Sports…Nah Street Style

Expert tips for a Casual Day out.

A casual dress code for a man is probably a mans best way to pull off his own personal style.

Weather you prefer something rugged or sleek, high end or down to earth, Men’s Casual style is an open invitation to dress into something that speaks to you as comfortable and effective.

Rather than focusing on the formalities, trying to concentrate on complying with convention how about incorporating a true balance of comfort, style and individuality. Think fashionable but functional outfits.

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Casual wear is relaxed, mixed with the right amount of being graceful and stylish in your appearance. Casual wear is intended for everyday use. Casual clothes typically blend personal comfort and individuality as you will have tom mix and match different garments to create your own individual look.

Experiment and have fun. Just because there are no strict rules and few limitations, there are still guidelines when it comes to comfortable fashion wear. Whether you keep it simple are feeling a little bit more adventurous, casual wear can be interpreted slightly different depending on the situation or venue. This gives you the difficult task on choosing to wear something that will hit that sweet spot between overdressed or underdressed. Always remember…

“It is always better to be overdressed than to be underdressed whatever the occasion may be.”

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I decided to wear my Sporty yet Casual jersey with un under T-Shirt from Cotton On. My black setorial cut denim jeans from ZARA Man, with rips on either side creating a perfect balance of street style and casual wear. I wore my favorite High top sneakers from Zara Man that give off an alternative and comfortable pick. Finishing off the look I am wearing a couple accessories from G-Shock, Markhams and Cotton on, to name a few.

This weeks blog gave me the incentive to do something out of the ordinary. I travelled to Pretoria and had the privilege to shoot in this incredible location. My outfit was inspired by the cold overcast weather and being able to understand the balance between comfort, style and individuality. Dressing for me is a way of life and truly is one of my favorite hobbies. From casual wear to classic street style, i love dressing up for any occasion i possibly can.

Thanks so much for reading and don’t forget to subscribe to my blogs. I love writing to you all, as much as I love dressing up.

Until next time…Buona Giornata.

VAP

How to wear Orange (Men’s style guide)

Happy Sunday to all my followers, hope you are all fired up for this blog as much as I am.

So in today’s blog I will be sharing with you ways of pulling off an orange styled attire. Lets kick this blog off the charts by sharing this link on all your social media platforms. Thanks for your support, lets get right into it…

What colors go with orange you might ask yourself, well, you’ve got a few options, actually! Orange goes very well with neutral colors like black grey and white, but also very popular with navy blue. Khaki is another color pallet that can top notch your orange outfit. This all means you can wear orange as the only bright color in your outfit otherwise anchored by neutrals! For example my outfit below.

This has to be one of my favorite attires and rightfully so, the orange in my jersey and sneakers creates an incredible pop of color and adds a whole new level of street style. Another color combination that is super stylish that you could hit ’em with a one-two punch but only worn by people who dare to step out of there comfort zone, would be orange and blue. The skies your limit. This hue can definitely pack a punch or make a softer statement, depending on how you wear it.

How to wear orange in the office?

Feeling shy? Try wearing accessories with pops of orange in them, enough to increase your workplace game. Example watches, ties with orange poker dots, bow ties or even socks

Want to be a bit bolder? Try pairing navy tapered pants with an orange buttoned down jersey, brown shoes and a brown belt. To finish it off in style, add a navy blue brief case.

How to wear orange casually?

Wear an attire that is cool, not too comical. Pair up khaki colored joggers with navy blue shoes, a blue and orange hinted swatch watch, teamed up with an orange and white t-shirt that goes well with a matching blue snap back cap.

How to wear orange in the streets?

This is my forte, Try pairing an orange jumper with black/grey ripped jeans, layered with a black bomber jacket, a black under t-shirt and white and black Hi-Top sneakers with a dash of orange to finish of an incredibly high fashioned outfit.

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What an incredible day with the sun setting in a remarkable way. I spent the day with my girlfriend, we went shopping, had lunch and overall had a great time. We got stopped multiple times, where people complimented our outfits matching each other and to my surprise, this outfit definitely became one of my most recommended outfits to showoff.

Thanks so much for spending another day reading my blog and definitely consider wearing orange every once in a while to show off your outfit.

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook for more notifications and updates.

Until next time, Buona Domenica.

VAP

The key elements to wearing a Black and Grey Outfit

In every man’s wardrobe, there is always a black/grey outfit that can be worn for any occasion. Whether it be for a casual day or even a smart evening out. No matter the weather, black/grey is you’re best bet. This is a versatile color combination that works for anybody, whether you prefer luxury goods or you prefer streetwear, here is how you can kick the day off in style with an all-black/grey attire…

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Black and Grey outfit above…

Put an edgy spin on your outfits every day with a pair of ripped skinny jeans. From a small tear to a gaping hole these jeans can be worn with anything. A tight-fitting sock sneaker, an under t-shirt, a grey hoodie, and a black outer layer jacket makes the look stand out from inner to outer, leaving you feeling fully satisfied. Complete the look with sunglasses and a snapback cap.

I kept this look clean and casual and wanted to be as comfortable as possible but still achieve a high end look.

You might think grey is a very boring color but in fact grey is a neutral color that can literally go with anything. It I less harsh then black, and in my opinion wearing grey is an unexpected material to give off a wooow factor. It can either make or break an outfit depending on how you style it.

This layered grey hoodie will enable you to create many outfits. You can easily layer it with an undershirt or a leather jacket on top, but it can also be worn very stylishly on its own.

A Casual dress code for a man is perhaps a man’s best chance to express a true sense of personal style.

Whether you prefer something sleek or rugged, upscale or down-to-earth, casual wear is an open invitation to dress in what feels most comfortable to you.

Rather than focusing on the formalities of dressing, dressing casually is about finding the right balance between comfort, individuality, and style – think fashionable yet functional outfits.

Wearing a monochromatic theme is an easy way to streamline your attire and especially look good for an event. Don’t be scared to experiment with this idea.

I chose this location purposely, to so show you all how an outfit can stand out, even though I am not wearing any colors in this particular outfit . Casual and comfortable doesn’t mean boring, it should now tap into your imagination as exciting.

Thanks so much for reading another one of my blogs and until next time… Buona Giornata.

VAP

Taking photos in the best lighting possible.

THE GOLDEN HOUR

Welcome back to another blog and this one is an exciting one.

I was at home editing my pictures while enjoying a cup of coffee and listening to one of my favorite songs. Sounds like a recipe for success… well let me just say, this is my weekly editing routine, and does it make a difference. My incredible girlfriend, who not only takes my photos but helps me choose our favorite ones, always gives me great ideas for my blogs and overall gives me her inspiring opinions first. I was speaking to my good friends when they both mentioned to me 2 things: the golden hour of taking pictures and how the colors in these pictures stand out and at that moment, it hit me like a bus, that’s the perfect caption to this weeks blog. So here goes…

The right light to every photo can stop you in your tracks and can instantly grab your attention without even trying. This is because of the incredible effect of the Golden hour. It creates the best lighting for your pictures.

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So basically the golden hour is roughly one hour before sunset and one hour after sunrise. These are the hardest times to catch but once you do you will love the outcome. You might be asking how it works and it’s simple…the soft, warm directional light makes it much easier to work with and a lot of people prefer this time of day, whether you are a professional or just starting out. It eliminates the harsh brightness of the sun and creates a much warmer tone.

To avoid the rush of getting to your location on time, try and get to the shoot one and a half hours before, to make sure you have enough time to set up, plan your shots and take a million shots before you run out of light. Remember, although this seems easy you can still get it horribly wrong.

If you are all new to how the golden hour works and need advice, remember this… lighting is key. You need to understand the suns position and where the light is shining to go hand in hand with your subject. For portrait photography try and arrange the sun to the side of your shots and if you are shooting without portrait mode make sure the sun is in front of your subject.

One of the hardest shots, but could be one of your best shots is the backlighting. Shoot the picture with the sun behind your subject to form that magical glow.

This has become one of my main goals even when I move in with my girlfriend one day, to witness more and more golden hour moments in my life. To experience these it takes some self-sacrifice of sleeping in late, doing other things, or even being too tired to. I’ll be honest, I need to work myself into doing these things a little more too to experience the beauty of our world and photography as a whole. It will give you that motivation to wake up in the morning to catch that magical light before it disappears for the day. The decision is yours…You will not regret it.

I hope you all enjoyed this weeks blog and hopefully it helped you.

Until next time…Buona Giornata.

VAP

Looking at life from a different perspective.

Hi guys, welcome back to yet another blog. Today I will be speaking about the importance of thinking outside of the box, instead of your perspective inside of it. This is all from my point of view and are based on my opinions. Enjoy.

So all of you have heard of the phrase and maybe some of you are wondering what it really means, well luckily I’m here to assist you. It means that you are willing to find different solutions or methods to produce your desired outcome. This photo shoot I did today gave me the idea to dabble in the arts of photoshop. I’m Following along with the trends of a few fashion icons on Instagram and came out with something completely different.

The way I see it is simple. Stick out from the rest. My pet peeve is staying in my comfort zone, thus letting my creativity flow throughout my mind and creating a piece of art, well in my eyes that is. Photoshop is not something I studied, but the sky’s the limit when one can learn what he has to from others, to make it work. I absolutely love it, it helps me unwind and reset. I’m a qualified chef and have just opened up my new business called Chef’s Knowhow, which is my home catering business. So I’m juggling between my favorite hobbies and jobs and have an equal love for both. They both demand creativity and gives me a challenge at times to create the best content I can for all the people who follow me. Life isn’t only being able to do one thing, it’s being able to do a wide variety of things that make you happy and that test your limits. Remember success doesn’t change a person for who they are, yes you can drive a Ferrari to work every day but still be a bad person. Don’t get me wrong it’s not everyone but it doesn’t necessarily mean he/she is the happiest person to live. It all depends on how you view life, being able to make the people closest to you happy and most importantly yourself, might in turn make your life happier than trying to please the whole world with the amount of money you have or the fancy car you drive.

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Today I wore one of my favorite sweaters from Superbalist. Paired up with my beige, ripped, skinny jeans from Zara Man, my Oldskool, black and white Vans, my H&M under T-shirt, and last but not least my Cap from Cotton on.

To become a successful person, you need to make sure you understand everyone’s perspective in life. You need to be opened minded and sponge in as much information as possible. This will give you the opportunity to create something new and take another path in your life. What’s meant to be, will definitely be. I’m talking from experience. To be a true success we must understand and incorporate much needed people skills. The key to successful relationships relies on one thing and it’s in our ability to take the perspective of another person. Understanding other peoples perspectives brings forward compassion and empathy to our relationships. When these two qualities are present in our interactions we will keep moving forward.

Thank you so much for reading my blog and until next time… Buona Giornata.

VAP

Shopping in style

Tips for SHOPPING: even on a low budget

Good afternoon guys, I hope you are all well and keeping safe and staying warm. Most of you are back to your normal working lives, so i’ve got an exciting blog for you all to have a look at, either at home or work…Hopefully not at work ahaha.

Today I will be covering, ‘you guessed it!’ Shopping tips for you right at your fingertips.

We all know that shopping can be a very daunting task at certain times, and whether it be for reasons such as the weather, queues, lack of money or because you are feeling damn lazy… nah! Just pulling your leg on that one ahaha!!! I find that being alone or with my significant other, I’m able to focus more. It gives me time to think my purchases through and make the right decisions. Online shopping is very easy to do and saves so much time, yet there are several risks you take in doing so, therefore I prefer shopping in stores.

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Tips for when I go shopping:

1. Shop for bargains

It never hurts to go straight for the clearance rack when shopping in a store, this doesn’t mean you are a crazy coupon lady, it just means you are shopping with experience to find items you love for a fraction of the price and no one would be able to tell the difference. Be smart to find items that are less expensive and on sale to save yourself money and time.

2.Choose quality pieces

When you are shopping always take the quality of the pieces and the practicality into consideration . You basically want to buy items you can reuse in multiple ways (mix and match) as well as the styles, buy something that’s not going to deteriorate every time you wash it. Choose items that you need rather than you want in order to assure you will wear it and get the most out of that item of clothing.

3.Shop out of season.

One of the best times to shop for discounts on expensive pieces is ‘off season’. Buying coats and jackets at the beginning of summer or shirts at the beginning of winter would be the perfect time to score on sales. Yes, you might have to wait in anticipation and curse for a bit because you have to wait another 6 months, but believe you me, it will be well worth it! You will have saved loads of money and will be able to enjoy your summer vacation a lot more, and not to mention you being ahead of the game every season.

4. Consider your clothes at home

You will definitely run into trouble pairing your wardrobe together if nothing matches. An Easy way to fix this would be to buy clothes that compliment each other in color, pattern, shape and size. Rather spend your money on items that are versatile than ‘one hit wonders!’. Get the best for your money and don’t just buy to have volume at home! Shop smartly!

I hope you all enjoyed this blog on how to shop smartly and I hope you have found this interesting and informative to say the least.

Unitl next time, Buona Giornata and stay safe out there…

VAP

Camo is the new in style for winter.

HI guys, I hope you are all well and are all keeping safe.

Today I wore this camo outfit due to the very chilly weather we have been experiencing over the past few days. Winter is definitely arriving with a big bang, and Personally fall is one of my favorite seasons. So this army, camo outfit made me feel like I was playing the part. Definitely camo is one of my favorites which I have always loved because of the style it tends to portray. The colors and the vibes it exudes, makes me feel comfortable yet stylish at the same time. As a teenager I had always wanted to join the army just to to pull off the same style and show to others how it could be done. So let’s get right to it…

Today camo is everywhere, especially functioning as a neutral in our everyday lives just like leopard prints and pinstripes. Who took the trend to the next level? Simply said, it was the more high end and contemporary designers. Camo, like music to our ears, is not disappearing from our wardrobes anytime soon, as an indication it’s still a trend even on the runway, where My favorite designer like Philipp Plein hit the fashion show with a big bang, with a head-to-toe, camo print assemble and colors that fit in with the whole attire. .

Here is what my outfit looked like…

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So in this outfit I wore my Camo assemble consisting of a black and camo jacket from Factorie, an underlayer green jersey from Cotton On, my black ripped jeans from Zara Man and lastly paired with my monochrome sneakers from Zara Man. One of my favorites for sure.

Whilst at first glance and thought , mixing and matching multiple prints and hues may seem overwhelming, sometimes it’s all that layering that helps an outfit feel less like it was a lack of planning and more like you put it all together purposefully. A statement jacket along with a simple white, grey or black tee and black or camo pants makes for a surprisingly successful assemble.

Be stylish in whatever you wear and understand who you are as a person. Always remember that you look the best when you feel COMFORTABLE. Love who you are before you look up to others.

BUY HERE

BUY HERE

Thanks so much for reading and until next time… Buona giornata.

VAP

Cleaning those ‘kickass kicks’

There is a strange satisfaction I get when I clean my kicks, weather it be sneakers, smart shoes or even barefoot…ughm never mind. Any ways I get this sort of accomplishment in the end making me feel brand new and squeaky clean, no pun intended. I wear my shoes with pride and integrity and the cleaner they are, the more confident I feel walking the streets. You can already in those few minutes tell a person about who they are from the shoes they wear. It’s a proven fact showed from a study at the university of Kansas.

• For example a person who wears boring shoes is someone who is very repressive and hard to figure out while a person who wears flashy colours or designs are extraverts. Having said that a good pair of kicks need to be 100% clean at all costs.

The main focal point of this blog is to draw attention to this remarkable product that I was so lucky to stumble across. I was sitting at home doing research when I came across this company called Spotless. They specialize in shoe cleaning and maintenance and to be honest for the price, it is a complete bargain. I have tested a few methods of cleaning my shoes and this one won hands down. Their products are so easy to use and what puts the cherry on top is their simple and to the point website which explains:

• how to clean your shoes
• prices
• before and after pictures
• experiences
• different products

Their service is excellent and no wonder they have such good reviews, I for one will definitely come back for more and so should all of you out there reading my blog.

The all in one package I got from Spotless will be linked below: Grab the ESSENTIALS.

Buy Here

You will never have to ever worry about the mess and effort it takes to scrub your shoes in water and soap, but this product really makes life so simple. All you have to do is the following:

• Drop the brush into warm water
• Add a few drops of the cleaning liquid onto your brush
• Dip the brush with the cleaning liquid into the water again
• Scrub your shoes in a circular motion until small bubbles form
• Remove the excess foam and water with the microfiber cloth

There you have it, the quickest way to clean your kicks. On average you should wash your kicks every two weeks, but depending on the type of shoes you have, how often you wear them, how dirty they are and the method of washing, the correct answer might be anywhere from multiple times a week to once several months.

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In this blog I wore my cotton on jersey, paired with my Grey skinny ripped jeans from Zara man, a layered t shirt underneath and my white monochrome sneakers from Zara Man. To end it off I wore my Jewels from VAP jewelry coming soon.

To conclude I would like to just say thanks to Spotless for their incredible product they have designed for most sneakers that are hard to clean. The product is so easy to use, looks stylish and makes your shoes sparkle in the sunlight. Not only that but they have great customer relations and this blog was proudly made to show off this product. Money was well spent.

Thanks once again for visiting my blog and stay safe.

Until the next time…Buona giornata.

VAP