adminPattern & Style with Yoliswa Dube
VETERAN football coach and former Highlanders player Cosmas Zulu is no stranger to the newsroom.
Like any other sports guy I know, with the exception of Kelvin Kaindu of course, I’d only ever seen him wearing sports attire.
You know, the usual tracksuit, branded soccer or rugby jersey and sneakers.
For a long time I thought that’s all the clothes these people owned because it’s all they ever wear even when they’re not on the pitch.
But I was wrong.
On this particular day Zulu was in the newsroom, I was in for quite a pleasant surprise.
It wasn’t just me who was surprised though. Actually, I was probably the least shocked compared to my colleagues Ricky Zililo and Sikhumbuzo Moyo who have worked closely with Zulu over the years.
He was rocking a suit and quite well too. Not just a suit, but suit and tie — the works! The guy was on point, if I may say so myself.
Zulu was even glowing, talking about how great winter is and how people can wear pretty much what they want during the cold season.
He said one didn’t have to worry about burning up or sweating during winter so they had so much more liberty with their wardrobe.
The football veteran even threw in the ladies in the conversation, saying they love a man dressed in a suit because he appears like a true gentleman who knows what he’s doing.
“You’re even more confident with the ladies when you’re dressed like this,” said Zulu.
The man was right. Women do love men that have a good sense of dress. He was also right about how winter presents more liberal options in the wardrobe.
But I think aside from the comfort that comes with winter clothes, there’re a lot of wardrobe malfunctions that still happen as people try to layer on more items to block out the cold.
I’ve been seeing a lot of colourful and untidy T-shirts peeping under many shirts of late.
You find someone wearing a blue shirt and a red T-shirt underneath, chirping through the collar.
Many have forgotten the socks rule.
They just want to wear the warmest pair of stockings even when it’s in the wrong colour.
I get that it’s cold and those white stockings are super warm gentlemen, but not with your dark coloured suit — the ladies still keep their eyes wide open even in winter!
But men are not the only ones with issues when it’s cold.
I don’t get why one would wear a polo neck jersey underneath a sleeve-less summer dress.
The fact that you’re wearing a jersey means you’re feeling cold; why not wear the jersey over the dress instead of under it. In any case, it’s a summer dress – where is the logic there?
This is just scruffy layering, which won’t do anything at all for your outfit. Instead, think about how you can keep yourself warm and still look fresh.
Here’s how. Have a base layer to wick away moisture or sweat from your body and make sure we can’t see that layer peeping through your collar.
For these, go for the neutral colours like black, white and grey with preferably a low collar line to ensure it doesn’t twitter through your work clothes.
Synthetics, merino wool and silk are the best fabrics to get these in. Although cotton is very popular, it’s a very poor base layer.
Cotton absorbs a lot of moisture but doesn’t wick it away — it just holds damp material next to your skin and this is the complete opposite of what you want in a base layer.
Wearing multiple thin layers is better than one thick layer because if you get too hot, it’s easy to remove layers until you’re comfortable. These layers should be a little loose to allow for better insulation.
After all these layers comes the “outer shell”, the jacket or coat that everyone else sees and it should be all they see.
A scarf is probably a signature piece for many people. They come in a million designs and materials. Find the most comfortable for you to complete your look.
If you’ve failed to conceal your base layer from the public eye, a scarf is a great way to do this. Remember always, you’re a brand that you need to guard jealously.
Feedback from “Care like a child cares”
I’m embarrassed to admit that I’m one of those people that take advantage of driving and don’t put much effort into the way I dress. I’ve learnt a valid lesson, trust me, I have. I’m certainly going to consider what I wear more consciously, thanks MaDube. — +263772 872***
Hie Yoliswa. What a gentle reminder to always look good, do keep writing! — +263 773 408***
Until next week, flaunt your pattern and style and don’t forget to drop me an SMS/Whatsapp on +263774 492 700 or drop me an email at [email protected].
Online Reporter