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Yoliswa Dube

IT seems like I don’t have the right coats, scarves and shoes to wear.

Until now, I believed dressing up for winter days was as easy as boiling an egg.

I thought all you needed to do was throw on a jacket onto whatever you’re wearing and you’re good to go.

But now, dressing up every morning has become more taxing than it was during summer.

I have to think about which coat to wear with what shoes and scarf.

If it’s going to be a skirt, I have to think about stockings and if they’re pants, will my feet be warm enough in my shoes.

I sometimes find myself wearing the same coat a couple of times before it makes its way to the laundry.

Don’t judge; we all do that. I mean, where’s the sun to dry up coats on every other day going to come from, right?

Braids have been such a saving grace through it all! I don’t have to worry about standing in front of the mirror for too long in the morning.

I just have to make sure my eyebrows are on fleek and my lips are appropriately dressed and I’m out of the house.

I hardly ever wear make-up and when it’s cold, I don’t wear make-up at all. Instead, I moisturise with good old Ingram’s Camphor cream.

Forget that people believe it’s a low end market product – it works perfectly well for me and that’s all that matters.

Your skin needs to be well moisturised during winter to prevent wind burn.

Yes, there’s such a thing as wind burn! Instead of investing in a high SPF sunscreen as you would during winter, find a good moisturiser for your face.

Remember, it’s easy to offend your skin but it can take you a lifetime to repair it.

It’s important to maximise on protective hairstyles like braids when it’s cold. Besides them being easy to manage, they protect your natural hair from the low temperatures.

When it’s cold, your hair doesn’t hold moisture as well as it does when temperatures are warm. The moisture quickly diminishes leaving your hair hard, brittle and susceptible to breakage.

That’s never a good thing. If anything, it’s stressful watching your hair fall off your head, onto your bathroom floor or comb.

You may not necessarily like braids but have your hair plaited in, one way or the other. It’ll protect it from the dropping temperatures.

Having your hair covered up doesn’t mean you pay less attention to your head. You need to religiously oil your scalp and hairline.

Doing so will keep it moisturised, protected and healthy. A healthy scalp will result in a healthy head of hair. As you wash your face every day, the oils on your hairline are also washed away.

Make sure you apply some hair moisturiser onto your hairline every other day to replace these oils. Maybe you’re thinking the moisturiser will eventually cake and start looking like dirt.

It won’t if you use an aqua-based hair moisturiser. This usually comes in liquid form so you can spray it onto your hair.

A petroleum-based moisturiser will eventually cake and leave your hair dirty and smelly because you might not be washing it over at least six weeks.

Petroleum-based moisturisers tend to make the hair smell when it’s not washed regularly because they’re a bit on the heavy side.

Also, because you’ll have to use your fingers to apply the conditioner, it’ll make your hair-do look scruffier earlier than you want because of the excessive touching and massaging during the process.

Never make the mistake of applying your fragrance onto your coat, jacket or jersey. Because these are not necessarily washed as they’re worn, they’ll reek of alcohol.

Nothing smells as bad as old perfume. The fragrance settles onto the fibres of your clothes and doesn’t mix with the chemistry of your body.
Invest instead in a good roll on and apply your fragrance directly onto your skin as you would during summer.

Because of the fragrances’ chemistry with your body, it’ll diffuse through the outfit and still come through perfectly well.

Avoid wearing sleeveless pieces underneath your coats and jerseys. You do sweat a little during winter.

Once you sweat directly onto your coat or jersey, it’ll be difficult for you to wear it a second time without washing it first. Instead, wear cotton pieces with sleeves – cotton is very absorbent.

For years we’ve been told to wear dull colours during winter. The season is gloomy enough; a little colour never hurt anybody!

To break the darkness of the dull coats and boots, wear small pieces that will brighten things up a little bit.

A colourful scarf or woolen hat could be all you need to add some oomph to an otherwise boring outfit.

P.S. Do remember to take a bath every single day this winter!

Feedback from “All hats are not equal…”
This was quite an interesting article. I don’t know how the mdobisi can find its way to a suit.

That should never happen. I think all hats look good if worn with the appropriate outfit. – Michael

Until next week, flaunt your pattern and style and don’t forget to drop me an SMS/Whatsapp on +263774492700, log on to my blog, www.stayera247.blogspot.com or like my Facebook page Pattern & Style.