the split.



Kim with her current rapper boyfriend Kanye West. Source: drfunkenberry.com



Recently she has been spotted with hip-hop artist Kanye West with rumours confirming them as an item. They have both been seen together on numerous occasions and word has it that he might be making a few appearances on the next season of the show as her current boyfriend which according to sources has Kim not so certain about it because of the whole fiasco with soon-to-be-ex-husband Kris Humphries.

Do you think this is just another publicity stunt by Kim Kardashian & family or is this true love in the making?

Just another PR stunt by the ANC?

On Wednesday 5 April, President Jacob Zuma announced at Pretoria that the country's 264 Further Education and Training (FET) colleges will receive R2.5 billion budget boost for refurbishment and the construction of new campuses over the next three years.

gpsa.co.za

The aim of this budget allocation is to improve the role of skills development by colleges to the economic activities of the country. He also emphasized the fact that colleges must improve their performance, absorb more students and increase the number of graduates they produce annually. He also stressed the point that infrastructure development is a crucial role played by the FET colleges including power stations, expanding ports and rail lines, modernising road networks, irrigation systems, schools, hospitals, universities, renewable energy plants, building dams, etc.



warwickchapman.com


He mantained the fact that he wants to give school-leavers, including the disheartened ones- some of whom stand on street corners daily with no hope for the future- to come back to the education and training system and benefit from vocational training.

One may ask though, with such a high number of unemployed youth some of which are graduates- what will happen after they have aquired they qualifications and find no work? According to Bloomberg, South Africa's latest unemployment figures makes the country one with the highest official unemployment statistic among 61. Statistics released by Stats SA marks that the official unemployment figure is now 25%.

Now what puzzles me is that, since this lumpsome of a budget is being allocated-to whose "responsible" hands will it land to? and will this plan to build more campuses actually be achieved considering the corrupt and greedy government officials and their obsession with money? or is this just one of those publicity stunts by the African National Congress (ANC) to make themselves look like they are actually doing something to better the lives of ordinary South Africans? Lets discuss this further shall we...