Confidence. Something that most of us have grappled with. So, can it be amped up by what you wear? Yes, says fashion stylist Anja Cruse-Bothma! Her superpower is making women realise exactly that. And she’s doing it one wardrobe at a time.
As a young girl, Anja Cruse-Bothma was the neighbourhood’s go-to fashion designer. She would take whatever she could lay her hands on and create fashionable looks for their dolls. Sometimes sewing the outfit right on the dolls or using Prestik, staples or pins to keep the look together. One thing was for sure. She loved fashion.
One of her fondest memories was dressing up in her mom’s old heels and dresses. Dreaming of one day dressing up and making women look and feel beautiful. As a teen, she had already started to hustle to pursue that dream. That included making a name for herself on the catwalk as an international model, giving modelling classes and then helping her models to style their own outfits and select their photoshoot looks. And her passion for fashion just kept growing.
“Yeah … so I wasn’t great at sewing or pattern cutting. No surprises there! Remember the Prestik? But I knew I needed to have to be part of the fashion industry. In those days styling wasn’t a career option, so I studied fashion buying and merchandising. Image consulting followed and being a bit of an OCD nerd feeling I needed to know everything in my field, I also did international courses at fashion institutes in the UK, Australia, America and Milan.”
All this dedication and passion paid off. Today Anja is a sought-after image architect, wardrobe curator and fashion stylist and the owner of iSTYLE. She traded the catwalk to be behind the scenes to work her magic. She’s been the official stylist for the Mrs SA pageant for the past eight years, has worked with D’Oré, Vanessa Gounden, Cosmopolitan, Blackberry, title holders for Mrs World and Mrs Universe pageants and the … the list goes on.
It may sound like Anja is living the dream, right? Fashion shows, photoshoots, shopping, styling, handling designer clothes and rubbing shoulders with celebs … what’s not to like? The truth is, it may sound enviable, but there is a lot of hard work involved, sometimes some gritting of the teeth, and there must always be a plan B. Although she is certainly au fait with all aspects of fashion and styling, she tells it is not all glitz and glam.
“I’m mostly running around in my jeans and sneakers, stylish ones obvs, either out shopping for clients, or you’ll find me in their closets or tying someone’s shoes on my knees. A big misconception is that people think it is an easy, superficial job. Reality is that women are quite vulnerable when it comes to their wardrobe so you have to tread gently. This is where there’s no pretences. No outer layers. No persona. Just the woman and all the many seasons she went through in her life.
“From careers, motherhood, divorce, weight gain, weight loss … and all the emotional connections and memories that she has with her clothes from these seasons. And then the process of finding out who she is today and who she wants to be. Earning her trust, making her feel comfortable and not be intimated.”
Anja added that it is easy to dress someone in the latest items in the stores – transforming them from drab to fab from head to toe. However, the real work comes in finding the woman deep inside who got lost along the way. For this reason, she enrolled on a life coach course so that “I have the correct tools to help and advise my clients much better. I want her to get her self-worth back. To maintain and fully embrace her new look and not fall back into old habits”.
If you thought that a personal stylist was a luxury only for the rich and famous, think again. Anja believes every woman should at least once in her life call in the expertise of a stylist and image consultant. “Because knowing exactly what to wear can make you exude confidence.
“Besides the fact that every woman deserves to look her best, it can really save you so much money in the long run. Did you know that most of us only wear 20 per cent of our wardrobe 80 per cent of the time? Adding a few wardrobe add-ons like accessories with a few pops of colour can make a massive impact on your overall look. Investing in just a few good basics will leave you with endless options to mix and match. Although I always focus on quality over quantity, I can work within anyone’s budget. That means you can look amazing in an outfit from a boutique or an outfit from a regular store.”
If you are not quite ready to invite Anja into your closet, great news … You can attend one of her monthly reflections masterclasses. In small groups, she helps you to find out who the woman in your closet is. She chats about dressing for your body type and shape, helps you discover your signature style, your life goals and even guides you with weekly styling advice via her App, iStyle! Keep an eye out for these masterclasses on her social media platforms.
HOLIDAY OUTFIT IDEAS:
1. Summer maxi dress with white sneakers
2. A blazer in a bold bright colour such as orange, pink or green.
3. The LBD has been replaced by the LBJ … get a black jumpsuit to dress up or down.
4. Throw a leather jacket or denim Jacket over your shoulders – this will add edge to any outfit, for the cooler summer nights and days.
5. Add a little pazazz to your outfit with a metallic shoe – if you are not into high heels try a kitten heel or wedge.
MUST-HAVES FOR YOUR HOLIDAY SUITCASE:
White sneakers; metallic sandals; a denim jacket; LBD/ LBJ; bronzer to give you that summer glow; stylish sunglasses; a Kaftan to wear over your swimwear, over jeans or as a summer dress; lipstick in a bright colour; bright, bold earrings to take any outfit from drab to fab; a swimsuit that suits your body type (and rock it with confidence!).
STYLE NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS:
- Identify your personal style – embrace your unique-ness and unique-mess.
- Whether you favour a classic-meets-modern two-piece with wide legs and luxe lapels, a trench-inspired jumpsuit in eternally cool camel, or a two-button wool coat paired with a chic, means-business bag, the right suit is worth investing in.
- Quality over quantity. Buying clothes with quality and longevity in mind is a whole lot more sustainable than constantly buying and replacing fast-fashion items.
- Do a full closet clean-out. Anything you haven’t worn in the last year goes.
- Accessories are an affordable way to elevate any outfit.
- Avoid emotional purchases – yes, that is a thing!
- Be daring – A red lip will fix everything.
- Lose the socks with sandals trend – what’s the point of an open toe shoe then?
Details: i-style.co.za, follow @istylelist on Insta and @iStylebyAnjaCruseBothma on Facebook.
Text: RIALIEN FURSTENBERG. • Photographer: STEPHEN SEGAL. • Make-up & hair: ELAINE BOSHOFF. • Jewellery: JENNA CLIFFORD COLLECTIVE. • Dress: MARILIZE BRAND. Venue: QUAINTRELLE STUDIOS.
