In 2015 : Fashion Tips

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Hello family

Hi everyone ( I know I said hello already) Let me introduce myself. My name is Tiwi. I am the founder and co - creative director of Fashion Maverickz and I will be sharing my general tips for refreshing your look in 2015. Whether you are looking for a new look, new ideas or some inspiration there will be something for ya.

I hope you Enjoy :)

My tips are all about refreshing yourself and working on you. Who doesn't like that?  

Keep reading : 

Wardrobe Detox aka DeClutter

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I always try to start a new year by decluttering. For me that means getting rid of things I know longer use , haven't used or don't use anymore. I usually do an inventory of my closet. When doing an inventory of your closet you have to be honest with yourself. Try not to hold on to pieces you know you will not be using. Once I have done my inventory . I divide my bounty into two piles. Stuff I am going to sell and stuff I am going to give away. My bounty this year included clothes, makeup shoes, furniture, books you name it honey it was all there.

At the moment I am actually selling some of my bounty on eBay and so far I have actually made a good amount of money that I will be reinvesting into my self improvement. For those who don't have access to eBay you could sell on other sites. You can also utilize your various social media platforms. Another way would be to sell to your friends and family .You can get together with a bunch of people and  have a yard sale ? ( Hey I'm just throwing out ideas) What I am trying to say is be creative and use the platforms you already have or use  to make yourself a bit of money. Another cool way to get rid of your unwanted stuff would be to do a swap with a group of friends.

Tips for stuff you want to sell pile
a)Make sure you wash or clean the item before sale. ( I'm sure will all knew that but I still had to include that point just in case)
b)If you are selling your stuff online please, please , please. Take  good pictures of the item. This is the part where you have ask yourself : 'what usually attracts me to buy an item when I see it ?'Use that knowledge to get creative. Good picture quality with an added bonus of styling your item will get you a good price.
c) Set realistic goals when you're selling off your old goodies. You might not get full price for the cute skirt you never got to wear and no your old sneakers that you think are worth something might not make you as much money as you thought but at least you will be getting some money you could reinvest.

Just writing about this is giving me so many ideas. I just want to go out there and sell stuff.


Tips for getting rid of the to ' Give away pile'.
There are always people out there who are less fortunate than you. My advice would be to give it away  to charity. Go the extra mile by actually finding out more about the cause you are giving to. Obviously anything completely worn out would not be suitable to give to another person ( unless it actually looks cool worn out).

Decluttering is an excellent way to create space for new ideas and new things in your life. If you are stuck in a rut and lacking creativity then maybe it is about time you wardrobe detoxed. It also prevents hoarding.
For me it is more than a physical thing it is emotional. Whether you agree with me or not we do tend to form emotional bonds with objects. Decluterring therefore serves as a means of getting rid of physical and emotional bonds to old stuff.

Here is another bonus tip :

Sometimes get rid of the pieces you love the most and usually reach for. This allows you to explore what you already have in your existing wardrobe and you get more wear out of other awesome and sometimes neglected pieces you already own.

This leads me into my next Fashion tip

In 2015 we shall all play dress up

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Yes you heard me correctly. I said in 2015 we shall all play dress up. Dress up? where? In your closet of course. According to Gok Wang ( research time)  women only wear 20% of their wardrobe. Why?  because we tend to reach for the things we are most comfortable with. It's only human nature people. So what about the other 80% then?

I play dress up all the time. Dress up helps me with visualizing and planning my outfits. It also allows me to evaluate my closet to see what I have and what I need to invest in. Playing dress up in your closet will allow you to come up with countless combos. Which means that when it comes to realistic dressing up time you won't be stuck with nothing to wear and you will less trouble coming up with outfits.

Reinvent Old favourites ( D. I. Y is your friend)

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This is one of the fun things to do.  This is something you can do yourself or you could find a really good tailor to help you out with. For instance if you want to get more wear out of let's say your old prom dress. A smart lady once said with  after she has worn a dress for a formal occasion she usually turns them into beautiful summer dresses by simply dressing them down with slippers . Turn an old dress into a co -ord set? 
Other excellent reinvention of clothing include

• Wearing a dress as a top.
• Wearing a full piece swim suit as a 'body'. 
• Adding embellishments to tops and outwear
• Using bleach to create that acid wash look
• Breath new life into and old pair high heels or clutch bag  by covering them in interesting interesting fabric.

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There are a lot of things you can do guys. Pinterest and Tumblr are your friend if you are looking for ideas. Boy do I love the internet.

Shop in new places

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In 2015 challenge yourself to try new places. Try supporting more local designers. Fashion is a big industry and there are so many unique and talented local designers with amazing pieces. Yes it can be a bit more pricey but see it as your economic duty. You are investing your money into the local economy you know where your product is made and you know your money will be going back into your economy. What better reason to shop local aye.

Try vintage ( yes I'm obsessed). There are so many vintage sellers and flea markets out there. I could go on and on about this but to cut a long story short. Vintage adds to your personal style. It makes you unique ( unless you hate that) and you will stand out. If you don't know where to start with the new designers or the vintage that is nothing a bit of research couldn't clear up. Shopping in new places a quick way to add new flavor to your personal style. Trust me on this one.

Raid your family member's wardrobes

This is one of the most inexpensive ways to add some new flavour to your wardrobe. ( It's good to be a frugal girl sometimes ). Raiding your mum, sister , dad , brother or any family members wardrobe is a great way to try out vintage if you are not so sure about those flea markets. Mums and Grandmas tend to sit on the greatest gems.

Don't forget to ask for  permission before you raid.Otherwise it's called stealing.

Invest in good shoes and Accessories.

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Shoes and accessories are what take a good outfit to epic heights. In 2015 my advice is to invest in great shoes and accessories. As always start with a shoe evaluation. This will help you see which areas you are lacking in shoe wise. You can then ask yourself what type of shoes you like and what type of shoes you are most likely to wear. Things like that. If you can't wear heels there is no point owning 50 pairs and 10 pairs of flats ( looks away in shame).

 As for accessories the list is endless. Statement necklaces, sunglasses, earrings, bags, scarves, you name it ... are the way to go. If you are not an accessories girl then it's time for you to become one. Investing in these pieces will allow you to get more wear out of your wardrobe. Trust me ( I own 2 pairs of jeans I know what I am talking about). You can wear the same jeans and blouse with different shoes and accessories and it will look like a totally different outfit.





Build your Wardrobe Essentials

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In 2015 we shall be working on our wardrobe essentials. Why? Wardrobe essentials are the base of a good wardrobe. Once you have the wardrobe essentials you can build around them, So I'm sure your asking us what are wardrobe essential. I would describe wardrobe essentials as pieces that are important for making a working wardrobe. ( It's the best definition I could come up with bare with me). Read more about ward robe essentials here. 

Well I hope you enjoyed this post. I certainly enjoyed putting it together.

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We are also looking for some writers and general contributors. If you are interested please email us at : southernafricabloggers@gmail.com.

Love and Light
Tiwi.