Angelina Jolie's Breasts and Me

Hello readers

Yesterday's announcement by Angelina Jolie of her preventative double mastectomy has caused quite a stir among women around the world. Her sex appeal is a large part of her identity and removing her very beautiful breasts must have been a difficult choice. Her article My Medical Choice in the New York Times talks about her decision to have both her breasts removed because of her high risk of acquiring breast cancer. Her mum fought the disease for 10 years before dying at the age of 56. Angelina's risk of breast cancer decreased from 87% to 5% after the surgeries.

Coincidentally, I had my annual gynaecologist visit today and decided to ask my doctor more about Angelina's story and how it affects me.

She said that most breast cancer cases are sporadic, i.e. not as a result of genetic predisposition. There are sectors of the population who are at higher risk for breast cancer and carry the defective BRCA1 (pronounced Bracar) gene. Jewish and Portuguese women are two such groups. 

The gene test is prohibitively expensive for the average non-Angelina type person but your gynaecologist will advise you accordingly if you are at high risk.

So, how has Angelina's breasts removal changed my life:

1. It's been reinforced to me how crucial annual gynaecologist appointments are.
2. I am now determined to document my family health history to have a clear idea of what I may be at risk for.
3. I've learnt that these are some of the factors that increase one's chances of breast cancer: 

• Obesity
• More than 2 alcoholic beverages a day
• Not having children <I was surprised by this>
• Early Puberty and Late Menopause
• Hormone Replacement Therapy
• Smoking

A healthy lifestyle and regular checkups will go a long way towards preventing breast cancer. Please spread the word to the women in your lives.

Faeeza :)

Met Ball 2013

Hello

This year's Met Ball's theme was Punk: Chaos to Couture. I'm a big fan of theme parties and this is probably the most expensive theme party of them all. It is a ball and, if I were attending, I'd embrace the theme in a non-obvious way.

Here are my best and worst looks.

Best:

Anne Hathaway in Valentino. I love her hair and the dress is beautiful too. Valentino, however, looks like a caricature!

Cameron Diaz in Stella McCartney. The dress is bold and striking and I adore the spiked belt.

Cara Delevingne in Burberry. Not a big fan of that handbag with this dress.

Chanel Iman in J Mendel. I'm a sucker for stripes.

Ginnifer Goodwin in Tory Burch. My favourite look. I especially love the eye makeup.

Marion Cotillard in Dior. Love the design of this dress and the conrast lining. Not so sure of the colours though.

Rooney Mara in Givenchy. Perfection.

Taylor Swift in J Mendel. Stunning lines and sheer panels

Uma Thurman in Zac Posen. Gorgeous dress

Sarah Jessica Parker in Giles Deacon. Chanelling Carrie Bradshaw here with the elaborate headpiece.

Worst:

Beyonce in Givenchy. Oh no, dress looks horrid and matching boots and gloves are rarely a good thing.

Heidi Klum in Marchesa. This dress makes me angry it's so boring and so not in keeping with the theme.

Karolina Kurkova in Mary Katrantzou. She looks like an extra from an Austin Powers movie.

Madonna in Givenchy. When are you going to put some pants on?

Kate Upton in Diane Von Furstenburg. Yawn!

Linda Evangelista in Marchesa. Dislike every element of this look.

Which were your best and worst?

Faeeza

Right and Wrong

Hello

Lately I've been giving a lot of thought to right and wrong. Growing up in a good home, I was always encouraged to be a good girl. It's not always easy to know what's right and right is also subjective. What happens when you can argue both sides and equally justify both paths? I've come to believe that this is when you listen to your gut/intuition. We all have it, that niggling voice that doesn't go away when something feels wrong. 

However, it can be incredibly dull to be right and good all the time. We all need a sprinkling of naughtiness too. Hence, the female attraction to the bad boy. Overall, we want goodness, but with a bit of edge. At least, that's what I think. What do you think? 

Faeeza :)

Himesh's Wedding

Hello readers

This last weekend was the wedding of our friends Himesh and Palvi. They are two zany, warm individuals, so I was curious to see how their wedding would be. True to their personalities, the wedding events were fun and they were hospitable hosts. 

On Friday night was the Geet. I couldn't find the proper definition of Geet but I think it's a wedding celebration of fun and dance. Palvi is a trained Indian dancer, so I was eagerly anticipating the dancing. It was a Bollywood extravaganza that ended with a Bhangra and I loved every minute of it. I left there toying with the idea of signing up for Indian dance lessons myself. 

I wore a faux saree. Faux because I assembled it out of existing items in my wardrobe; a black maxi skirt, velvet shawl, leather leggings and a sheer top. I asked Aatish what he thought of my "creation" and he remarked that it doesn't have any colour and may be out of place at an Indian function awash with colour. I decided to wear my all-black outfit anyway. At the event, I did get some strange looks. On Sunday, at the wedding, while chatting to an Indian elder sitting next to me, I discovered that it is inappropriate to wear black to a Hindu function. It's considered a bad omen and all black is what Kali, the Hindu goddess of death turns when she is angry, doh!

On Sunday was the wedding at Avianto, the wedding venue of Nidvhuwo, my friend who got married last year. I wore an appropriate blue saree to the wedding. I fell in love with this saree when I bought it a while back. I loved the print; stripes and an absract print that looks African. Also, it has no bling, which for a saree is a rare thing. Traditionally, young Indian women get their sarees "tied" by more experienced, older women. Living in the city, I have no such person, so I did it myself and am happy to report that I've figured it out. My fingers don't move as deftly as the older women, but I was able to drape it. 

The wedding was beautiful. Palvi looked radiant in her green and red wedding outfit with velvet trim and there were many beautiful touches such as Bonsai centrepieces and favours. 

Oh Boy

Hello dear readers

Lately I've come to realize and embrace that I am not a girly girl. I gravitate towards tomboyish, minimalistic  style which suits my personality. However, I am petite and curvy, not the recommended body type for this look. Still, I feel most comfortable and confident when I dress more andrognynous. Also, my short hair presents a challenge if I don't actually want to look like a boy. Feminine touches such as jewellery and lipstick help with this. Evening wear is another style challenge for the more boyish of us. 

Here are some of two of  my recent looks; one formal and one casual.

Life: SA Fashion Week. Of all the events to get dressed up for, Fashion Week is the most exciting. People dress up in many, many different ways. There's the uber glam with the short, shiny dresses and stilettos, the nonchalants with the dress like I don't care attitude, the over the tops dressed wildly and wonderfully and the trendsters dressed in the latest fashion trends. 

Style: What to wear to Fashion Week is a big decision for me. This year, in keeping with my tomboyish look, I chose camo skinnies with a vintage sequin top and oxblood high heel pumps. The look was a hit as I got snapped by Marie Claire and Elle's style reporters :)

sequin top - vintage via bidorbuy, camo skinnies - Mr Price, oxblood patent pumps - Woolworths, clutch - gift, gold elephant ring - Lovisa

Life: Neighbourgoods Market - Went there two Saturday's ago. Fantastic atmosphere and food.
Style: It was a chilly Joburg morning but not cold enough for a cardi or jacket. I decided to wear my chambray shirt instead. I dress very relaxed on weekends as this look will show. I didn't realize what a chain store look this is until I started listing each piece!

Chambray shirt - Edgars, Leopard vest - Mr Price, African print headband - gift, Navy chinos - Woolworths, Handbag - Woolworths, Brogues - Truworths, Sunnies - Rayban

Follow me on Instagram @faeezak for daily outfit pics.

Faeeza :)

Purple Kimono Dress(ing Gown)

Hello dear readers

I've been scarce lately because of work. I hope you are having an enjoyable long weekend.

Last night I went for a birthday dinner at Signature restaurant in Morningside. Aatish had just returned from a trip to Malaysia and Thailand and had brought me a purple kaftan dressing gown as a gift. The colour is rich and vivid and I fell in love with it so much that I decided to wear it as a dress. I didn't want to look like I was walking around in my pjs or like I was about to remove my gown and perform a strip show!

So, I had to accessorize appropriately. High heels were an important part of dressing it up and my blue velvet bow headband added to the quirky Japanese look I was going for. I used some peacock feather hairclips as a makeshift brooch to give it more of a dress than dressing gown look.

Dress - Phuket, Thailand, Shoes - Nine West, Hair Bow - Accessorize, Clutch - Gift, Feather hair clips - Edgars

What do you think? Did I pull it off?

Faeeza :)

I am woman

Hello

This post is inspired by Sheryl Sandberg's, Facebook COO, TED talk Why we have too few women leaders and by an experience I had the other day.

I was chatting to a female peer who explained to my why she prefers hiring male staff to female. The nature of my industry is to have periods where overtime is required. My peer is of the belief that male employees are more likely to be available to work overtime, and have a more focused and disciplined work ethic because they are free from household and child rearing responsibilities. I object to this prejudice and feel it's a huge shame that women are perpetuating this bias.

Sheryl Sandberg, through her TED talk, has suggested three tips for women to achieve greater professional success:

1. Sit at the table: This refers to women not selling ourselves short and underestimating our worth. Women don't negotiate for better conditions essentially because we don't believe we are worth it.
2. Make your partner a partner: In this age, where men and women are both working and contributing to households, women should not be expected to take on the bulk of the household and child rearing responsibilities. It should be a fair partnership.
3. Don't leave before you leave: Women check out professionally as soon as they decide they want to have a family. Some even do so as early as when they get engaged. They pass on new projects, decline the promotions and generally adopt a low key approach in anticipation of resigning. Once the baby has come and maternity leave is over, it is more difficult to motivate oneself to return to work if you've left it when you were bored and unchallenged. So, remain engaged until the very last day.

I came across anther related article Let us speak boldly, where the author urges women to ignore our cultural leaning towards meekness and politeness in favour of a bolder approach. She suggests that being bolder is also a way to protect ourselves from physical danger.

I have strong feelings on this subject. Like Sheryl, I don't judge women who choose to stay home and take care of their children. However, it is those same women that have the responsibility to teach their sons and daughters that women are just as strong and competent as men and can achieve anything they want.

So, here are my tips:

1. Let's avoid civil warring. We seem uncomfortable with the success of other women. We should help and support each other.
2. Don't think, just say. Be assertive when you speak. Avoid weak phrases like "I think". Of course it's what you think. You are saying it. Preceding it with this phrase makes you seem unsure.
3. Don't raise your tone of voice at the end of a sentence. It comes across as if you are asking a question instead of making a statement.
4. Don't make your male colleagues tea or offer to iron their shirts on a work trip! This perpetuates the stereotype that women are here to serve and take care of men.
5. Don't be apologetic, unless you have good reason to apologize. Often, a woman, to avoid coming across as terse, apologizes for something she's about to say. We are too polite and self deprecating. It's time to stop this. I realized that I was overly polite one day, when I was younger, when I apologized to a vending machine that I accidentally kicked!

Imagine a world where there are more women in power. I imagine it to be a marvelous world where there is a beautiful blend of what makes men and women special.

Faeeza :)