Tag: Outfits

Ramadan Style Guide: Styling The Bump

Posted on by Nhlanhla Masemola

Before I went into labour (earlier than expected at just 37 weeks, I was hoping to carry till 40) I worked on a bump style guide for Ramadan for some of you guys asking for outfit ideas. I was hoping to post and upload this a few days before Ramadan then of course I went into labour! 

Albeit delayed I wanted to post this anyway for those ladies who are in their second or third trimester beginning to show off that gorgeous belly but struggling with modest outfit ideas. These are just inspiration for you if you’re looking to style yourself of course mix and match your own items, it’s not always necessary to buy a full new wardrobe! However when you’re planning for the bigger trimesters I would go for a few key items you can wear post baby again, and with any modest outfit, layering is key! 

Straight cut draped jacket 

HM was one of my favorite local places to shop for maternity clothing. Their denim’s are particularly great! They look like regular jeans and not too old fashioned which I felt most of the local maternity brands were. Covering up with a straight cut draping jacket like this gives a flattering shape while feeling as huge as you most likely do in your third trimester.  This means you can totally still wear jeans, just reworking the look to flatter your figure. A jacket like this is a great addition to any one of your maternity outfits, be it a dress, tights and a top or whatever else you’re finding comfortable to wear. It is stylish flattering and most of all comfortable. 

The yellow now I am wearing here is currently available at H&M and worth the investment (in my opinion) since it will look great post pregnancy too.

Stretchy maxi dress 

This was a lifesaver! I got a ribbed dressed from Superbalist in size small (my regular size) and wore it my entire pregnancy from the first to third trimester. I even bought more colours because the dress was so comfortable and gave me confidence that everything was covered, tucked and looking sleek! I probably wore this dress most of the time, simply covering up with draping blazers, wearing a slouchy jersey over (which I cover in the next tip) or wearing it with any one of my jackets. You can place your scarf over your head and tuck either side into the jackets shoulders to cover your chest like I did here. I thought it looked pretty cute with a  long pendant over the draped scarf and sneakers for comfort.

Slouchy jersey 

An absolute must have! This jersey I imported from ASOS’s maternity range. But please be warned when shopping on ASOS from South Africa the import tax is quite hectic. I paid almost (gulp) 60% above my full shopping cart for my delivery. It was worth it in the end as I intend on keeping my clothes for my next pregnancy but it wasn’t entirely necessary. If for whatever reasons you cannot shop at ASOS.com you can get really cool maternity friendly items at Cotton On. They have a great rewards program and deliver to your door should you feel to uncomfortable to shop at the mall. I got sent a beautiful oversized slouchy jersey from Cotton On Africa, I wore it over tights, jeans and dresses. It was really flattering over my massive bump towards the end and I felt cute in it, not like a walking, talking hippo! Here I wear my slouchy jersey over a dress, my maternity leggings seemed to always be in the laundry so I would alternate between those and dresses in the last trimester since that was the most comfy. Another tip when shopping for anything during your pregnancy is to look for fabrics with stretch (anything with spandex blend) or items that say “oversized” this will look like regular maternity clothes on you – I have an oversized bomber jacket from Cotton on which looks amazing with the bump, it even zips up!

Full length coat dress 

I found this pretty late in my pregnancy, regrettably as I think its such a dope way of covering the bump, staying warm and feeling comfortable! I’m wearing this oversized button up coat from H&M (currently in store) with the maxi dress I mentioned earlier underneath. This is a super easy looking whether buttoning up all the way or simply leaving it open. The Nike hijab I am wearing here is available online too. There is a delivery charge with Nike.com but there is not tax since it comes from the SA warehouse. This hijab comes in differnt colours!

I really hope these tips helped you guys dress your bump in a trendy yet cool way in the third trimester. I know you’re so uncomfortable right now but trust me when your little one arrives you will forget all this discomfort. Enjoy the last few moments with your big belly and the excuse to eat your weight in macaroons!

Xo Aisha

Disclaimer: so sorry if there are loads of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors, I didn’t double check this cause I need to go and nurse my baby soon… hehe! XO 

What to Wear when you DGAF

Posted on by Nhlanhla Masemola

I think my best outfits happen when I DGAF , this weekend was one of those days. If you don’t already know, weekends are busier for me than the week, I usually spend my weekends working on what we’re going to talk about on Baked Online for the week. It’s not ideal but I’m working on it. Not to mention the middle of the year is always a struggle at Baked HQ as we gear up our plans for the remainder of the year. I imagine it’s the same in other businesses so staying comfortable is crucial. Yesterday I just wanted to get in and out of the studio unscathed. Wearing a Levi’s throwback men’s  shearling denim to snuggle up between shoots. Partially because I’m obsessed with vintage looking clothing at the moment and partially because men’s jackets are substantially warmer than women’s jackets.

Winter doesn’t help much does it? With comfort food sinking in I feel like a reach for my track pants and sneakers quicker than any other season! July brings with it a few travel opportunities for me to warm places (#blessed) and back to the grind stone with driving the new vision for Baked (working on calling it Baked The Brand since we have so many cool projects in the works. (LOLZ)

Speaking of, what would you guys like to see more of on this site?

Ramadan Style Guide: Vol 2

Posted on by Nhlanhla Masemola

We are well into the second portion of the month of fasting and with it comes the second edition of our Ramadan Style Guide. This week we are shifting from athleisure to an atmospheric editorial. Inspired by local Capetonian designer’s Twin Image and their Ramadan collection and the elements, see how guide to modest style below.

Look 1: Statement Sleeve

One of my favorite modest influencers, Nabilah Kariem (here), has made the statement sleeve her signature! Had to give it a try with this stripey Twin Image shirt. I love the neutrals, perfect for cooler days! I paired these with Mom jeans by Topshop and of course white boots which have become some what of a winter statement.

Look 2: Utility

Can we have a moment for these utility pants please. We’re all obsessed with the fabric, it’s available in this khaki shade and beige too (stockists below). I loved pairing heavy fabrics like denim and linen – keeping with our utilitarian theme. I picked up this scarf from The Scarf Company, it’s really great for wrapping since it doesn’t slip at all! You guys might want to check them out, they deliver too!

Look 3 : Reworked Abaya

Twin Image created this white dress inspired by the traditional abaya. I absolutely loved it with sneakers or heeled ankle boots. It’s really perfect for summery days, since the fabric is pretty lightweight and comfortable.

We hope you enjoyed our style guides for Ramadan! If you have anything else you really want to see up on the site please comment below. Don’t forget to subscribe to our Newsletter – new giveaways coming soon.

have a great final fasting period ahead!

Xo Aisha

Boy meets girl

Posted on by Nhlanhla Masemola

Our friends at Cotton On Africa have launched their urban inspired collection for men and women and we were lucky enough to collaborate with them on our first winter style story together.

We got the opportunity to style ourselves in our favorite pieces from the story and of course I had to pull Niquita in to shoot it all. I feel like we did more laughing and snacking than actual shooting though.

About Look One 

Our first look is an ode to London, since Parny just got back from there. I am adopting two key trends of the season for women – the page boy hat and the shoulder shrugging puffer. What is shoulder shrugging you ask? Well it’s the act of gently sliding your jacket off your shoulders (pictured here). Winter’s must have item is the puffer, the bombers chubbier cousin, shrugging it off your one shoulder to give it an edgy but chilled look. Make sure you don’t shrug it off both shoulders – this is NOT the look.

Parny has also adopted the shoulder shrugging (yes boys you can do it too). In terms of headwear for men we are both loving the ‘fisherman beanie’ for guys. We balanced both our looks off with primary colors, totally unplanned. Primary colors are key for winter, brightening up the usual cool winter tones.

About Look Two 

Since I had been to NYC earlier this year, we wanted to showcase our inner New Yorker Hip Hop Head. Parny does this so well in a statement fur trimmed puffer while I opted for a winter bright hoodie and a winter fav the camo bomber.

For the girls, I would suggest adding a hoodie underneath your statement bomber to tie the look together, giving it an androgynous feel, but keeping your colors bright and playful.

I really love the way his styled his puffer with track pants and sneakers – it’s now appropriate to wear track pants to dinner guys, this is why I love fashion!Remember to balance your winter brights with neutral colors!

We hope you loved this shoot as much as we did. Make sure you check out Cotton On’s new African Instagram channel @cottonon_africa for even more pics.

Xo Aisha

Forbes Woman

Posted on by Nhlanhla Masemola

Last month I had the honor of speaking about my business and journey with Forbes Women Africa at their Leading Women Summit in Johannesburg. The Summit featured business women from around Africa getting together to engage and learn from one another.

As a panelist along with Theodora Lee and Tspepang Mollison we discussed the trials and tribulations of being emerging digital entrepreneurs in a South African landscape.

I hope to host more events like this in the future!

Tresemmé Brunch with Marianna Hewitt

Posted on by Nhlanhla Masemola

I have always been a fan of the Tresemmé hair brand, I actually use so many of their products since they’re affordable and come in huge bottles – you know long hair problems. I was super excited that the brand invited me to their influencer brunch, along with my girl Niquita of course.

The brunch was delicious, held at Mr Purple in the Indigo Hotel Soho – my favorite place on earth! I have always wanted to stay there, and I am sure I will sometime soon!

One of the highlights of the event, besides the jam donuts and amazing rooftop views, was meeting Blogger & Youtube Marianna Hewitt. She is one of my faves because I find her so unassuming and really genuine to her followers, which I admire. She’s also super hardworking with new content pieces going live on her platforms almost daily. We caught up about her trip to Cape Town and what its like being tiny as f*** she was really sweet and cool to talk to. She has great hair too, Wow!

The creme de la creme of beauty bloggers from around the world were there, from Portugal, Morocco, Kuwait and Bangladesh – it was cool to see the entire globe represented in one room! Of course Niquita and I were super happy to be there for South Africa and snapped a few pics for y’all.

Enjoy!

Xo Aisha

Michael Kors Fash Show Look

Posted on by Nhlanhla Masemola

Hey guys, this was my look for the Michael Kors runway show in New York last month. To get a full rundown of my New York adventure check out my entry on this link (here).

The show was magnificent – obvs its Michael Kors. I Humbly sat third row as I watched his ready to wear looks come down the runway while an orchestra played reworked pop music, very Kanye-West-surprises-Kim style (if you know what I mean). I was pretty nervous the entire time since I was sitting across Anna Wintour and Blake Lively and adjacent to Joanna Coles in a room crowded with all the who’s who in the fashion world. I felt like I belonged there but also thought ‘omg I’m here and so is Margaret Zang and Chiara Ferragni’. After calming my nerves and taking a whole bunch of blurry images I managed to snap some beautiful shots of Taylor Hill and Kendall Jenner as they closed the show.

About This Look

I really wanted to play with some of the trending winter silhouettes for my MK look and I was inspired by this tri coloured Mercer MK hand bag. My first thought was “I need something orange”. Initially I wanted a fitted cashmere turtle neck but the only one I could find was a million dollars (not literally) so I opted for a sports luxe ensemble instead. This one was by chance after spotting it walking by the Nike Lab store in Soho I found this Nike jumper and called it a day.

I had already purchased these corduroy pants from H&M studio a while back and I was determined to wear them on the cold streets of New York. I was pretty stoked with myself to find out that Kendall & Kylie had a similar pair in their new collection – they’re obviously inspired by me (jokes).

I completed the look with winter’s must have white boots and gloves – because it was cold, I wasn’t really trying to be trendy here. The best outfits come together when you’re hardly trying!

Bonus points – Niquita and I looked like a fruit basket in red and orange, strutting (actually running) to the show as we got mobbed by paps. I am not used to the fashion-paps (or any other paps for that matter) so the experience was pretty cool! Later we found ourselves all over the inter webs, looking like two South African plums.

Hope you liked my look

Xo Aisha

Hells Kitchen, Backstage hopping 

Posted on by Nhlanhla Masemola

I was channeling vintage Aliyaah with this look. We had spent the entire day shopping and shooting backstage for MAC so I wanted to wear something comfy and easy going. There was a little raindrop on my jersey, I thought of editing it out but then I got lazy… LOL

The coolest bit is this look was featured on Refinery 29’s NYFW streestyle round up captured outside one of the shows, thanks to Cristina for the feature!

Xo Aisha

New York, Vinyl 

Posted on by Nhlanhla Masemola

I wore this look to the Prabal Gurung show in NYC. It was an amazing show with a huge statement pro-female and pro-immigration. I felt kinda emotional watching it. Later on I met up with Niquita at the Maybelline rooftop jol (party). To read more about my New York trip round up check out my last post (here)

About This Look 

If you can’t afford designer labels (yet) stores like H&M, Topshop and Zara are great to find unbranded designer replica’s. Being at fashion week was kinda stressful for me since I don’t own anything designer besides handbags and shoes. Luckily H&M studio has a dope affordable trendy collection waiting for me (as usual). I dropped by the studio in Cape Town to pick up and style some of my looks before heading out to NYC. HM studio collection is really great quality and easy to make look really high end if you’re on a smaller budget.

Vinyl pants were everywhere at NYFW including on me. I paired these with matching vinyl boots I picked up at HM on 5th. Im not sure how often I can wear these pants but I wish I could wear them everyday, they make me feel like a real rockstar. This turtle neck  is the real star though since its on trend for AW with bellow-ey sleeves and woven metallic thread. This look should be available in store at the moment.

Xo Aisha