A 100% ZULU WEDDING- ALL TRADITIANAL FASHION

Since I had been blogging about South Africa's beautiful tradition, I came across a blog by Aquahlekkergarla on this link: http://aquahlekkergarla.wordpress.com/2012/05/25/traditional-wedding/

I will post what she blogged but do check out her blogs:

Traditional wedding

Published May 25, 2012 by aquahlekkergarla

My cousin was getting married to a zulu*South African Tribe* man in South Africa and i thought i would share with you  a bit on our clothing,accessories decor and all in a traditional wedding…enjoy…

Shoes                                                                                           accessories

African made bangles

Am carrying the Shoe…its decorated with these beads after purchasing them from the shop

The skirt and the knee accesories

My Little Cousin in a complete outfit

Another kind of outfit

My beautiful mama

Men outfits…jeans patched with prints

My lil men and me…patching work and these are original animal skin

My lil African Qeens..(My lil sisters)

Me in My full pieces

Iam an African Qeen

More outfits..women singing
                                                                                 Beautiful African women
                                                                                           Future African Qeens

Decoration inspired by African prints and hand made crafts
                            Decor..all tables are written clan names and every clan seats where its name is written

Decor
                                                                                                     African dishes
                                                                          Modernly inspired decorated food
A great event indeed,i just cant wait for more weddings in ma family..hope you will like them..:)

CULTURALLY FASHIONABLE- I AM PROUD OF MY SOTHO CULTURE

In the last blog I wrote about the Zulu, Xhosa, Venda and Tsonga/Shangaan cultural wear or should I call it traditional fashion. I am a fashion designer, stylist,  writer and have been hosted a Fashion Expert on a radio show. I love anything that is clothes, shoes, accessories, hats and all that adds to how a person looks. Oh ya I also love interior decor.

Yesterday at our church, Grace Bible Church in Soweto we were celebrating the Sotho (Basotho and Bapedi) and Tswana (Batswana) cultures. All these weeks we have been wearing and celebrating all other South African cultures. This day we had the privilege in showing off our Basotho traditional wear. I saw more people as compared to the past weeks dressed up in the full gear. What a beautiful blessing we have as South Africans. How I wish we could just embrace wearing tradition not only for occasions such as weddings or Heritage month. Me and my hubby are making traditional clothes part of our wardrobe. Watch this space and follow the trend as I post our pictures in coming months.

The Sotho consists of Bapedi and Basotho. These three ladies are wearing the Bapedi dresses:

The Bapedi women's outfit as you can see above is a long or calf-lengh skirt that usually has beed trimmed either with ribbon or embroidery. And then sometimes it has a second skirt that comes from the back and ties in front. It then has a top that looks like a dress or a babydoll top wich is usually pleated. As you can see the difference between the outfits in the two pictures, the picture on the right is the original cultural Bapedi dress and the one on the left with the yellow pleated top is the one it fashionably-evolved in. I never knew that until I saw the one on the right. i have alwaays known Bapedi outfits to be as colourful as the one on the left.

   
As I did mention there was more people dressed in Basotho cultural wear than any other culture in the past weeks. In this pictur above is a mixture of Basotho with Tswana. I will break it as acording to pictures to follo. The young man on the right is dressed like a sheperd (modisana) with his blanket and stick just like Moses in the Bible. The lady in the extreme left is wearing a dress made with a Basotho fabric called Seshoshoe. Her outfit is more mordenized an she accessorized it with woode earrings, neckpiece and bangle.

 

 

This is me and my husband

Above here is me, Faith and my husband Paul Nthoba (yes culturally I am married to him because he has paid lobola for me. All that is left is the signing and church ceremony). He is wearing the Basotho blanket called Seanamarena and the Basotho hat called Modihanyeho. He is holding the stick which in Sesotho(language spoken by Basotho)  it is called Kota. There is a reason for all these he has. The land where Basotho originate is Lesotho and it is a very cold and snowy place hence the blanket/ Seanamarena. The hat/ modihanyeho is for the scorching sun as the Basotho men travel long distances on horses. The stick or kota is for protection and can be for support in old age.

I am dressed like a Mosotho(singular for Basotho) bride with my blnket called "Tjale" and a head scarf which we call "Tuku" taken from the Afrikaans word for headscarf, "doek". I am wearing a Seshoeshoe skirt. Remember seshoeshoe is the Basotho fabric. The "tjale" and the "tuku" are a sign of respect from women. Women's heads and shoulders traditionally are always covered. Do not mind my red heels they are just my ForeverFaith Couture traditional wear.

Some people said I was dressed like a Motswana maiden but the Batswana have their orwn paatern of the skirt and their blaket is also different. I am a Motswana (singular for Batswana) but I have never seen our traditional blanket.

See above the other man, Tumi is holding a different stick.

Picture Perfect

Thato dressed as a Mosotho woman

 

Paul dressed as a Mosotho man

  Thato and Emily above are dressed like  Basotho women with the blankets (Seanamarena), Thato wearing Modihanyeho, Emily wearing a hat made out of seshoeshoe and both ladies are wearing Seshoeshoe skirts

DRESSING FOR THAT JOB INTERVIEW

You might say you have no challenge when it comes to putting together an outfit for a job interview. But sometimes it might happen that you have gotten accustomed to your relaxed way of dressing in your current job or maybe you have stayed at home from the employment industry you need to be reminded on what to and not wear to a job interview.

When you are dressing for a job interview, image really is everything (or most of it). The image you present to a potential employer is the first thing they are going to notice about you - before you even have a chance to say a word or shake a hand.
In order to make a good first impression you need to dress professionally and separate your social image (if it's more casual, and it probably is) from your professional presence.
 
How to Dress for an Interview

Why it's always important to dress professionally for a job interview and what to wear.
What Not to Wear on a Job Interview

• Flip-flops or sneakers.
• Underwear (bras, bra straps, briefs, boxers, etc.) that is visible. Don't wear any underwear that shows - even if your bra straps match your top.
• Shorts.
• Jeans.
• Skirts that are too short.
• Pants that are too low-rise or too tight.
• Blouses that are too low-cut or too short - don't show your cleavage or your belly.
• More on underwear and low-rise pants - make sure the top of your thong, if you wear one, doesn't show above your pants.

Trendy vs. Classic

• A classic interview suit that will last for years is a better investment than the latest trendy attire that will only last a season.
• Your idea of trendy might not match the interviewer's perspective on what's fashionable, so err on the side of dressing conservatively when you interview.
• Shop Wisely - Visit outlets, shop sales
• Plan Ahead - If you have that one classic interview suit in your closet, you'll be prepared for an unexpected interview, regardless of when it occurs.

Your Professional Presence

• Your Social vs. Your Professional Presence - What you wear off-the-job and socially doesn't have to be what you wear interviewing or at work. In fact, your professional presence may be very different from personal presence, and that's fine. They don't have to mesh - you can have a closet full of fun clothes and a wardrobe of work clothes.
• Perfume and Cologne - Your scent (even if you smell good) can be an issue. I once worked for some who wouldn't hire anyone he could smell from across the room. Also, scent is one of the strongest senses and your favorite perfume or cologne might be the same scent the interviewer's ex-girlfriend or ex-husband wore. That subliminal negative impact could squash your chances of getting a job offer. With any type of scent, less, or none, is better.
• Pantyhose - The question of whether women should wear pantyhose to a job interview  is always asked and the answer is overwhelmingly yes. Depending on where you are interviewing, you may want to consider covering your tattoos and taking out your rings. There are companies that have policies which limit both.
• Starting Your New Job - If you're not sure what to wear on the job, ask the hiring manager before you start. You can also visit the workplace to see what the people coming in and out of the building are wearing. There is no better way to make a bad impression than to show up for your first day because you're underdressed or overdressed. 

TOP TEN FASHION NO, NO’S FOR WEDDING GUESTS

10: Black

Black is traditionally a no-go color at weddings -- especially for women.

Black dresses connote mourning and death for many people, but there's a difference between showing up to your best friend's nuptials in funeral garb and wearing a sleek, little black number to an evening wedding. As long as the dress feels fun and light, regardless of how dark it is, you should be fine. Sequins usually work, as do black cocktail dresses for formal ceremonies. However, if there's even the slightest chance it could fit into a procession for the deceased, put it back on the rack and slip into something more colorful.

9: Something Skimpy

Nothing screams "look at me" like a skimpy outfit.
There's nothing wrong with showing off a little leg or décolleté every once in a while, but there's a time and place for such things, and weddings aren't one of them.
No, you're not exactly showing up the bride, but showing off your assets is a surefire way to take away from her big day, so don't do it.
Besides a skimpy dress at a respected function as a wedding, whispers “desperately looking for a man”. And what kind of a man are you attracting in a show it all dress? Or rather what are you saying about yourself?

8: Cleavage All-Out

I must say there’s nothing attractive about a woman’s cleavage showing. It is disturbing seriously.
Women who have it think those who don’t have it are jealous. No really it communicates a bad message. It is the same as a woman wearing low cut jeans sitting down and bending and shows what I do not really have to mention.  If most of your dresses are low cut, invest in chiffon and satin scarves for spring and summer.
Ladies we do not live in a woman’s only world. Men are visually enticed so if you were not intending to do that relook your wardrobe.

7. Jeans and T-Shirt

We don't care how casual the wedding is and how laid-back the bride in question might be, attending in jeans and a T-shirt is not an option.
It doesn't matter if it's in your mom's backyard, or even if you don't know the couple very well. If you're bothering to show up, the least you can do is throw on a dress or a pair of khakis and a button-up shirt -- again, assuming it's a casual ceremony.
Also, just to be clear, don't even think about slipping on a pair of flip-flops. Pumps, heels, flats, loafers and sandals are a go, but plastic footwear is a huge wedding no-no.

6. A Tuxedo/ Shiny Suit

For the guys: Ladies please tell your dates or partners. There's only one guy in a penguin suit here today, and it's not him (unless, of course, the ceremony is a  black-tie affair, in which case your date, the  groom, and every other male in attendance is bowtied out).
However, just as it's in bad taste to upstage the bride, he shouldn't go out of his way to one-up the groom.
Ladies, please advice your male friends or companions to stay away from the Vaseline suits. They don’t just look cheap they are cheap. There are proper ones but not as shiny and creasy as the ones we see around. Rather advice them to save over a couple of months and get a proper suit or get one tailor-made with a proper fabric. That should cost between R1 200- R4 000.

5. A Tiara

You are probably thinking “What a tiara? Who wears a tiara to a wedding?”
Well there are those who’ve done it and someone might do it as well. You'd be surprised by what attention-seeking guests have tried to pull off.
Do not, under any circumstances, wear a tiara to any wedding other than your own. Not only is it disrespectful to the bride, it'll just make you look desperate and ridiculous.
This rule, of course, extends to crowns, ornamental headbands or anything else that could be mistaken for a tiara or any other headpiece the bride may choose to wear.

4. Prom Dress/ Matric Ball Dress

Prom is like a pre-wedding for teenage girls. Also like weddings, it's not out of the ordinary for a well-to-do young lady to spend R1 000 or more on a dress she'll wear only once.
So, if you still have your prom dress and it's not out of style or too juvenile, slipping it on again for a formal affair might be awfully tempting, even if you're a decade or more out of high school. But you have to be careful, as there's a fine line between donning a vibrantly colored formal evening gown and a white, champagne or blush dress that'll make you look too much like a bride. Use discretion and err on the side of caution. If you're at all unsure, leave the flashy dress for the high school kids and wear something more elegant and adult.

3. Pant Suit/ Corporate Suit

You're going to a wedding, not a meeting at the office!
Drop the business persona and show your style in a skirt or dress. This is a celebration of two people choosing to unite their lives together forever, so the least you can do is find something that isn't overly stuffy and businessy to wear. We're not just talking about your standard black or charcoal suit. This rule also applies to pretty pastel skirt-jacket combos. They might work for a dinner event, but they just set the wrong tone for weddings.
Yes, we know some very powerful women frequently wear pantsuits, but even Hillary Clinton wore a vibrant dress on her daughter, Chelsea's big day, and if she can do it, you can, too.

2. Anything Loud or Garish

People are there to look at the bride, not your obnoxious hat/dress/purse/shoes/eye shadow/hairdo. Donning loud or garish apparel and accessories is a surprisingly common method of wedding-crashing women use to upstage the bride. Your outlandish choices might not be directly comparable to the bride's traditional white garb, but everyone -- including the new Mrs. -- will likely take them as a sign of extremely poor taste or a desperate call for attention. You'll get people talking, but you probably won't like what they have to say!

1. ANYTHING WHITE

It's never a good idea to wear anything that could conceivably be mistaken for a wedding dress. But, just like the tradition against wearing black to on the big day, we think this rule can be broken -- if you go about it the right way.
A simple, off-white dress or skirt should be fine, and if you want to be absolutely sure you're not stepping on any perfectly manicured toes, make sure your white outfit of choice is dramatically different, so if she's wearing a full-skirted gown, your slender, white evening gown shouldn't pose much of a problem. If she's wearing a simple number, though, pick another color.
CLOSING

·        If you are the kind that likes to out-dress people with your style make the day special for the bride and tone down. By toning down I don’t mean dress like you are going to the shops or for a jog. Maintain the finesse and elegance in you by wearing a gorgeous dress.

·        This new punk, hair off the sides, net stockings or leggings, blood red hair, and looking like you are in a rock band is not a look for a wedding. Be a girl or lady for someone’s special day.

·        Big dramatic, Durban July Hats…NO NO NO!!! Leave that for the mother of the bride and groom.

·        If you get an outfit made, get a reputable, experienced fashion designer and don’t leave it for the last minute or else your dress will come apart (not pointing at you Zandi)

Whatever you  do always think of the scripture that says: Do not cause another to stumble in Romans 8:13 which in full says:

¹³  Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.

I always say let what you are wearing not cause others to sin. If its men let it not get their minds out of focus, if it’s everyone else let not it cause them to gossip about you and for the bride and groom let it not make them regret inviting you. Remember it is their day to shine, be seen and celebrated not yours!!

 

HOW DRESS IS HOW YOU SELL YOURSELF

I love fashion or rather let me say I love clothes and how they look on people. I love how people dress up to suit their body, to suit the kind of event they are going to. I also love how venues, offices and event decor looks. The first thing that strikes my mind when I see a person, walk into a premises (office, house, retail shop, hotel, etc) or an event is how they are styled, how things like colour, fabric, accessories, furniture are put together. So I found this to be my passion.





My passion is not really just fashion but my passion is what appeals to the eye. What people tend to take lightly is that image is everything. Image is a selling tool. Everything you buy these days is packaged in something that can either attract you, make you think twice or put you off. In marketing and advertising I learned about AIDA which is acronym for Attention, Interest, Desire and Action. Most people are not aware that daily we are selling ourselves to people around us. As you dress up and go out, whether to work, play, church or just to go have fun you are actually packaging yourself as a Product that would either sell or not.

Your image can either sell you as high value, priceless or cheap. Your image communicates the kind of person you are. It can say professional, eloquent, decent, crazy, lazy, careless, etc. If you are the kind of person who says: “I do not really care about clothes, fashion or style.” you might be shortchanging yourself in many ways. Say for example you work in a corporate environment but you go to work in jeans and T-shirts. I understand, you might say you work in a relaxed and chilled environment but are you going to look like a student at varsity or a teenager hanging at your mom’s or dad’s office for the rest of your life? This than poses a challenge for you the day you want to change jobs. Firstly you need to look professional to go for an interview and all your shoes are takkies and sneakers (man) or pumps and sandals (lady).

However there must also be a balance in how you look. Some people invest so much time in their looks it makes you wonder what time they wake up. This is common in ladies. There is nothing wrong ladies but tone down a bit so that your image does not scream: “High maintenance!!!” Your make up must not look like you spend your whole foundation on your face.  If you have fake eyelashes, be minimal on the lipstick or choose your colours properly to suit where you are going. As a former recruitment specialist I would be weary of a: “30 cm long fake eyelashes, red lips, 4 layer foundation and pink-blushed face with the longest red or other colour with glitter nails wearing a short skirt, or extremely tight pants. The word says “Do not cause another to fall” and the image I just described can make one fall by judging you.

When you dress up to go to church, remember that as much as God is your Father we are not going on a picnic with Him or going to wash the car with him. Ladies and gentlemen, the same way you dress up to go to a wedding or a party, honour God by dressing up for Him. Dress appropriately. Hear me well I am not saying dress expensively, I am saying dress appropriately. We are willing to dress up for people saying you are dressed to kill but you take God for granted and dress as if you are going to the shops or a club. Honor God with your dressing. I miss those days when women used to wear dresses or two piece suits with hats and men were never allowed to come to church without a jacket.
If you have trouble dressing yourself up, contact me and let us find an image that best communicates who you are.  If your business premises look like an office when it is actually a salon or clothing shop you might be loosing business.  Let me help you with your image.

OUT AND ABOUT FASHION ON THE STREET- LIL' GIRLS BEING WOMEN

Time now is 01:50am on the 7th of November 2012 as I write this and I am supposed to wake up at 04:30 for devotion till 06:00am to go to gym. If I am lucky I will wake up at 06:00am at least.

Ok let me speak fashion as yes the blog is FaithSpeaksFashion. "Li'l Girls being Women" I know you are going: "Huh?" in your head. I am talking about about how young ladies can stop dressing like little girls going for a Happy Meal, or young freshman at college or even worse some low paid scantily-dressed video babes and look more like respectable, attractive and virtuous women. Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting and nothing oozes sex appeal like a properly dressed woman.

You are reading above and thinking one moment Faith speaks scripture and the next she speaks about sex appeal. Well firstly Faith is a word-spitting, praying fashion designer and stylist and secondly let me just remind you that God created sex. But He did not create it for us to abuse and pervet it but He give it as a gift for married people. Yeah, that's me...you can't separate me or my work from speaking God.

Let me explain sex appeal in a godly woman. I am not talking "come here I want you" appeal or "look at me and lust over me" seduction. There is nothing as sexy as a woman dressed properly and respectably (respecting herself, her body and others). Man are attracted to such a woman. They are more interested in getting to know her because she looks like the kind who can become a welll-grounded mother and respectable woman. Oh no do not shake your head like you do not want to get married while you have been compromising yourself in a relationship for ages.

What made me write this article actually is one particular woman who caught my eye on Sunday at church (Yep! I told you church people are also fashion-forward). Her name is Phindile Dindie Makatane. She had on an 80's turquoise and colourful pattern print blouse-jacket with a beige maxi dress. She topped the look with a box-braided hair updo. Her friend also who is actually my friend, Gugu Mirriam Thungwana was coincedentally almost dressed like her. Well as the saying goes birds of the same feather flock together, like minds think alike and the fact that the more you spend time with someone the more you start dressing the same, walking the same, talking the same and looking alike. That right there is impartation by assosciation through soulties. Gugu wore a  navy blue fitted/ body-hugging (not too tight), knee-length dress with a colourful print-patterned jacket that is almost similar to Phindile's one but has bigger shoulder pads.



The ladies looked gorgeous as you can see in the pictures.... They took me back to 1985 Fair Lady and Cosmoploitan magazines. That is just before the two young ladies were born hence i said "Li'l Girls being Women". 

There are just some people who can rock up retro fashion they make you want to go and visit your grandmother's cupboard for some vintage look and try it too. Well unless you are either too smaller or bigger than your oldies.

             

 

CULTURALLY FASHIONABLE- BE PROUD AND TRENDY ABOUT YOU CULTURE

Have you ever noticed how South Africa has beautiful clothes for every culture? The colours, the accessories and how the garments are put together for both men and women as well as adults and children.

I fellowship at Grace Bible Church Soweto, under the leadership of the Apostle Mosa Sono. Every year in September we celebrate Heritage month  as part of our South African festivties and causes calendar. And since September is also our church anniversary, being that 2012 is our 29th Anniversary, the church also celebrates Heritage month by having the congregants dress up in different cultural clothes every Sunday.

This year the cultural groups were divided into dual groups as the first Sunday we were celebarating other African cultures that are not really South African but are found in South Africa as our country is a pot of all cultures.


Well, me and my fiance chose to be radical and different by wearing Chinese inspired clothes as you will see in the pictures in the next post. Some people wore Nigerian, Zambian and  one of our Children's Church Ministry teachers, teacher Jacqui (below) came dressed in Indian clothes and teacher Maureen below wore a Nigerian outfit. The two beautiful Children's Church teachers above are wearing African inspired clothes. I think the teacher on the right Mrs. Hlahane (aka Mrs, H), is wearing a Nigerian if not Malawian outfit. The lady in yellow and red, Mama Busi is wearing a ForeverFaith Couture dress and jacket made out one of the African countries fabric.

The second week was Tsonga and Venda tradition. As you can see in the picture of two different generations in which the older woman, one of our Children's Church grade R teacher, Mama Maki is wearing a Venda Tradition which is the colouful striped fabrics that have been decorated with dotted binding in yellow as well as with embroidery. Tell me if this is not the mixing of prints inspiration. These fabrics come in as many different coloured striped fabrics you can think of.

The little girl is dressed in a Tsonga outfit made of a skirt which is called xibelane , and the beautiful floral fabric worn over the skirt called nceka. Apparently it takes 24 days to make the Tsonga skirt according to an Indian man I was buying fabric from. The Tsonga people also known as Shangaans were always known for their bright, in-your-face colours. One of the teachers I serve with who is Tsonga, teacher Maureen says they are trendsetters of Colour-blocking. I think so too and Zulu people are the accessories trendsetters.

Both traditional outfits are completed by colourful accessories.

The third week which was this past Sunday, was the Zulu and Xhosa Culture celebration. The Zulu cultural clothes are the most hand-detailed with beads on them and beaded accessories. Paul (my fiance) and I went shopping for some Zulu outfits and realized how not cheap these outfits and accessories are. The Zulu women wear pleated skirts (priced from R300) with beautiful bright coloured beads on them (these are originally made out of cow hide) but now you can wear fabric ones. They wear a throw over on their shoulders which is also beaded and a head gear called isicholo (priced from R500) which is also beaded. As you can see in the picture on the right, our church's Counselling Department leader, Mama Thandi is wearing the whole women's tradition with the bib made out of beads (priced from R400) on the shoulders, an apron also made out of beads (priced from R400), beaded takkies (priced from R300), bead earrings (priced from R150) and beaded legs accessories (priced from R300 a pair).

As you can see above, two men dressed in Zulu modernized men's suits and a woman in the beatiful Zulu women regalia. I love the detail on the patchwork and how they incorporated animal print in the other gentleman's outfits. Historically or should I say originally Zulu men wear clothes made out of animal skin as in the picture on the right.

The two pictures on the left and right are from 
http://www.mzukulu.co.za/zulu_traditional_clothing3.html

The Xhosa women's cultural clothes are made of a fabric that is almost as hard as denim fabric decorated with black binding at the bottom of the dress/skirt, throw over to cover the shoulders and a head scarf. The fabric used comes in different colours but the most popular colours asre cream white, orange and red.

The other lady is wearing Zulu clothes, as you can see she is not wearing is'cholo like the first two women in the preceding pictures but a crown-like beaded accessory (priced from R80). What I know about the beautiful bigger head gear is worn by married women but most young women just wear it ignorantly. See below pictures for the different Zulu women headgears/accessories. I should have taken pictures of little girls dressed like young Zulu maidens in the class I teach.

        These two pictures are from http://www.mzukulu.co.za /zulu_traditional_clothing3.html

I will post more pictures on our beautiful South Africa's traditional oufits with more facts, correct names, prices and where to purchase them in the near future. Next week we are celebrating my cultures which are Tswana (my dad's culture) and Sotho (my mom's which is Southern Sotho). I will be wearing Sotho with my fiance which is his culture as well.