Trends, Friends and Other Things

I’m not usually one to follow trends but there are quite a few that I’m loving at the moment and fishnet stocking is one of them. Ever since this trend resurfaced sometime last year, I knew I had to own a pair. I searched high and low for them in South Africa but none of the major stores like The Lot, Top Shop, H&M or Zara stocked them so I ended up ordering from ASOS UK which was not a very good experience. Based on my experience, I doubt I’ll ever order from ASOS again. My order arrived months later than the due date and if that wasn’t bad enough, the social media and customer service team were responsive ( I engaged with them as soon as I realised my order was a day late) but they were useless in helping me to locate my order which was all I really wanted.

Anyway, enough of the bad stuff, let’s skip to the good stuff. The reason I’ve been obsessing over this particular pair is because they come in blue. The fishnet stockings I’ve seen on other fashion bloggers have been black so I am super chuffed to own a blue pair. There are other different ways to wear fishnet stockings but I went for the more conventional look of fishnets under distressed denim.

What are your thoughts on this trend?

Friends

I have a little bit to say on three different topics today so don’t mind that today’s talking points aren’t exactly linked as we move from trends to friends. I’m not one to keep many friends, I am a particular kind of gal and require a particular kind of company and so I’ve learnt to mostly keep to myself. I seem to recall having more friends in high school and University, (especially uni) than I do now but that’s because I learnt what the true meaning of friendship is and realised very few people are capable of being a true friend. With that said, I am so grateful to the friends that have encouraged me on this blogging journey, the ones that have taken pictures of me and even gone as far as to kneel on the floor just to get a good shot, you’re the real MVP! There are also those friends that send me words of encouragement and believe that I can make it as a Vlogger when I’m ready to, thanks for your belief in me.

Thank you to those friends who have liked and commented on my blog and social media posts. Thank you to those who have shared my content. The blogosphere is a competitive and saturated space and it’s not always easy, but the support from those that do comment makes me want to do better and gives me some fuel on days when I’m running on empty.

THANK YOU!!

Other Things

The last thing I want to share is on the act of comparison.  This is something I am sure many of you are familiar with or can relate to. In this social media age, it is difficult to stay in one’s lane and not compare- difficult but not impossible. Reinforcing the idea that as women, we should aspire to have a successful career, go to the gym to keep fit and trim, maintain a clean, tidy and pine scented home, cook like Siba is not only unrealistic but actively harmful to our general happiness and health. As a woman and a blogger, I am very much aware of the toxicity of comparison. It belittles your accomplishments and creates a negative and contemptuous life for those who live it.

In the past, I have been guilty of looking at other “successful” bloggers and asking myself what I’m doing wrong and why I don’t have as many followers or comments as these successful bloggers. I look at other bloggers and feel lacking at times. She’s pretty, she’s got great skin, great pictures, her life is fabulous, she always has great hair, her husband is hot, brands love her, she’s got the perfect body… these are just some of the thoughts that pop into my head, however, I have learnt to control them and use it as a tool for motivation and you can too.

Everyone is battling a demon that they may not even admit to themselves, so, what you see on the outside isn’t always a true reflection of what’s on the inside which is really what matters at the end of the day. There is no reason to hold yourself to someone else’s standard, the only person you ought to be better than is yourself. I’m not saying don’t look to successful people for motivation but I am saying don’t compare yourself. Albert Einstein once said, “the woman who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The woman who works alone is likely to find herself in a place no one has ever been before”.

Happy International Women’s Month! Love and Light.

Bralet and Denim: Mr Price

Sunglasses: The Lot

Fishnet stocking: Asos

Heels: The Fix