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This woman is a graphic designer in Auckland Park. Spotted in Cresta Shopping Centre, she proved to me that white socks CAN work – Jacquie
The Times Chief photographer Thys Dullart is planning wonderful things for SA Fahion Week at the end of August.Today there was a preview with some of the work that will be showcased. I told him we had to post some of his brilliant pics so here they are to give you a taste for things to come… Aspasia
(First appeared in The Times on 26 July, 2007)
I RECENTLY bought my first item of intelligent clothing. In fact, I’m wearing it as I pen this column. It’s a fairly average-looking, sludgy green, long-sleeved and over-priced T-shirt that I wouldn’t have bought ordinarily but its this one’s label made it utterly compelling.
Because If its claims are to be believed, this new top is going to have my skin silky-smooth and healthy in no time.
Sound bizarre? It certainly does to me, but this is what the label promises: “We’ve discovered how to incorporate tiny beads of aloe vera, renowned for its moisturising, healing and antibacterial properties into fibres of this garment. It is gradually released during wear and should last for about 25 washes.”
Needless to say, I will be wearing this top with extreme care and washing it as little as possible. Read More…
(First appeared in The Times on 26 July, 2007)
“THE foolish and the dead alone never change their opinions,” quoted the e-mail which suggested that I urgently needed to defrag my life.
I read the e-mail closely, but I still can’t really tell what defragging my life would entail. It had something to do with my computer and old versions of Windows and little lights. Something technical. Being a luddite of note, this sort of thing immediately makes me want to shut down all hard drive operations and take to the hills.
So you can imagine that I have yet to defrag. But I am in the process of changing. Don’t want to be accused of being any more foolish than I already am. I have decided to get a digital life. I was convinced that it had something to offer after watching one of my colleagues get some serious loving on Nude beach in Second Life.
Let’s just say that Ms Fufu Writer was scoring some big time, one-on-one action on a lilo, while I was pondering the embedded meanings of defragging. Some girls have all the fun. Read More…
I had a little breakfast with the lovely Marion Reed this morning. She started the Marion and Lindie label with her equally lovely sister in law Lindie – now she runs a new label manufacturing the most sublime uniforms for luxury resorts in far flung parts of the world. She is just back from London where she bought the great jeans she is wearing from Paul Smith and the brilliant grey retro jacket. Marion say’s the cap sleeve was huge in London so prepare yourselves for the summer onslaught. The big news is that Paul Smith is opening a stand alone store in Parkhurst – the building is designed by the very clever architect Sarah Calburn- apparently it is going to be a floating box- watch this space. I love the Paul Smith stripy socks for men – and the great linings in his suits….Aspasia
Today somebody commented on the Roman ‘vomitorium’ that I mentioned in my column. He say’s that this is a common misconception and that the vomitorium was in fact a narrow corridor in an amphitheater – that spewed the audience out of the venue- so to speak. Naturally I was rather taken aback as I remember the vomiting Roman factoid from my days as a Latin scholar both in high school and at university and I never imagined that Mrs Super (yes, really ! That was my Latin magisters’ name) would be so lax with Roman practices, particularly such scandalous ones. So I took the liberty of doing a little research as I would love a little debate on the subject..Here are a few references to the vomitorium…. Read More…
I had to stop Darren-Jay Hart from Elle and get him to strike an over the top pose in this little ensemble. Here is a fellow who has a brilliant collection of boots – he is wearing a great pair in this pic. I love his college preppy boy look with an edge. Nice pink T shirt DJ….Aspasia
[First appeared in The Times on 19 July, 2007]
YOU know you’ve arrived when you hold a party to celebrate the opening of your new shop and Patrice Motsepe strolls in, hands you his business card and says you can call if you want to talk business.
And you know you’re more of a fashion brain than a business mogul when you are delighted at the turn-out of friends and fans at the party, but you have no idea who on Earth Patrice Motsepe is.
This was the thoroughly disarming response from Jo Borkett a few weeks ago when, at the opening of her new Sandton City store, she was approached by one of South Africa’s wealthiest, and nicest, businessmen.
I stood at the other end of the store watching the boutique proprietor and the mogul in deep discussion, aching to know what they could be talking about in this sea of new season orange, baby doll dresses and soft-as-satin giant leather handbags.
At the first opportunity I cornered Borkett myself, saying as many nice things about the new shop as possible before I thought it polite to pop the question: “Wasn’t it nice of Patrice Motsepe to come to theopening?”
Jo was quite bemused: “Who on Earth is he? Everyone is asking me what we were talking about. He just said I must call him if I’m ever interested in growing the business…”
Please, no! Read More…
[First appeared in The Times on 19 July, 2007]
IN HOW Proust can Change your Life, Alain de Botton’s tongue-in-cheek take on the self-help genre, he mentions the fact that Marcel Proust’s father, Dr Proust, a renowned physician of his time, published what amounts to the first-ever fitness manual.
Proust the elder’s greatest bugbear was the restrictive corset that women strapped themselves into, in order to create the illusion of an the hourglass figure. “The thin woman is far from being the svelte woman,” he pointed out.
He admonished women to give up this artificial means of looking thin and to rather take up a fitness regime in order to get the same result.
One of his exercise routines involved jumping off walls. I have included the handy diagram for anyone who feels tempted to incorporate this exercise into their daily regimen. I find it does wonders for the knees.
There really is nothing new under the sun. The quest for svelte is perennial. The Romans had a special room called the Vomitorium. Read More…
What better way to start the Frock report than with some pics of probably the funkiest pregnant girl I know – Dudu Mathebula. Yes, I know that the new baby metaphor is an obvious choice for a blog in its birthing moment, but you will just have to cope. This lass is 8 months pregnant and still manages to look super cool, as opposed to horribly put upon which is the general look most people at this late stage of pregnancy are sporting. Pregnant girls everywhere look to Dudu for inspiration – she pulls off the most unexpected outfits with complete aplomb. I for one wish I could find my own all in one jump suit for my own sartorial purposes. Can’t wait to see what she dresses junior in…. Aspasia
