Eeeek! Same Outfit! When Friends Dress Alike

Opening up a can of worms today and talking about something that a lot of us girls go through, having the same clothes as your close friends..lol!

I am fortunate enough to have some really close girlfriends, some are literally family! I stayed with one of my best friends throughout university and she is someone who has always loved fashion and to be honest she inspired me to come out of my safety zone and try different things when it comes to fashion.

We shop together a lot and because we watch the same shows, read the same magazines and talk about latest trends together, we have inevitably developed the same kind of style. We usually love the same things and even consult each other on outfits. This is all very great and I love all the girl input but the problem is most times we end up buying the exact same outfit! Eeeeekkk!

We are both culprits when it comes to this, sometimes we both love an outfit and only one colour looks good so we both get it, or one of us buys something at a bargain and tells the other and again we both end up having it. And the weirdest thing is sometimes we plan to meet up and then show up in the exact same outfit! It has happened so many times it’s weird!

I love shopping with my best friend and I trust her fashion advice so this is not something that's going away any time soon. lol. The problem is people think we plan to copy each other or even share clothes. I know a lot of girls know what I'm talking about right?

I think the solution really is to try and put your own personality on an outfit if you both end up having the same item. The way you accessorise an outfit can change it completely. Also if it’s a big event that you are both showing up to just make an effort to check with your friend and discuss what you are wearing; you can decide who gets to wear that sexy leather dress you both own!

There is nothing wrong about being inspired by a friend or a celebrity when it comes to style as long as you try to add your own individuality to an outfit. I found it so funny to find that Kim Kardashian and Ciara have the same problem! People were accusing them of sharing clothes because they had a lot of similar outfits; I think the problem was that they wore them the exact same way. Being celebrities the pressure must be worse for them but I love the way Kim just laughed it off in her blog.

Here are some pictures of Ciara and Kim Kardashian to show you what I mean!

 

Also I thought a good example of what I mean by personalising an item would be from one of my favourite blogs, The Fashionista Next Door. She has a section called “Style me Friday” that allows readers to send her a picture of an outfit they would like her to recreate and she copies the look and recreates it with her own items.

I love that she usually adds her own personality to it, a scarf here, a statement neckpiece, a belt or different coloured tights. She is inspired by the pictures sent to her but she always adds a little touch of her own which turns the look into personal style. Here are a few pictures to show what I mean!

I guess you understand what I mean now right? Leaving you all with a picture of me in my recently aquired mustard blazer. I went to buy groceries but found a huge one day 50% off sale in Fashion Express and I came home with the blazer and a pair of ankle boots instead! Totally worth starving for!

Beauty In Unexpected Places

Catching up with a couple of things I have been up to lately.

Last week I had such an exciting time going into what I can say is one of the “ghetto’s” here in Lusaka. It’s called “Garden” because apparently the area used to belong to an expatriate farmer and now it has so many makeshift houses with locals living there.

I was reluctant to share this because I really hate how the Western world tries to portray Africa as a dirty place where there is starvation and no hope. I believe Africa has some of the most beautiful places in the world but like any continent there are places where people are poor and just trying to get on. It is the same here in Zambia, we have the beautiful shopping malls, people driving very expensive cars and wearing trendy clothes but as always the extremely poor are also among us.

I was having a photography session for a tour operator company called “Lusaka Experience”. They have such a brilliant idea, while most tour operators will take tourists to all the fancy places, this company does the exact opposite! They want tourists to have a sense of both worlds and so they take them to Garden. Tourists can visit the local market, some orphanages, taste the local brews and food and even crazier the tour guides take tourists to see the local witchdoctor!

Unfortunately we did not find the witchdoctor so I did not take any pictures of him for those of you who would like to see what a real life witchdoctor looks like! I do not believe in witchcraft in the sense that though I am aware that witches and wizards exist, I would not go to a witchdoctor to solve my problems because I am a Christian and I believe consulting spirits and magic is wrong.

What I loved the most about the trip was some of the beautiful artwork that “Lusaka Experience” had done in Garden. It is lovely to see a spark of colour in a gloomy place. I would recommend a tour with these guys to anyone if you really want to have a true cultural experience of Lusaka.

Weekend Shenanigans

This past weekend was really a mile stone for me in unexpected ways. I think particularly when it comes to my relationship. I have been dating my man for over two years now and it is the first serious relationship I have ever been in.

On Sunday morning my boyfriend took me for a walk and we went looking for a Park where we could sit and talk about all the issues that have been boiling up between us over the past few weeks. He got us lost twice and in the end we found ourselves at a botanic garden. We found a rusty old swing and we sat there for hours talking and ironing out our issues. We talked it out and we decided to put all our errors behind us and start afresh. It was a lot like renewing our commitment to each other. I now understand why people have ceremonies to re-dedicate their marriage, I thought it was a little artificial but after experiencing something close to it I realise that sometimes in a relationship you can take each other for granted and forget the reason why you are together.

I learned a lot of things that I need to work on and also expressed all the things that had been hurting me. Some things can seem so little but as they build up they create resentment and it explode unexpectedly.

 The swing was not that comfortable..lol..but it was a peaceful place to spend time.

Have to admit, that smile is a winner! He can get away with anything with this puppy look :)

Afterwards I met up with one of my best friends and two other friends. We went to Rhapsody’s which is a chic restaurant in Lusaka and we chatted over some cappuccino and barbeque chicken wings and chips. Lately we have all become so busy with trying to get our careers going and work that we rarely have time for each other so it was good to catch up, with a little gossip too!

I think it is important to make time for your friends once in a while no matter how busy you are, it is so refreshing to be in the company of good friends. My best friend finished law school last year and is now trying to be admitted to the bar but we always spend Sundays together after church. I really appreciate the effort she makes because I know how hectic life is for her right now. I am trying to be better at keeping in touch with old friends too cause I know how it feels when your friends seem to have forgotten all about you. Sometimes you just need to know that there are people who care about you out there.

Sorry but I have no proper picture of my dress, it is a floral maxi dress and I love it. I want to have lots of maxi dresses in my closet because they are so comfortable and stylish, also perfect for any weather. Speaking of which it is so cold here! June is our winter and though we have no snow it gets pretty cold. Lucky you if it’s warm and sunny in your country..lol.

Thank you for reading!