Forget Clooney and Kanye, there are plenty of stylish men to take pointers from right here on South African soil.
We’re talking shwe-shwe designs that turn traditional suits on their heads and berets worn so well you’ll forget they’re even French.
Here are ten of the most stylish men of Instagram in no specific order.
Thaamir Moerat
First on our list is Film Festival Owner, Sales Trainer, Actor, and Model, Thaamir Moerat. Thaamir’s businessman-chic look is the stylistic manifestation of his serial entrepreneurial abilities. A blend of Johnny Depp with lots of Robert Downey Jnr makes Thaamir’s look stylish with a hint of a ‘’I don’t care” Bad boy feel to it. Think classic suits in muted hues and camera-ready confidence so slick it’ll make you feel empty the next time you forget to wear your sunnies to the red carpet. Thaamir proves you can’t go wrong with elegant beige-blue combos and designer details, such as a Louis Vuitton scarf and Oliver Peoples aviators.
Harmony Katulondi
Former Top Billing and The Taste Master Presenter Harmony Katulondi brings a distinctly Congolese flair to the European suit, lending an honourary nod to the DRC’s Societe des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Elegantes (Society of Tastemakers and Elegant People).
His formidable ensembles showcase the inexplicable allure of shwe-shwe-cum-contemporary cool (peep the Maman Philo Designs jacket he wore to the Veuve Clicquot Masters Polo in 2019), while his wide-brimmed hats prove a versatile finishing touch be the occasion black tie or backyard.
Gemaén Taylor
Cover Star of Men’s Health ‘Guide to Style’ The Influencers’ Issue and Model, Gemaén is living proof that oversized hoodies and Nike Airforce’s always do suit pants justice. Whether he’s in a blacked out hoodie and a denim jacket, a satin-reminiscent ensemble donning art deco motifs, or a pastel-pink, double-breasted suit featuring three-quarter pants by Hauz Of Lenze, it seems Gemaén can do no stylistic wrong.
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Katleho Sinivasan
E! Entertainment’s first African Presenter and one of GQ’s Best Dressed Men 2019,
Katleho Sinivasan is likely the only person on earth to do leather from head to toe as well as Kim K can. It’s like he’s got red-carpet swag encoded in his DNA. He dons satin lapels with the same born-with-it ease as he did that boujee beret look he pulled at Fashion Week in 2018. Those snake-skin boots though.
Solo Ntsizwa
Award-winning Hip-Hop Artist Solo Ntsizwa oozes mzansi magic in general, but especially when donning silk sets and custom suits by Otsile Sefolo. This man brings new life to run-of-the-mill suits through his choice of one-off customs that tell stories of African glamour and innovative ingenuity. Peep the overtly original garments he wore to his wedding and weep. They’re that fly.
Anele Papu
Another one of GQ’s Best Dressed Men, Lifestyle, Fashion, and Fitness Photographer Anele Papu is as infallible in a floor-sweeping, tassel-laiden black blazer by David Tlale as he is in a two-shades-of-blue suit. Take a page out of his exceedingly stylish book to know you can’t go wrong with a white T-shirt and a wardrobe-staple leather jacket.
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Chris Jaftha
If you can tear your eyes away from SAFTA Nominee and Bedford Wives Star Chris Jaftha’s smouldering gaze for even a moment, you’ll find his ability to rock Armani tweed just as captivating. When he isn’t sporting neutral suits that humbly boast understated elegance, he’s being bold and donning statement blazers and boundary-pushing suits, like the twin-tone ensemble he wore to the Veuve Clicquot Masters Polo in 2019.
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Masego “Maps” Maponyane
Presenter, UNICEF Advocate, Actor, and Fashion Designer, Maps Maponyane takes the common lockdown look to a level that mortalises the rest of us track pant-wearers. He is living proof that fedoras and Converse All-Stars are the suit accompaniments you never knew you needed. And all you need to understand the language of love is to see him in a beret and specs.
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Jonathan Boynton-Lee
Actor, Presenter, and Director Jonathan Boynton-Lee is enough to make you want to velvet-ise your lapels and call it a life. When he’s not exuding Beckham-in-Burberry vibes, he’s giving Top Gun Tom Cruise a run for his money in the best way possible. Think dusty-on-purpose leather boots and weathered leather jackets that shout, “I have a really badass motorbike parked outside.”
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Ryle Rene De Morny
Springbok Athlete, Expresso Show Presenter, and Netflix’s Blood & Water Star, Ryle Rene De Morny isn’t often pictured wearing a shirt (no complaints here) but when he is suited up, he sure does give his own six-pack a run for its money. Ryle is a pro at devilishly good-looking details: Custom cufflinks and lapel pins, as well as colour-coded pocket-handkerchiefs for days. He’s also unafraid of venturing beyond neutral hues and rocks a variety of reds with impressive finesse.
Curated by Cheri Morris | itscuntroversial.com
Feat. Image RE-WRITING HISTORY WITH MAPS MAPONYANE | House & Leisure SA
