Cape Town - It’s the day before one of Cape Town’s most stylish events, but don’t stress if you’re without a dress for the J&B Met – local designers say small stylish touches are all you need to overcome any last-minute wardrobe dilemmas.
Step one is to heed the theme “made to conquer” and the dress code “victorious”.
Wayne Govender, designer for CSquared at the House of Monatic, says blazers are the “it” item for menswear. With structured shoulders and medal-friendly lapels, they are ideal gear for a men’s fashion triumph.
Govender’s advice to the fashion-fearful is to make like a monarch and wear a coat of arms. Add some gold – it’s the colour of kings – he advises, and remember: it doesn’t have to be outrageous to be victorious.
“Do something small like a pocket square, a lapel pin, a bow tie, or wear army boots – something you’ll feel strong in,” he said.
If you don’t have time to pick the perfect pin, there’s always face paint.
“Even a strong rugby guy who isn’t into fashion can just warpaint his face and look like a conqueror.”
And if you’re desperate, simply dial a designer.
“Local designers are dying to get their hands on men who don’t know what to wear,” he said.
Govender’s label will be dressing local celebrities such as Top Billing presenter Simba Mhere for the Met.
Hats are a fashion staple at the races, and Dominik Marszalek from the Little Hattery has dramatic headgear covered.
His team put their thinking caps on and split the theme into four aspects of success: winning hearts; conquering internal obstacles; conquering external challenges; and Africa rising to the many challenges facing it.
“My favourite is winning hearts,” Marszalek said. “It allows people who aren’t that confident, or who don’t necessarily have money to spend on fashion, to take something they already have and make it look really sweet and cute.”
His spectacular hats and fascinators were far more fierce than feeble, though, with plumage to rival a peacock, and shoulder pads that mimic a bird of prey’s armour.
For the slightly more reserved there are stylish straw hats for women and conquistador helmets for men.
Don’t be shy, though – designers at the Fashion Collective say the Met is an open invitation to make a statement. Richard Huisamen said: “We’re going to see people going totally overboard in embellishments, sequins, beads and tassels.”
Go long and flowy or short and sexy, as long as it’s practical for a day in the sun. “Please don’t arrive in a ballgown; that’s just bad style for a day at the races,” Huisamen said. “It’s also not a shorts-and-T-shirt kind of day. Leave your jeans for the rest of the year.”
Fashion Collective partner Wessel Prinsloo offered some mint tips for the uninspired and short-of-time: “Get the family’s brooches and pin them on your dress in a cluster, with a few ribbons hanging out – create a medallion look.”
Men could trim their jacket with medal ribbon, Prinsloo said, or raid their father’s cupboard for old army uniform items. For women, the designers advised taking a look into your wardrobe, selecting two bright garments and combining them in an eclectic colour-blocking masterpiece. - Cape Argus