Obsessions

The Beauty of Boho

It’s finally that time of the year – we can relax and cry with happiness at the fact that our exams are over. It’s also summer in Cape Town. Thank goodness. I don’t know about anyone else but I’m ready to pack away the boots and sweaters. It’s time for bikinis and beach weather. Another thing that summer brings us is new fashions and styles. However there is one summer trend that is here to stay. No matter what new styles summer brings us, we’ll always maintain an element of Boho – chic.  Boho style , short for bohemian, is a style inspired by hippie movements in the late 1960s and 70s.  Boho – chic is an obsession linked to the vintage clothing craze we have seen recently. Boho – chic fashion is described as wearing clothing that is flowy and vintage - looking and then pairing it with simpler items of clothing.Clothing is seen as a means to further reflect oneself. It is easy to see why boho - chic is so popular considering what it could imply about you. According to Wikipedia the term "Bohemian" is applied to people who live unconventional, usually artistic, lives. Who wouldn’t want to be thought of as different and unique?  What is so fun about this fashion is that there are so many possibilities.  A great supporter of this style is Sienna Miller. She was rumored to have made the style popular again in 2009. Music festivals such as Coachella is where we see this style often. The clothes are beautiful and I hope this trend is here to stay. I know I’ll be utilizing it these holidays!  

THE RISE OF THE BLUE RINSE

Our new retro obsession would be the new found popularity of the hair rinse. This hair trend has throughout the decades been synonymous with the elderly generation however; stars such as Kelly Osbourne and Alexa Chung have brought this old fashioned trend firmly into the 21st century as a very trendy, funky new fashion.

 

 















For those of you who are unsure of what exactly a hair rinse is, it is a form of diluted dye which has traditionally been in the colour blue to put on elderly women’s hair to prevent the appearance of greying hair. It first became popular in Britain in the 1930s and was often associated with upper middle class women whose political views were often aligned to conservative politics.  The trend has now been very much scraped by the age group that it was once associated with and has subsequently been linked rather to the fashionable youth. The trend has changed in the sense that many now prefer purple rinses.  


CRAZY ABOUT CROCHET

I have to admit that I am completely obsessed with crochet anything at the moment. Crochet fashion seems to keep evolving every year and I love the results. Crochet knit work has been around since the 19th century. In the early years of crochet only wealthy people could afford the material and for this reason it became a status symbol. From the 1940s onwards, Christian Dior has been known as one of the most famous crochet designers. Many other famous designers like Coco Chanel, Calvin Klein and Dolce and Gabbana are well known for using crochet to create their designs. Crochet is a trend that comes and goes but will always be a must - have in your closet! Crochet bikinis and crop tops are definitely my must-haves for 2015 and I’m sure they will be yours too. Crochet adds a look of elegance to clothing and is similar in this way to lace. Surprisingly crochet bikinis are much cheaper than I expected them to be. You can find lovely crochet bikinis available in Cape Town at https://www.facebook.com/nvmeapparel .




SUPERHEROES
Our new retro obsession is Superheroes.Superheroes?  I know, I know. You’re thinking it all sounds a bit nerdy but after watching The Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D. and reading the latest instalment of the Bug, I got a little obsessed with this new fad.
Superheroes came on the scene in the 1930s through comic strips in newspapers which were then collected into comic books. These become an escape from the terrible time of the Great Depression and the start of the Second World War. They offered hope and wonderment while preaching honour and compassion. By the 1940s superheroes had radio shows, cartoons, dolls and action figures. They were everyone’s obsession. 
The first female Superhero, Wonder Woman came in 1941. Some criticised that she acted the exact opposite to the way a woman was supposed to act.  By being exactly what she was criticised for, she became a symbol of feminism in a world that was dominated by men. Many other female superheroes have joined her ranks including Catwoman, Black Widow and many more.

Although it does takes a great deal of confidence to pull off the tights and leather look, the concept of a powerful woman will always inspire us. 
By Katherine Davidson





   FEMINISM
BY KATHERINE DAVIDSON
 Another Retro obsession that everyone is talking about is feminism. This concept was brought back into our consciousness on the 20th September 2014 by Emma Watson who delivered a speech launching the United Nation’s new campaign HeForShe. The campaign’s official website of the defines the campaign as “HeForShe is a solidarity movement for gender equality that brings together one half of humanity in support of the other half of humanity, for the benefit of all.” 
I like to think that this campaign will be the catalyst for gender equality which will also help to make us all, men and women, rethink feminism and ask ourselves why we are not feminists or reaffirm our belief in the need for feminism. 
I have always been a feminist like Emma Watson and until her speech had not realised that anyone else could not think of themselves as feminists and in fact that many dislike this concept. I would like to just say one thing to all those who believe that feminism is about man-hating or about being labelled a victim simply because of your sex; this is not what feminism is about and I would like to ask you to research something before you dismiss its worth in your life. So to right that wrong I would like to give you all a little bit of the history of feminism and what it means to me.
Feminism, being an idea, has no tangible beginning; however, the first document found regarding this idea was in Mary Wollstonecraft's Vindication of the Rights of Women written in 1792. The French Revolution was another historical time for feminism with women's republican clubs demanding that liberty, equality, and fraternity be applied regardless of sex; however by the time of the Code Napoléon this movement was extinguished.
In 1848, a feminist movement was started in North America which was led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan Brownell Anthony who advocated for the inclusion of women in the constitution. Sadly, it was only in 1920 that feminism eventually won some ground when woman suffrage was won in North America. World War Two was another historical step toward equality as it saw women doing the jobs historically just for men and this helped women to gain further equality to men. However, it was only in the 1960s that the idea of feminism really took hold and saw some real tangible change in the status of women in our society. It began with the introduction of the Pill which is still today one of the biggest moments in the emancipation of women. Gloria Steinem, Marilyn French and the late Maya Angelou are just some of my personal heroes in the fight for gender equality and female emancipation.  
In South Africa, a defining moment in the campaign for the rights of South African women was the 1956 Women March in Pretoria. This march saw 10 000 to 20 000 South African women from all races come together to demand that some of their basic human rights were met.
Now I think I should stop there as this article is beginning to become a little more of a history lesson then I had intended it to be. Feminism will never be irrelevant until my sisters in the Middle East are not shot for simply wanting to go to school or the city that I live in is no longer the rape capital of the world or when all women around the world have a say over their own bodies. I will finish my article with a quote from Gloria Steinem:


“A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men.” 
LOCKETS

Did you know?


m The word ‘locket’ is derived from French.
m The word ‘locket’ refers to a small case, commonly made from metal, that is worn around the neck, and which often contains a special “memento”.
m Lockets have become popular due to the age-old belief that, according to ancient cultures, by holding or looking at a symbol that represents a loved one, one is in close spiritual contact with that person.

m However, in Victorian days, lockets were frequently used to carry powder, poisons and good luck charms.


Nevertheless, lockets remain one of RETRO’s favourite vintage pieces due to their timeless look and sentimental value.


  
 



Audrey Kathleen Ruston




(aka Audrey Hepburn)



We celebrate the ‘would have been’ 85th  birthday of Audrey Hepburn today on May the 4th. Audrey, born as Audrey Kathleen Ruston on 4 May 1929, passed away on 20 January 1993 at the age of 63 at home in her sleep from appendiceal cancer.

We saw her in the movies Breakfast at Tiffany’s and  Sabrina at Retro’s movie day and evenings, and instantly fell in love. The movie star received numerous awards and honors during her career as an actress  and humanitarian. Audrey stands as one of few entertainers who have won Academy, Emmy, Grammy and Tony Awards. She has been honored on United States postage stamps and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The American Film Institute has repeatedly recognized her talent, placing Audrey third on its list of the top 100 female stars of all time.


Breakfast at Tiffany's


 Sabrina
Being an icon and a personal favourite of the committee, the Retro Society of Rustenburg Girls’ High School wishes the fabulous and oh so beautiful Audrey Hepburn, a happy birthday.
By: Stéphanie Pereira


RETRO BAND SHIRTS



One of Retro’s favorite new obsessions is the band shirt. Its rise began in the 1960's and 1970's when bands introduced the selling of band merchandise such as shirts as a way of increasing their income and popularity. This simple decision revolutionized a generation as these shirts no longer just became shirts but things that symbolized the ideology of the person wearing it.


Whether you wear them to symbolize your ideology or just because you think they look nice, be sure to actually have heard at least one song by the band on the shirt you are wearing to avoid awkward.






By Katherine Davidson


CONSOL GLASS BOTTLES

Retro’s other obsession at the moment is the CONSOL Glass Bottle. Before 1947, when the use of plastic to make bottles was introduced, all bottles were made from glass. Making the introduction of glass to make water bottles truly Retro.

However, this new product is not only highly retro and trendy but also extremely good for the environment because they do not have any of those nasty chemicals which plastic products have. 



By Katherine Davidson



Combining the PAST with the PRESENT:
Retro Phone Covers!
Written by Yi-Tin Michelle Yuan
Despite the fact that teenagers have the latest and greatest cell phones, it seems that they still need that nostalgic touch of the past!
RETRO phone covers - featuring anything and everything from a black-and-white image of the Eiffel Tower to a crazy and colourful pattern - are the new must-have cell phone accessories.
 
               
                                 












BLACK-AND-WHITE PHOTOGRAPHS

Written by Yi-Tin Michelle Yuan


Have you noticed that black-and-white filters are taking Instagram and Facebook by storm?
Maybe it’s the element of classiness that a black-and white filter seems to give that has teenagers using it constantly... Or is it the fact that it instantly makes the object of your photograph look flawless? Then again, perhaps we’re simply just reverting to the old days when black-and-white photographs were the norm...
Whatever the reason, RETRO loves this current obsession!  



The Retro Bandanna


Written by Yi-Tin Michelle Yuan


What was previously used by cowboys, outdoor workers and soldiers as a mere cloth to keep the dust out of their eyes, has become the 21st Century’s most stylish hair accessory!      





Whether you’re getting ready to go to a concert or the mall, or simply just relaxing at home, the Retro Bandanna is the perfect hair accessory to any outfit.


Flower Crowns

Written by Katherine Davidson

Flower Crowns have truly become the centrepiece of retro fashion with stars like Lana Del Ray, Alexa Chung, Tavi Gevinson and even Harry Styles sporting them. So I thought I’d give you guys a quick history of this cool retro fashion trend.





The history of the flower crown can be traced back as far as Ancient Rome and Greece. Primarily, they were used to celebrate weddings as they represented maidenhood, marriage, prosperity and happiness. They were, however, also used to reward commendable behaviour and at parties to offset liquor. I’m not sure how exactly flower crowns would offset liquor, then again they did live in a different world without Tumblr, Facebook or Nutella. 


Getting back to Flower Crowns, another age old use for Flower Crowns is to crown the May Queen during the May Day festival which celebrates new growth after winter. The crowning links back to Ancient Fertility Rituals.


Another, important tradition to mention is that of Hawaiian tradition of Lei. I’m sure we've all watch the movies with Hawaiian dancers (Lilo and Stitch for one) and seen the flower crowns and garlands that they wear. 


The flower crown was resurrected in the 1960s by the peace movement.  Known as Flower Children, activists and supporters used flowers of all kinds including the flower crown to highlight their peaceful agenda. 



Audrey Hepburn
Written by Katherine Davidson


Audrey Hepburn is one of film and fashion’s most legendary icons of all time. American Film Institute ranks her as the third greatest star of all time and New Women Magazine voted her the most beautiful women of all time in their 2006 poll.

She was born in Brussels, Belgium on 4 May 1929 to an English banker father and Dutch Baroness mother.  Much of her childhood was spent between England, Holland, Belgium and Germany.  World War 2 destroyed her dream of becoming a ballerina as she was unable to continue her training. As a result, she moved on to acting and, well the rest is history.

Her break out role was as Princess Ann in Roman Holiday in 1953. It was this movie that saw her become the first actress to win an Oscar, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA award for one movie. She went on to act in many movies throughout her life however; she is most famous for her role as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. 

Other movies include:
The Unforgiven
The Nun's Story
Love in the Afternoon
Funny Face
War and Peace
Sabrina
We Go to Monte Carlo


The latter part of her life was spent doing humanitarian work with UNICEF, as a Goodwill Ambassador. She visited some of the most disadvantaged communities in Africa, South America and Asia and raised the profile of their plight. For her role as Goodwill Ambassador she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992. Sadly, a year after this she passes away in Switzerland at the age of 63. Her life now stands as a testament to the power of determination, grace, compassion and dressing well.

Some Audrey Hepburn quotes that we would all do well to remember:















‘Great Gatsby’ ̶ themed parties
Written by Yi-Tin Michelle Yuan

It seems that ‘Great Gatsby’ ̶ themed parties are all the rage right now, and since ‘The Great Gatsby’ is one of Retro’s all ̶ time favourite novels, and, more recently, movies, we’ve decided to put together some tips to help YOU plan your very own ‘Great Gatsby’ party...

Venue: If renting a hall is a bit too pricey, you could always have your party in your garden and organise fun “lawn games” for your guests!
Décor: Some great table pieces would be clear champagne glasses filled with loose pearls, small candles floating in vintage tea cups, mini mixed bouquets in glass jars, or a long glass vase filled with black or white feathers.    




❸ Dress code: Encourage your guests to go all̶ out in dressing up according to the theme, or as their favourite character ̶ in doing this you can award a prize for the best̶ dressed!



  Food: Some yummy ideas are cucumber finger sandwiches, stuffed mushrooms and macaroons for dessert!





 

Typo
Written by Yi-Tin Michelle Yuan
Typo is the one̶ stop destination for quirky, retro stationery and vintage room pieces.  
So, if you’re ever in need of a few new rad pens, notebooks or even a retro ̶ inspired pencil case or homework diary, be sure to visit one of the many Typo stores across Cape Town! 


Thrift Shopping Retro-style

Written by Oriana Esau, E5
Spent all your pocket money on the Justin Bieber concert and in still indebted to your parents? Grade 12s, has the matric ball dried up the last coins in that poor piggy bank? Well, thrift-shopping may just be the answer to those woes.
We’re all familiar with the song (some of us may be bold enough to admit to singing along to it) but are we all clear on what thrift shopping is? Better yet, how many of us have even tried, I daresay risked, it?
Thrift shopping is by definition, the shopping for 2nd hand or vintage clothing items at their 2nd hand price. It has proven to be more affordable and able to give a one-of-a-kind vintage touch to a special outfit
However, good 2nd hand vintage stores are as rare to come by these days as the clothing items in their shops. Added to that, when someone says “vintage clothing” don’t we all think “hipster” immediately? And everyone doesn’t want to be labelled as a hipster, as that’s way too mainstream.
The key to defeating these woes? Wear that vintage blazer with pride and flip your retro-inspired hair-do in the face of the hipster name-callers as you walk into one of the trusted and fabulous vintage stores in the list below -  a list which has been compiled to aid you on your journey to Retro-inspired style:
Second Time Around                   196 Long Street, City Centre,021 423 1674
Stockists of items from the roaring twenties to the rocking nineties - you’re bound to find a vintage piece or two here.
Meanwhile                                    287 Long Street, City Centre, Cape Town, 021 422 5646  
From crocheted frocks to lacy blazers, retro is the order of the day in this funky store.
Vintage Junkies                           https://www.facebook.com/Vintage.Junkies.SouthAfrica
Fast becoming one of Cape Town’s most recognisable online vintage clothing store, Vintage Junkies will satisfy the junky within you.
The Dollhouse Clothing              https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Dollhouse-Clothing/101402119959987
A designer collective, if you’re looking for originality and exclusivity, The Dollhouse is the place to go.

 Guard The Vintage                           http://www.guardthevintage.com/
Find that leather jacket to complete the biker look, and more, here.



ZAHRAH PERRY






What is your favourite fashion trend at the moment?

At the moment I have a real love for emerald green. Monochrome is also a big thing this season and it is flattering to almost all shapes and sizes.


Who is your style icon?

I love Jessica Alba. Her style is simple yet she always looks fabulous especially as a mum on the go.


During your time at Rustenburg, who do you think was the most on trend teacher?

I never placed too much emphasis on what teachers wore but my design teacher, Miss Cronje always wore well put together outfits and great winter boots.


Who is your celebrity crush?

I am not fazed by celebrities but I love the One Direction boys. They are fabulous, especially Zayn and Harry!


If you could choose the outfit you would die in, what clothing items would it comprise of?

Probably a fitted lace black dress with a simple patent pair of stilettos and a mesh black veil to give it that dark funeral feel.


Are you a heels, flats or takkies kind of girl?

Wow, I’m not sure… I rotate each of these many times during the week. I love heels so I wear them quite a bit to compensate for my height and when I attend events. For university, I am in boots or my wedge sneakers. I also tend to like in my flip flops through summer.

Tell us one thing that we would be surprised to know about you.

I am just about half deaf. Through school I struggled with a tumour behind my eardrum. After much medical treatment and operations, I am now left partially deaf with a prostheses to support my right ear. I don’t think it helps though and I hope it won’t get any worse!


What is your biggest dream?

I’m quite simple. I would like to be a stay at home mum, publish my book and perhaps become a radio DJ. I have always enjoyed talking to all kinds of people and cannot think of anything better that I would enjoy doing with my time.

Name one thing you can’t live without?

I can’t live without…socks, hehe. But honestly in this industry, connecting is everything, so my mobile is possibly my life line, my bread and butter, with a huge blob of strawberry jam.

Go check out her blog: The Perry Book




Interviewer: Nuzhah Jacobs