The Inspiration of the Gangsta Boots

"Have you ever experienced that feeling, that overwhelming feeling of passion and the need to do something, to change something and to be something so much bigger than what you are? I can personally say this is something I feel so often. But for some or other reason we don’t act on this passion and slowly it starts to simmer down; [a]fter days, weeks and even months of not acting on this feeling you are left with nothing but a mere memory of what of would've , could’ve and should’ve instead of what you did." 

This is a paragraph taken from one of my best friends' blog, the Inspiration Archive and that's exactly what it did - inspire me. 

It all started with a pair of what I like to call "gangsta boots". 

The only warm winter shoes I owned was a pair of black ugg boots. Which broke. So kieppie over here decided to wear her mom's boots (with heels) to campus. To make things clearer, my mom wears a size 7. And I'm a big 8 (most Mr Price 8s are too small). By 8:30am I had convinced my (male) friend to come with me to the Chinese shop in order to buy some new boots - from my savings of course, so that my parents could pay me back! (we all know the Maties motto: "studente sonder sente" [students without cents])

That's how we found ourselves in Lee Cooper last week on a chilly winter's morning. Lee Cooper is a cute but random little shop in Stellenbosch. If you're a student, you'll definitely know where Dudu's Fashions is - it's next door. (If you don't know where Dudu's is, both of these shops can be found by walking down the walkway next to McDonalds in Andringa street) I'm not quite sure if Lee Cooper is a Chinese store or not. The front half of the shop sells Lee Cooper legit looking stuff, but at the back it's a funny little shoe shop. They have HUNDREDS of boots of all shapes, sizes and colours.

In the end, I chose a pair of black lace-up boots with a buckle and a simple studded embellishment. I had a hard time choosing, but these seemed the most versatile. Little did I know...

The boots were R250 which is quite a lot for shoes, I think. I'm used to paying as little as possible for anything and everything. But I realized, if you want nice boots that are going to keep your feet warm and dry for the whole winter, R250 isn't bad at all.

The boots made it all the way to the car before I ripped them out the packet and popped them on my feet. I wore them all day and my feet were absolutely fine considering the boots were brand new and most definitely NOT leather.

When I got home, the reality of my situation hit me: I was the proud owner of new, snazzy, FASHIONABLE boots... and I had NO idea how to wear them! 

In a panic, I BBMed Zina for a list of her favourite fashion blogs (my favourites are She Wears Fashion and Baked the Blog / Tgether). I started browsing and looking for ideas, and I realized that I really do love dressing up and looking pretty. I saw a look that included boots similar to mine and a jersey that looked like the one my gran knitted me 500 years ago, and vuala! I suddenly looked fashionable! I had a few extra hours that particular morning (last week Friday) so I decided to even put on some powder base stuff (something I hardly EVER do) and wear my hair in a middle path for the first time since grade 2.


I really loved the outcome. For the first time in ages, people were telling me how nice I looked. When I walked around on campus, I felt confident. 

I made a vow to myself there and then, that I would always make an effort to look nice, even fashionable, before I walk out the door. 


While I was looking for blogs for inspiration, I was looking for one that:

1. is South African
I wanted a South African blog because then the seasons are the same. Whats the point of seeing great fashion ideas but you can't use them because it's 500 degrees colder here?
Also, then the clothes are bought at South African stores so it's more realistic. We all have the mindset that there are NO nice clothes in SA but we can prove that theory wrong.

2. posts photos
I'm looking for inspiration for fashion ideas! I need to be able to see things to be able to copy the idea.

3. posts every day
I want to see as much as possible in order to make the best decisions. Posting a photo every day, or at least every second day, allows the trends to be current. Who wants to see winter fashion from 2010? New things come into fashion literally every day. 

4. has an accessible site that's pretty and 
inspiring
Admit it, reading something that's lilac and mint green with pastel pink rose borders is way more appealing than black on white.
A well-structured site that allows you to find what you need when you want it can separate a good site from a great site. 

Because it was/is so difficult to find a site that has all of these in one, as well as great fashion photos and ideas, I have decided to created my own for aspiring fashionistas like myself. I am taking Zina's advice and not allowing my spark of passion and inspiration sizzle out.

Here's to the future, and I hope you enjoy my blog!
Roxy X