Handmade Necklaces And A Boost To Your PersonalStyle December 01, 2015 14:00

www.ujuonline.com /blogs/the-journal/69688709-handmade-necklaces-and-a-boost-to-your-personal-style

Personal style is how we choose to present ourselves to the world, howyou put your clothes together, how you carry yourself, how you tell peoplewho you are without having to say a word. This can be influenced by a lotof things, like the interests that we have, our lifestyles, our budget, ageand backgrounds.

All of these different factors influence how weput ourselves together and what we think bestrepresents us or how we feel comfortable andwhat fits into our lives. Be it being a stay athome mum who is running around afterchildren, you may just want be in yoga pantsand a tee or jeans and a tee, something that iscomfortable. You could be a working womanwho has to be in formal clothes for most of theday, it’s all very different. I’ve used our singlestrand and multi layered necklaces in diferentnumber of ways. I’ve dressed them up anddown, so it’s great value for individuality andversatility and give your style an extra bit aneffortless boost.

Accessories are the easiest way to add a pop ofcolour, texture and interest to your outfits. We canall wear jeans and a tee and black heels but weaccessories that outfit is what differentiates us andmakes that outfit ours, what makes it us. They arethe quickest and easiest way to dress up withouthaving to be an expert stylist or go out and buy awhole new outfit. You can show who you are justby how you accessorise, could be a necklace orbangle or a hat.

How do handmade necklaces and accessories fitinto all this? I personally don't like looking likeeveryone else. I’ve managed to pull it off so far.Lol. With globalisation and TV shows and peoplefollowing the same ‘celebrities’, it’s very easy tolook the same. With most people emulating the same style and people. A bit creepy. Or a lot.

I like the fact that I can wear something that Ihandmade, individual and usually a once off as it’smade a one artisan. No mass production here.Wherever you are, you are very very very unlikelyto meet/ see anyone wearing the same or evensimilar. It’s yours honey! In our current necklacerange, we have just one of each and will do thesame in the future, customising and asking forspecific colours and combinations. This isawesome for you who wants to stand out andhave self expression. You are not buyingsomething that is part of a collection of onehundred million and you are the proud owneralong with a hundred million other people. Sigh.

And then there is the fact that ourjewellery, like the rest of our collection isfair trade, our ladies set their wonprices. And you are either on board ornot. They are ethically made and notmade in conditions we wouldn’t want tobe associated with. We really need tobe better at being human. What doesmass production really cost to thepeople working 20 hour days?

Wearing accessories that arehandmade, made in small quantitiesand are affordable is the way to go!There’s something very special aboutwearing something made especially foryou, under no pressure, just normal working conditions using skill and craft. She could be with herfriends, family or watching her favourite soapie. That makes me smile. Energy matters.

Although readily available in South Africa where they are made, our upcycled telephone wire necklaceare quite ‘new’ to the rest of the world. Not so much the bangles. We are so excited to showcase these.Zulu goes global!

It’s very exciting to be part of the new wave ofethical companies and consumers who arelooking for products that are well made, ethicallysourced and give back to the community. In anideal world, this is how business should be done.This is the perfect opportunity to be able to accessthese products without having to spend a fortune.Part of our mission is to make people aware thatethically sourced products are not hard to find nordo they cost a fortune.

Later dolls!