#ZIMBOMEN I was at an event over the weekend where the dress code was clearly marked ‘black tie’. The ladies who attended made an effort, as usual, to come dressed up – or down – to the nines.
Each woman who walked in seemed to outdo the one before in terms of her choice of outfit, accessories, hair and nails. Yes, as is to be expected, there were those few girls who looked like they had just woken up and jumped into their cars to get to the event, but those were the exception, rather than the rule.
It was evident that most of the women here had spent hours getting ready; time at the nail bar, time at the hair salon, time in front of the mirror doing makeup, etc.
But the men were in another realm.
It was as if they had received a different invite; one that said ‘come as if dressed to go and watch Dynamos FC playing Highlanders’. Jeans, t-shirts, sneakers, bad hair, ungroomed beards, it was a truly poor show by the guys.
Even the Managing Director of the company that was hosting the event was dressed like this was casual Friday at work.
At another Harare ‘black tie’ event in January, the only two men who actually came in black ties where Star FM DJs, Comfort Mbofana and Bongayi Zamchiya. Kudo’s to them. Every other man was disappointingly under-dressed, including our own Zimbo Jam dudes.
This sort of thing happens often. Zimbabwean men regularly disappoint on the fashion front.
They will rock up at weddings in jeans and sneakers. They will come to a formal dinner at the Meikles in that same grey pair of trousers they wear to work every day and a dusty pair of shoes, or that same suit they wear to work all the time. Many of those who make an effort will simply wear nicer jeans and fancier sneakers.
The CEO of one of the top newspaper groups in Zimbabwe once appeared in one of the papers attending the wedding of one of his staff members. There he was, the biggest smile on his face, congratulating the newlyweds and, horror of horrors, he was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt!?? I couldn’t understand that.
The best you will see when Zimbabwean men ‘really’ dress up are those shiny suits that will blind you if you look at them in the sun. Beyond that, you’re asking for too much.
Even at the recently ended Zimbabwe Fashion Week, the ladies killed it in their designer outfits, but the guys, yoh. More jeans, t-shirts and lack of dress sense.
Yes, there is a small quantum of Zimbabwean men with swag; Sulumani Chimbetu, Walter Mzembi, Tehn Diamond and Gilmore Moyo are among these precious few.
Chii nhai? What am I missing? Is there a standing memo that prohibits Zimbabwean men from ever looking good? What happened to Zim-sexy? Where is Zim-swag? If your woman is making an effort to look good for an outing why are you sitting there drooling? Jump around and spruce up!
The question remains; chii nhai? what am I missing?
– Fashion Watch Kid