Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Styled By The Kokonut Stylist - Article 6

The Perfect Gentleman Style Guide - Durban July 2013


Last week we catered for the ladies style on what to wear and how to wear it at this year's Durban July, now for the perfect gentleman attending the Vodacom Durban July 2013 - here are some tips and hits on how you can stand out without looking out of place. Gentlemen, note: true style does not have a comfort zone, it is always about pushing and breaking boundaries. So, let's break a few boundaries for the Durban July.

Posh Oh My Gosh!, how does one even begin to interpret this ordinance without confusing our gentlemen even further? It is so hard to do that when the whole tagline seems to be directed at women but being a stylist, I always jump at such challenges. I am sure many men who are attending this year's Durban July have asked themselves how they can adhere to the theme without taking it too literally.


Well, as mentioned in our previous article, the theme is interpreted as very elegant, chic, stylish, classical with great influences from the English Fashion. For men, inspiration can also be drawn from the Royal Ascot in England. We can further draw inspiration from the Longchamp in France and the Melbourne Cup in Australia. A mouthful isn't it? I know that this can be too much to take in for the average gentleman who relies on a suit to rescue him at all times. The simplest and most basic fashion rule for such events is, get a hat and style your outfit around the hat. Men's hats are by far the most fascinating elements of any outfit, so with a good hat, half the battle is already won.


If you are not a hat person, get a three-piece suite, complete with gloves. It is a good thing that this is a winter event so Durban is a also a bit chilly during this time. Take into consideration though that this will be a warm winter's day, do not dress like you are going ice-skating in the Maldives. Heavy-weight fabrics are going to cause you to perspire and be greatly uncomfortable.



If you are still not feeling the whole formal-English-Style-Fashion thing, you can consider a mismatched trousers and formal jacket combo. A timeless example of this is light brown chinos, a blue shirt, a dark formal jacket or cardigan and some brown shoes or loafers. This is a very versatile outfit that can be worn many times over, long after the Durban July is gone and done with.




So gentlemen, you need not be confused, perplexed or lost. There is a wide variety of styles and fabrics you can choose from to prepare for this prestigious social event. Remember: be classy, wear comfortable shoes and don't forget your sunscreen and sunglasses.

In closing, the Durban July is on the 6th of July 2013, you buy your own tickets at computicket. This is not an invite-only event, it is open to the general public and is obviously held in Durban so you would need to sort out your transport and accommodation.  There are tons of after-parties, so be prepared to party hard if you are into that sort of thing.

For our gentlemen, The Kokonut Stylist is offering free styling consultancy for the Durban July. Drop me an email on kokonutstylist@gmail.com and we'll brainstorm together, work with your budget, shoping options and get you the most dashing outfit.

Please follow this column and engage with us on:
For feedback, email: kokonutstylist@observer.org.sz
Written By: Koko Shabangu

No comments:

Post a Comment