Hello Man

Men's Accessories with Hello Man

We're giving the fellas some attention today, with a few of our favourite menswear accessories - guys, have at it:

Heck there are a couple of things in there that I'd buy for myself!

#WDC2014 Desktop Wallpapers! - part 3

Yayayay! It's that time again - and this time, we have the artistry of Terry Angelos for you all to pretty up your various tech with.

Download your free wallpaper over HERE, and visit Terry's Hello Pretty store over here - you won't regret it!

At the Miss+Meisie Showcase and I Heart Market in Durban - gorgeous right?

#WDC2014 Desktop Wallpapers! - part 3 with Terru Angelos

In the Homeology and D&M Made With Love DIY and Styling ebook, available here.

Stunning! And the best part is being able to own a piece of Terry Angelos art free and gratis. Get downloading, and tag us in pics of you and your new fancy computer wallpapers!

Save the Rhino with Hello Pretty!

The save the Rhino cause is near and dear to all of us - we're remembering the beauty and awesomeness of our precious wildlife today:

Happy shopping!

#WDC2014 Desktop Wallpapers! - part 2

We loved last months WDC2014 inspired downloadable wallpaper so much, that we're doing it again!

This month we have the lovely Lilian Fairall treating us to not one, but TWO gorgeous hand illustrated wallpapers:

1. Download HERE

2. Download HERE

Gorgeous or what? It's so hard to choose a favourite!

Send us a photo of how you're rocking your wallpaper this month - remember to tag it #hpwdc14, and visit the Lilian Fairall Hello Pretty store to check out more work by this talented lady: http://hellopretty.co.za/lilian-fairall

Menswear Trends with Hello Pretty

Some of you may recall the Beeld Lifestyle article on menswear trends that we contributed to a little while ago - since we were sharing some premium intel (because we're totally humble), we decided to elaborate a bit further for you guys.

So menswear trends in 2014! These aren't so much predictions as observations as we go about our daily lives - the boys are getting more and more comfortable with expressing themselves, which is really great to see. And fun!

Prints are making a real splash, and florals aren't just being reserved for women anymore. What's nice is that if you're not a full male fashionista, the huge number of printed accessories for men are available that allow you to dip your toes into the trends. For example, printed bow ties, as well as a massive growth in the popularity of printed, quirky socks.

Statement shoes also seem to be making appearances everywhere - the printed trend also comes into play here, but for the more reserved guy even just brightly coloured sneakers are all over the place. Coming into play here as well is a trend that is becoming huge across all spheres of influence, not just mens fashion - being able to customise your shoes or sunglasses and own once off items in a world surrounded by mass production is very appealing. For example, one of our sellers, Eish Hade allows you to customise your sneakers. (Also reflective of the continued world wide rise of "craft")

Accessories like "man bags" are also very on trend - leather goods, for instance, are a classic and elegant investment that can stay with you for life. (for example, Savior Brand Co and Chartermade) Camo has been seeping back for a while - this does not mean it must be baggy! (oversized also doesn't necessarily equate to baggy) A tailored look is always on trend - South African men seem to be paying closer attention to taking better care of themselves, so stuff is fitting better, beards are trendy and groomed and people are just looking more put together.

Jewellery is becoming more widely accepted, with arm parties not being just for the ladies! "Africas" are popping up with increasing regularity, which are very special and unique, and wooden rings are hugely popular.

What's nice to see is that fashion is becoming a lot more accessible - I think the rise of male fashion bloggers also contribute to high fashion filtering down to the average guy. People are also looking to street style for inspiration more and more, as opposed to just glossy mags. Although we feel they feed off each other as well.

So that's what WE think. How about you? Do you have any suggestions or predictions for menswear trends?

#WDC2014 Desktop Wallpapers!

So guys, it's no secret that we are privy to some pretty fantastic talent here at Hello Pretty. South Africans have some mad skillz - and we're super proud of being able to support them, see and help them grow, and revel in their general awesomeness.

One such human is Jeanine from Love Mary J - this lady specialises in geometric, linear inspired illustrations that will just knock your socks off.

We were lucky enough to have her treat us to a really gorgeous, illustrated World Design Capital inspired downloadable desktop - cool huh!? AND it involves pugs and polka dots. I mean, if that's not a recipe for success, I don't know what is.

So you should all check out her Hello Pretty store here, (especially her pet portraits) and download this super fun wallpaper right over here.

Nice right?

Our Bow Peep Studio Visit

Bow Peep Studio Visit - http://hellopretty.co.za/bow-peep

Recently two of Team Hello Pretty set up camp at the sparkly new Bow Peep studio for a day - we were able to peek behind the curtain, and catch a glimpse of where and how the magic happens:

We were greeted by a rainbow world of beautiful patterns and toasted cheese sammiches - it's always so amazing to see the work that goes into the amazing products that we're lucky enough to be exposed to. It's something really special.

And naturally we both walked out with newly purchased goodies!

Many thanks to Leila for welcoming us with open arms - it was such a fun day.

To treat yourself to some Bow Peep treats, pop over to the Bow Peep Hello Pretty store right over here: http://hellopretty.co.za/bow-peep

How to open an online store with Happiness is...

The lovely and talented Fathima of Happiness is… has recently done a great post on the ins and outs involved in opening an online store.

As a part of the Creative Business Series kicked off by Caitlyn de Beer, Fatima acknowledges that t’s all quite a bit to consider, and we also offered some advice on how to (hopefully) make the ecommerce gauntlet seem less daunting, and break it down into manageable pieces.

We love this initiative, and are really inspired by all the ladies contributing to the series. It’s a phenomenal line up, and I highly suggest checking it out - you will undoubtedly walk away feeling inspired!

For this reason, we are offering all you creative business owners two free months on our Standard selling plan! Check out the post over here for all of the details - we can’t wait to help you in your creative business journey!

And with that I wish you all a happy and creative Wednesday!