Romanticise your wardrobe this Valentine’s season and beyond!

It is the month of love, and as most of us take in the magic of romance, I implore you to take it a step further by extending this to all areas of your life.

First stop: your wardrobe!

There’s nothing quite like embodying romance in your day-to-day life, and what better way than to curate your wardrobe accordingly? According to the Midliferambler.com lifestyle blog, romanticising your life is the act of “taking the time to appreciate your day-to-day life, no matter how mundane some parts might be”.

In the spirit of romanticising our lives, here are a few ways to do it right, starting with your capsule wardrobe …

Statement jewellery

PRIORITISE

Anyone who knows me well knows that I am a sucker for Namibian designer pieces and La Mode Fashions, House of Poulton and Proud by Pewa are just some of my go-to fashion houses for flirty, feminine fashion.

I’m currently loving La Mode Fashions’ latest capsule collection, Sleah 9/30, which features florals, feminine colours like the 2023 Pantone trending hue and a very flowy silhouette. According to fashion designer and founder Leah Misika, “Sleah aims to bring out the light every woman possesses through its feminine aesthetic.”

The collection is a celebration of women and all about how they brighten up the world. If that description is not convincing enough, this poetic piece from the collection catalogue just about sums up why La Mode is the go-to for the romanticised wardrobe:

“Sleah 9/30 is inspired by wild women living their lives out in true feminine form. She aspires to live a life that is soft, slow and steady. She moves to the beat of her own drum and her mind is a minefield of poetry ...”

LaMode Fashions

ACCESSORISE

No wardrobe is complete without the right (amount of) accessories.

Look out for statement jewellery, pearls and just the right dose of bedazzled pieces from local vendors like Elements by Akirina or the more customised pieces from MJ Creations.

While their main focus is bridal accessories, Elements by Akirina also caters to a wide selection of jewellery and headpieces fit for any occasion.

On madewithlemons.co’s 30 Ways to Romanticise Your Life blog post, writer Livia Boerger recommends investing in a signature jewellery piece that reminds you of “the life you want to live”. Whether it is a bracelet with your loved one’s initials, a necklace gifted to you by someone special, or a fancy watch that you treated yourself to for a special occasion, signature jewellery is a cool way to stand out without making too much noise.

Elements by Akirina

MINIMISE

For Misika, it is never about the quantity of clothes but rather about each piece’s intrinsic quality and value to a woman’s wardrobe. So as you put together the perfect capsule for the month of love and beyond, remember to invest in quality, one-of-a-kind pieces. “We do not wish to fill up women’s closets with clothes that don’t matter to them. We want to make a limited amount of clothes and sell them to women who are going to love wearing these garments for years to come,” says Misika.

Before you set out to organise or revamp your wardrobe, though, make sure to have a clear idea of what your style is and add/remove pieces accordingly. For some help, check out any personal style quiz online to hone in on your style aesthetic. This will help guide you on which direction to go – be it Parisian chic, the American laid-back style, cosmopolitan or maybe even grunge…

Whatever you go for should speak to who you are and what you love.

LaMode Fashion

Rukee Kaakunga is a Windhoek-based communication: specialist, blogger and freelance fashion writer. Contact her via email: rukeekaakunga@gmail.com and follow her or Twitter @rukeeveni and Instagram @rukeekaakungc