Fashion/Style: Shopping the best for the festive season

The festive season is here, and we need to dress accordingly for it. It’s time to shop till you drop. There’s a wide range from gifts, poster cards, Christmas trees, clothes, jewellery, to home accessories, to mention but a few. The festive season will see people piling their wardrobes and shoe racks with the latest trends. Call it the New Year with a New Look; you will not be far from the truth. As you take a walk around Kigali city, you witness new trends displayed in boutiques, introducing folks into the season’s festive mood. As wonderful as celebrating for the festive season can be, for many and varied reasons it can also be incredibly stressful. How can you balance your stretched schedule between office responsibilities and household duties, like shopping for the festive season? The only way you can achieve the ‘balance’ is by assertively directing your time and effort to do what is most important to you. To catch in on the festive mood, enticing ranges of options are on offer by various boutiques and stores, which include striking a hands-off shopping deal for their customers. Markets are already jam-packed with crowds and a shopping fever has gripped Kigali city. Shopkeepers are attracting customers with ‘special discounts’ and ‘sales’ and shopping festivals to add to the frenzy. Clearly, this is one season of revelry and merriment no one wants to miss out on. Mega stores like Nakumatt, Simba and 2000 Market have put out attractive offers for the festive season. And fashion boutiques like Amani-K, Sylvia, Top 10, Angel’s Magic, and many others have also introduced special design collections of all ages and sizes for men, women and children, at great rates. Some of the items in Kigali’s stores include graceful designs, new concepts, and classic cuts. As unusual, the colour combination is the flavour of the season.Ladies arouse your shopping appetite. For here’s a store specially dedicated to you. Amani-K has a wide range of jewellery in three floors with two others for clothing, apparel and fashion accessories. Here are some tips on how to avoid being lost in the maze of shopping. Women’s collection Look for a perfect dress for the Church services. Avoid the dull colours. The colours of your choice should be adorned with subtle sky-blue embroidery, diamante, crystal and sequins to make them appear brighter. Mishanana (Rwanda’s traditional dress): Any traditional wear in ice-blue chiffon, with just a hint of mawkish on it. With a stark silk halter blouse of a darker blue or you just opt out for see-through chiffon churidars, paired with a knee-length fitted kurta in double layered chiffon. Set yourself a glamorous look in gold and the cream colours. For evening wear, make sure you choose an outfit which meets the standards of the occasion. Keep the embroidery to the minimum on the blouse. Men’s collection Men should also dance according to the rhythm of the day. Give yourself all those shiny looks by wearing designer suits, and classy pair of shoes. Dress your best for the festive season and wear trendy while lighting crackers. After all, style is all about comfort. Children’s collection Like adults, children have also got designer attire, and their outfits have of late attracted the world of design icons than ever before. While shopping for the festive season, parents and guardians should consider buying for their children the latest trends. And now the issue is not where to buy from, but making the right choice, because the stores and boutiques are really packed to capacity. Contact: lindaonly2005@yahoo.com