Styling for the modern ekasi man

Giving props to a person who's stylish is the right thing to do , but have we thought perhaps that person has been styled by someone else?  I once bumbed into these guys( I can’t remember their names) and they appreciated how I constantly looked. To me that was very quite a beautiful moment. I mean I have received a lot of compliments from a lot of people and I usually say thank you, but with these guys it was different, they actually stopped me and they wanted to know why do I look so Dapper everyday. They asked me questions I couldn’t answer, questions like are you gay ? are you a designer ? do you work at a clothing store ? do you go overseas for shopping? And this list goes on. My answer was NO!! to all the above questions.  I was really shocked at the fact that being stylish comes with all these labels, but at the same time I saw this as an opportunity to educate my fellow brothers about being stylish without being labelled. So we sat down and had a deep chat as men.

The first thing that I told them was. There’s nothing wrong with being a metrosexual and there’s nothing wrong with being stylish, it doesn’t make you gay in any way. It makes you a man who knows how to dress well for his body. It makes you a man who is confident about himself.

As our converstaion got more interesting, one of the guys asked me if I pick all my outfit myself and my answer was "most of the time".  I told him I have a stylist. He then asked what is a stylist? I answered and said “it’s someone who picks your outfits”. He then told me that his girlfriend picks his clothes for him and I replied by saying “ your girlfriend is your stylist”.

So my point is. There’s nothing wrong with getting a stylist, It will just make things easier for you. It helps you worry less about what to wear. We all can’t be stylish but we all can make an effort  to look good. By consulting someone who is good with mixing clothes,colours and different looks.

Style is a visualistic thing, it comes with visualising your next outfit. At times you would see someone wearing a nice garment and you get an idea of how you could rock it differently. That happens to me a lot, to be honest some of my looks are just a remix of what I saw from other people. One thing that I always do, and please don’t forget this! Always add your own sense of style to your outfits. Ones key to maintain a good sense of style is to know what kind of look you are into and then master it. I am Dapper and nothings else. Stick to what  you know and you will be okay. 

My personal stylist happens to be an old friend and business partner,Sprucemaskson. That’s why I don’t mind having him as my stylist because he knows what I like and what I don’t like. When I am with him,he always wants to Spruce me up.  So don’t be afraid to let someone who really knows you advice you on what suits you and what doesn’t.  Its common courtesy to care about our friends and loved ones. Unfrotunately some of you may not be lucky as I am. So you need to consult a stylist for your upgrade.

Not only will a stylist help you be stylish, He/she will also help you get the fundamentals right. The good sense of style will eventually rub of on you. This is just to help you identify your style and most importantly what suits you.

Here are some of my outfits that were recommended by my stylist,Sprucemaskson. 

With this outfit he specifically wanted the detail to matter more than anything. Hence the bright green socks and pocket square.

The outfit is also styled similar to the first image. The polka dot tie and the polka dot socks. 

We were of to a fashion show when Spruce decided to hook me up with this outfit. His aim was to make me look Dapper in a more less formal way. I have to say that this outfit turned heads. 

Sometimes less is more. 

I hope you now have an idea of why it is so important to have a stylist. They see what you don't see, that's why it's so important to have a stylist. Think of it as your second pair of eyes. They help you to make dressing fun. 

Here is some of the styling that Sprucemasekoson has done for well know brands. 

Sprucemaskoson for Dolce & Gabbana 

Sprucemasekoson for  New Balance 

Sprucemasekson for Dr. Martin & Replay

Sprucemasekson for Woolworth

Sprucemasekson for Wrangler Jeans

Sometimes I feel like I have the best stylist in the world. This is his amazing work.



Probably you are asking yourself how can I get hold of this guy? Just because I am a nice guy I will give you his details. Don't be scared to bother him, he is such a beautiful soul. Trust me you won't regret it.

Sprucemasekson's details 

Facebook : Siyabonga Njabulo Maseko

Instagram : @Sprucemasekson

Call/whatsapp : 0728630772

Images By Dapper Photography 

MBFW 2016 DAY 3 CLOSING RUNWAY FOR CARDUCCI

As we all know that once a year we meet for the business of fashion. This year the Mercedes fashion week was held at the Iconic Mandela Square where all fashion influencers were there, from trend analyst Nicole Copper to  blogger/photographer Trevor Struurman and our very own South African Billionaire Mr Patrice Motsepe and his lovely wife Dr Motsepe and not forgetting the lovely Terry Pheto, beautiful and humble as always.

The event was quite as success in my opinion even though other people had a bit to complain about. Anyway lets forget about negetive things and focus on the style that was presented at the Fashion week. Unfortunately Because of my busy schedule I could only attend one show, which was the Carducci show on Saturday evening. I must say I enjoyed the show and the people that were there ,were good company, I met new friends, created new networks and most of all spotted new fashion heads.

Carducci’s selection was very classy, something I could wear but I just didn’t like some of the styling that I saw. I felt the styling lacked a bit perfection and excellence. As a stylist  I critic other stylists work and it’s not to say that I am better then them, all I want to see is things being done properly. This is a business of fashion and if you don’t pay attention to detail then you have lost the essence of being in this business. Some models had over sized shoes, you could tell by how they walked. It sucks seeing quality garments being poorly styled. It takes away the goodness of the fabric. One thing I also didn’t understand were the blond afro wigs worn my black models! What was that for ?

In my opinion those outfits resembled elegance and I didn’t see the need for wigs. Any way as I said it’s my opinion, I just didn’t get the idea of the whole show. Maybe if they made me Carducci's Creative Director I would've done something really radical….(laughing out loud) but I would hey.

Don’t get me wrong Carducci’s show was awesome but I was really bothered by the lack of attention by their styling team. We are competiting with big European brands like Gucci, Chanel and LV we need to step up our game as South African brands to gain the respect we truly deserve. But we won’t if we don’t pay attention to detail, it’s the small things that count. Inorder to compete with these brands we need to critic our work and see where we can improve, in that way we'll definitely grow.

Never the less, a big thank you to Mercedes Benz and African Fashion international for this awesome event. Can’t wait till the next event, hope to see you there my fellow Dapper Gamers. The stylish individuals that were there to make the whole event a success, a big thank you too. 

The art directory of the runway. It was white and I love white. 

 There were a lot of grey suits but this one just stood out for me. 

Those wigs though, they're really disturbing . Why are they blond?

  

This was one of my favourite models at the show but the fitting let him down. 

 This was one of the Dapper moments, the fabric, the styling and the shoes where just perfect. 

Elegant 

This was probably the best dressed model on that day, all his outfits were on fire. Simple yet elegant and the fit was just perfect. 

The hipster who just changed the atmosphere. Immediately when he stepped into the runway, the crowd gave him a huge around of applaud. He just had that bravado. 

Fifty shades of navy 

That colourful Winter look

The Carducci  Dapper Gamer.

The alpha male of the pride. I love the pink pinstripe it's bold and yet comforting. I felt that he should've had a blazer on or held it in his hand just to complete the 3 piece suit. 

The event was beautiful, we have to give props to the Creative Director of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week and the whole team. You guys did a great job in the establishment of the show and you never disappoint thank you from team Dapper Gamer. 

And a big thank you to AFI[Africa Fashion International] 

Images by AFI 

HATS selected by Dapper Luzumane 

People occationally ask me why am I so into hats? The reply that I always give them is that I am a Prince you can't see my head. Yes that’s one of the reasons but I am so used to wearing hats I can’t afford to not wear one, If it's not on my head, it's in my bag. This is one of  those habbits that I just cannot stop. Well you can call me old school but I know what it means to love your hats so much that you handle them with care and most importantly you don’t lend them to anyone who doesn’t understand the hat ettiqette.

Even my girlfriend knows you don’t mess with my hats.  It’s definitely a no go zone!!! For me your hat is your throne and you wouldn’t let anyone play with your throne right, so why would you let them play with your hat?  I believe in taking good care of my things so that they can take good care of me, input equals output. Take good care of your clothes and they will definitely take care of you .

We all have different head shapes and that’s where the trick lies. So hats that suit me won’t necessarily suit you. I have a round head so I always pick a hat that suit round heads.  You need to pick the right hat to pull of an amazing look. A hat is like a cherry on top [literally] so you have to get that cherry right. When it comes to hats I don’t mind buying an expensive hat. Buying an expensive hat assures you that you bought quality over quantity. A hat that wont lose its shape along the years. Here are some of my hats that made my outfits stand out.

This is one of my favourite hats, it's called the Newsboy hat. It gets its name from posts men and news paper boys that usually delivered news papers and posts. It's quite popular in England and North America. This is a must have my fellow Dapper Gamers, trust me you won't  regret it.  

This hat is versatile, I can pull off any look, from formal,sport luxe and casual. When buying a hat,try to buy a hat that won't restrict you. 

Sometimes I dress up and ask my self what's missing ? oh yeah my hat.

For that semi-formal look.

Sport Luxe look.

Casual look. 

So with this hat you have an all rounder, an all saver, that's why I love this hat so much. I just don't have limits with this piece of headgear. 

This is also one my favourite hats, It's called the Flat Ivy/Flat cap. Similar to the newsboy hat. The only difference between the two is that the newsboy can flip and the flat Ivy can't flip. Also popular in England and North America this is also a must have. 

This hat is also an all rounder, it can easily go with any style you choose. Semi-Formal look.

Easy and effortless looks can be pulled of with the flat Ivy. Shorts and boat shoes.

This hat is just the mother of all styles. I just love it so much. It is a Dapper piece for the eKasi modern men. 

Third on my list is the Panama hat. Most of you think that the Panama hat is from Panama, the hat originates from Ecuador in a town called Montecristi, find out more about the history on this article

http://qz.com/476014/the-finest-panama-hat-in-history-woven-in-a-tiny-ecuadorean-village-may-be-too-valuable-for-anyone-to-wear/

For me a Panama hat is a sophisticated hat, I would never and I mean never. Wear a panama with sneakers, for me that doesn't work. I believe that this hat specifically requires shoes. You can wear it with sandals, slip ons and flip flops for that beach look. I just don't see the link between a Panama hat and sneakers, I just find it weird, but if you do then you need to stop. I still say as a Dapper Gamer you must be different than someone who just dresses up for the sake of dressing up. You have a responsibility to lead and show people what is true style. 

One thing that I love about the Panama hat is that, it has the ability to go back to its original shape. These hats are created from fine stripes of toquilla straw, harvested  from palm trees that grow along the Ecuadorian coast. These stripes of toquilla straw are like rubber, they contract when they're under cold temperatures and they stretch when under high temperatures. So if your Panama hat loses shape than don't worry, just put it in hot water and reshape it. These are one of the benefits of buying a real Panama hat. I have been seeing strange Panama hats lately being sold at Noord taxi rank and Bree taxi rank (Johannesburg) , please don't be a victim of fake goods. We at Dapper Gamers promote purchasing of original,quality goods not quantity. 

Formal look to top it off with a Panama is just timeless. 

For easy Panama looks. 

Beach vibe looks with boat shoes or flat sole shoes. 

if you don't have a Panama please go get one. You cannot afford to not have one, it's just wrong gentlemen. This is a must have. 

Fourth on my list is the wide Brimmed Hat. Also known as the Fedora hat. It is similar to the Panama hat, the only difference is that the Fedora is made up of cotton. The Brimmed hat is the ultimate sophistication hat. Mostly goes well with suits because of the fact that it's made out of cotton, so it just compliments the suit. With this hat, I can pull off a dope sneaker look. I've only done it once though. I just have a strong association with Brimmed and Panama hats with shoes, but Brimmed hats can be worn with sneakers. Just make sure you have hardcore  sneakers  like New Balance 999, 574 and 1500. You will get the sneaker issue soon by our team. 

Goes well for that suited up look. It is elegant and a classic hat.

With this hat I try not jump the gun and ruin its elegant touch. I always try to be sophisticated, even when I' am not suited up. 

The basics of a Brimmed hat are simple, you can either wear with a shirt, v-neck t.shirt or a v-neck jersey. 

Character or floral shirts go perfectly well with  this hat, it just gives it life.

Brimmed hats just need that little touch of elegance and they will never let you down. 

I hope I've changed your perceptions about hats and how they should be worn. Get the basics right and you will be okay. If you don't have these hats make sure you get them and try to sum up your dope Dapper outfits with hats. 

Here's a quick guide of different hats you can choose from.

Choose your style of hats.

Choose your best Fedora. 

Simon & Mary hats are a must have. 

Visit these shops for some cool hats. 

HAT CITY 

204 Main Reef Rd, Westgate , Johannesburg  2001

Call : 011 834 7206

Website : www. hatcity.co.za 

Simon & Mary 

www.simonandmary.co.za 

Top Hat Suit & Co 

91 - 6th street 1 Ave West

Parkhurst 

(opposite Shell Garage) 

(Opposite Shell garage)