adminSEE a woman anywhere in the world wearing a skirt or a dress paired with sneakers; your gut feeling tells you she is Zimbabwean! If she is Zimbabwean, she is highly likely to be either Shona or Kalanga. It’s nothing tribal, when people joke they say a Shona or a Kalanga person’s dress sense is poor, a Ndebele man is violent and has no idea how to take good care of a woman and white people can’t dance because they have no sense of rhythm — it’s just what people say, no offence intended.
Wearing a skirt, dress or a suit with a pair of sneakers has been a big fashion no-no for a while. You just can’t wear a dress, skirt or suit with a pair of sneakers.
But I had an epiphany one morning as I prepared to take a bath and thought of how people who wear sneakers with fashion pieces that are considered otherwise inappropriate are criticised, yet recent trends have given people an opportunity to dress that way, especially with the advent of the Converse All Star.
The Converse is generally loved by a specific type of people and those who love it have not limited themselves to pairing it with jeans. It’s a whole new Converse world which brings out some of the most fashion forward looks. I stand to be corrected but it’s probably more of a comfort thing more than anything else.
Chances are you own a pair too, but if you don’t, you might want to get one, especially in white, it’ll give you a look that’s so fresh and so clean.
The Converse trend has even caught on to weddings where a bride and groom choose to rock it on their big day.
It’s unfortunate though that many of us only embrace a fashion look when it has been worn by a famous person. Both ladies and gentleman can spice up outfits with the Converse. You just kind of throw it in there to freshen up your look. It could be a tomboy look —jeans and a chunky sweater paired with a pair of high cut Converse or a style chic look — short dress or skirt with a low cut pair of Converse.
You could even swap your heels for a night out at the club with a Converse. The sneakers are not limited to jeans and short skirts or dresses, but can also be worn with a maxi skirt. At the end of the day, it’s all about understanding your style and knowing what Converse to add to the outfit and in which colour.
Having spoken about how gentlemen should suit up and learn how to do it well, take it a notch higher and wear Converse with a suit or a shirt and a pair of trousers as opposed to a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Maybe even throw in a bowtie to the look. I know *Zimbabwe Style icon Craig Zoowie is all about the bowtie.
Being fashion forward is all about trying new things, for the fun of it. Decide whether or not Converse is your thing after you’ve tried it. Don’t shoot down the idea too soon. But, I think it’s not every kind of sneaker that will look good when paired with a dress, skirt or suit, the Converse is an exception. It won’t quite look the same with a North Star or a Reebok that will just look tacky.
The Converse All Star has been around for almost a century and is probably the only pair of shoes you can still dust off and wear on any day with different fashion pieces to achieve certain looks.
Feedback from Gentlemen Suit Up
Thank you, well researched. A lot of our young men can’t dress properly and it pains me. Please repeat this article on a Wednesday so that more men can read and learn to dress properly. Thank you. — R Tafeni.
Hie there, thanx for the page although you did not go much into choosing the colour manje coz yikho okulesmoko manje what’s your take on that my sis? — Mluleki Moyo.
Until next week, flaunt your pattern and style and don’t forget to drop me an email at [email protected].
Bongani Moyo
Online Reporter