Crispy Crunch Time

Hello Beautiful Beings!!!!

Today's post is all about addressing the fear of bright colors and patterns at the work place. I am of the belief and view that if your workplace is not conservative to the extent of imposing certain colors (black, white, grey and navy blue), why not experimenting? I say no to being fearful, lame or just dressed like everyone else at work (we are either too young for that or too fabulous for that). I know it can be confusing in terms of pairing and final look (whether the look may seem trashy or "unserious")...But here are my two cents...

The core fundamentals of work-wear are balance (not too long or too short, not messy, etc.) and decency. However that does not mean that one cannot wear prints or bright colors if there are no restrictions.

 Most people fear that colors and patterns may draw too much attention (the wrong kind of attention), but not all kind of patterns will twist people's perception of you. Of course one cannot wear huge floral prints, all animal print outfit, numbers, slogans etc. and expect to be taken seriously; because that belongs to the street style or weekend category. Nonetheless some patterns are appropriate for the work place such as a subtle scarf print, polka dots, stripes etc. Besides the bright colors gives out the impression of a warm and bubbly personality, which may help you at work.  Anyway what really matters the most is that there is some kind of balance to the outfit. 

So what do I mean by balance? One should wear one patterned item and pair it with a monochrome (one color) item within the same color palette, as well as some neutrals. For example, I paired a white (classic color) scarf print silk blouse and yellow lace pencil skirt. The scarf print is an inspiration of the vintage Versace and started resurfacing on the runways and stores since spring 2012. As long as the background colors are either white or black, the print remains appropriate for the work place.

Since the skirt is somewhat see through at the bottom, I ensured to wear a 3/4 sleeves blouse which covers my whole bust to bring about a decent balanced look. Indeed when one is wearing bright colors it is best to remain modest and formal with no cleavage and legs showing at the same time. 

In terms of accessories, I wore basic neutral kitten heels which elongates my legs but also tones down the whole outfit.

I must admit I had a lot of fun pairing two different fabrics silk and lace, both so soft and delicate. They emanate too much feminine beauty, it's overwhelming. In terms of accessories I kept it all within the same color palette's as the blouse. I did not wear too much jewelry because when wearing prints there is no need to crowd out the look with bold accessories (I mean no one needs to look like a Christmas tree and clown all at the same time). The key is to have fun while keeping it all simple and classy. 

Well girls wanna have fun, have fun at work, dare to be bright and bold! 

Blouse: Fashion Express

Skirt: Mr Price 

Kitten heels: Mr Price

Clutch: Gift

Earrings: Forever 21

Bracelet: Women' s street

Ring: Lovisa (Pack)

Sunglasses: Woolworth

Focus on the grind, thank you for reading and be aellable!

Pictures taken by: Ntamakemwa

Checked Casualties

Hello beautiful beings, or should I be corny and throw in a "What's up mates?" ( I mean, today's post sounds better with a more casual greeting....Anyway as we carry on with the post). 

So today's look is more of a college-ready look. You would most probably want to look casual but cute too ( as in "I have made a little effort to look presentable"). Yes, I know that sometimes going to campus is not really inspiring, am not even going to start talking about the little time one has to get ready. Nonetheless, I believe that what I have put together today includes items that we all have in our closets, so it shouldn't be hard to throw everything together.

About the so prominent "hold your hat" pose, I was not trying out what could be a fancy blogger's pose. In actuality, I was fighting with the CapeTownian wind (it's aggressive), otherwise that hat would be gone with it. 

I paired a simple basic white tee with denim shorts (well it's summer down here). I wore the red checked shirt as an accessory to add more life to what could be a very basic and boring outfit. I also thought that the brown booties and checked red shirt go well together ( a little Cow Boy, Western's inspiration). So, yes in essence my focal item here is the red checked shirt, although it is used as an accessory, I built everything else around it. 

In case it get's chilly, an olive jacket can also go well with the red checked shirt. I love the arms of the jacket, well because am an avid lover of leather, leather with olive is pure  electric, edgy-epicness. 

In terms of accessories, I wore silver jewelry to give it a more toned down appearance. Lastly, I want to emphasize the lack of "frugalness" in terms of the booties, booties are a staple item in a closet but they can be costly for a student's budget. On the good side, they are durable, versatile, comfortable and can be worn in any weather...That is why the quality really matters and all that money (R500 - R1000) we  pay in Woolworths or CottonOn is totally worth it. 

White Tee: A gift from my dad's closet (yes it couldn't fit him - also hand- me downs from parents are cool)

Denim shorts: Mr Price

Checked shirt: Fashion Express

Booties: CottonOn

Hat: Foschini

Necklace: JayJays

Earrings: Gift (thank you mommy for supporting) 

Sunglasses: Woolworths

Bag: Gift

Jacket: Thrifted

Thank you for reading and be Aellable!

Pictures taken by Ntamakemwa

Conventional Assymetry

Hello beautiful beings!!!!

The first post had to be about my new favorite " the black and white asymmetric dress", in essence I bought it for this year's Valentine's Day dinner and cocktails with the girls. 

 Conventionally, black and white are the most elegant colors but also the easiest to wear and with immediate "class effect".

I loved how flirty the dress was with its plongeant decollete, I mean if you are single on a lover's day, you have to respectful remain sexy for the sake of self-love ;). 

I paired the dress with black sandals to add more structure and emphasize the geometric tendency. 

Another enchanting detail about this dress was its back, a gold metallic "hanger-shaped" piece was holding the strings that attached the front to the back. For those who know me, I have a soft spot for gold, if i could I would always rock up wearing all black or all white with gold accessories (but such is a huge commitment am not ready to fulfill). 

In terms of accessories I wore long pendant earrings, I did not want to wear any necklace which could have hindered the simplicity of the decollete. Since my neck is not too long (or long enough) it would have become "team too much" should I have worn a necklace. Of course I had to wear red lipstick (MAC- Russian Red, available in all Edgars outlets) to keep the momentum on the lover's day. 

Dress: Legit 

Heels: Edgars

Earrings: Zuri

Bracelet: Zuri

Rings: Lovisa (Pack)

Thank you for reading and be aellable!

Pictures taken by: Ntamakemwa

Welcome to Everyday Aella!!!!

Greetings beautiful beings, welcome to Everyday Aella !!!!!!

My name is Mariella. I am a 24 year old Masters student in Applied Economics with a focus in Macroeconomics .  Aside of grad school, I am a fashion designer, style blogger, poet and so many other things in between. I am currently based in Cape Town (South Africa) but originally from the heart of Africa, Rwanda.

The essence of this blog is to perfect my passion without any further delay. I have always wanted to have a fashion/style blog. I have had  a few pilot blogs that didn't grow to flourish, however I learned so much from the mistakes I made with the previous blogs, one being that not everything has to be perfect but that it's crucial to follow my dreams and not give up. 


  When it comes to the purpose of the blog, the intent is to portray ways of mixing and matching garments for a college girl who may be transitioning into the labor force. While I partake in different dialogues while using fashion and style as  tools to express myself, the aim is to provide information and ideas that help you to ultimately assist you to create your own style.

The reason why I called the  blog Everyday Aella was to celebrate  the style of an ordinary, girl next door, real woman style.  My utmost desire is to celebrate normalcy, promote self love and always save a coint!  To some extent I am also bending and breaking societal rules , which forget to adorn and admire the average woman. Myself, I am a curvy petite, who’s hitting the gym, but does not always wear heels or too much make up (that’s also beautiful). The point is I try to make an effort to look good – well in order to also feel good, remain practical and as authentic as I can. In other words, I hope to be relatable.  

Again as a college student, the way my bank account is set up is that you shan't see me carrying a Louis Vuitton or Fendi Bag ,and  no I do not own any Chanel dress or wear any sky-high Louboutin heels  (haa but am open to donation). I mean unless if I was a millionaire in pounds, I believe that the brands should be invested in once one owns a house, a car and a well-diversified active and passive investment portfolio. Thus being fashionable or stylish, in my opinion, does not mean that you should spend all your money on clothes, shoes and bags; nor does it mean that wearing brands makes one more stylish. 

Thank you for reading and be Aellable :)