Over the last century only one type of shoe has remained timeless in a woman’s wardrobe, the boot. The boot has been around since the 16th and 17th century and was mainly worn in the North America due to rough terrain. However it was popularized by the American cowboys in the 18th century and up to today it is widely associated with the Wild Wild West.

Over the years the boot has evolved, and once worn out of necessity has become a fashion item in our wardrobes. Boots come in various materials, shapes and sizes but over the years there have been three main designs of the boot: knee length, ankle length and thigh length.

At least one in every five women owns a pair or pairs of boots, but we tend to wear them all wrong or not wear them at all because we are confused on what to pair them up with. Here are a few tips on which boot to wear with what.

Ankle length boots
These kinds of boots are best worn with skinny jeans especially if they round toe or sharp pointed. The box shaped ones can be paired up with a pair of formal office pants. Another way to wear this kind of boots is to wear them with short skirt/ dress (just above the knee) paired with black or opaque tights.

Ankle length boots are however not suitable for short people as the make calves appear thicker and legs shorter. Read the rest of this entry →

‘If you got it flaunt it’ that’s one of the new age sayings. Well not everything should be flaunted at least not in my books of fashion. Am talking about cleavage, call me old fashioned, backward or whatever you wish but I like to consider myself conservative. I have nothing against showing off a bit off bust cleavage its actually flattering especially during a girl’s night out, cocktail parties or other funky events. Bust cleavage will be totally unflattering if your twins are spilling off your outfit and that isn’t a pretty sight.

Although we like talking about freedom of expression and freedom of dressing sometimes we go beyond boundaries and end up looking clueless when it comes to dressing sexy. Just because you saw it on a window of a boutique and loved it, it doesn’t mean that it fits.

Now that I am talking about cleavage, I also have a big problem with ‘butt’ cleavage; I fail to understand why anyone in their right mind would walk around showing off their lower cleavage. It’s funny how we are convinced that we look good in those low rise jeans, yet walking in them is a problem. You cannot even pick up anything or sit down without showing off your cleavage. Read the rest of this entry →

One of the Presidential Residences of the late Omar Bongo

The problem with Africa is not its dictators who own limousines when their citizens need to carry a sack of money to buy a loaf of bread, if it is even there. The PROBLEM with Africa is not with the West, with its double-edged sword of grants; money to buy food and weapons while they buy blood diamonds from our rich mines. Some say the poor ones are the problem, maybe we should just get rid of them, lift them out of poverty or kill them off by starving them; but they are too many in Africa. In addition, it may be a problem when it comes time to plough the farms that grow our endless feasts of cake and burnt flesh. The real problem is not with the ten percent who own eighty percent of Africa, they did what anyone would or could in their situation.

Who is the problem? If you are reading this, then you are the problem. You and I my friend ARE THE PROBLEM. There you go dousing yourselves with wine and homegrown beer, driving your second hand car or you modest Toyota to the next weekend party or music festival; such are the cares of the petit bourgeoisie. The oppressors are smart; they have you so consumed in wanting to be like them, wanting to wear the latest clothes from the exhibitions or their cast off clothes, joking with your friends about the last time you got wasted. Wasted! Yes you are wasted! So wasted by consumerism and functional alcoholism…tequila sunrise anyone? Read the rest of this entry →

I am Muslim (I love how that sounds so scary, BAM!), and never knew how funny muslim mothers could get. A few days ago, i was at a friends’ house,who had invited us, with another couple of families (yes, we do big like that) for dinner. There was my family, a French one, and another Pakistani one.

At first the dinner thing appeared to be really nice and empty of any weird thoughts (wait for it..), until I got up to get more cups from the kitchen and that our host followed me to gossip a bit. She by the way slipped in a couple of words about the Pakistani mother who was looking for a bride to her son, and joked about how she had lied to the woman who had asked her if she knew someone, while she actually knew me! This last part of the statement made me laugh, briefly, and then got me thinking of the expectations of a young Muslim girl’s family, still traditional even in our era. Read the rest of this entry →

Do your bookshelves heave with self-help books or do you prefer the trial and error approach to love and relationships?

With over two thousand self help books being published around the world every year, there is a plethora of books available for women needing relationship advice. Some of them are fabulous, some are indifferent and others are positively harmful.

The titles of some of the very popular books range from blunt ones like ‘Catch him and Keep him’, and ‘What every woman must know about her man’ to more subtle titles like ‘Capturing the heart of Mr. Right’, and ‘The good wife’s guide’.

Each of these books promise you tips on how to have your man eating off your palm, how to get him to sign on the dotted line …and the list goes on. And if you have been ruined by all the self help books you have read before, the next one promises to change that by offering you ‘tried and tested success tips’. Read the rest of this entry →

At face value, we are judged by how we dress, carry ourselves and articulate our message. If anyone bothers to get to know you a little better, you are then judged by your family and friends. Since we can’t choose our family, why not then discuss friendship.

As have all of you, I too have lost friends I thought were for life. Some of these losses could have been avoided and others were tragic. But the most painful losses are those that have cost you time and energy. Time and energy you spent dashing off to help a stranded friend in distress. What kind of distress? A puncture, an accident or a bad date. Time and energy you spent, buying Nandos chicken and milkshakes and pigging out while watching a chick flick because your friend was sad.

In truth, we all hide our true selves deep down in the core. That’s because we’re afraid of being judged too harshly, of being rejected. This is the ultimate fear. We all want to be loved, to be valued, to be missed when we leave the physical realm.

So why then can’t we just be honest people. From the word go, so as to prevent being rejected after 2 years of friendship. To prevent being called fake and bitchy (can I say that on here??). Read the rest of this entry →