ON CLOTHES AND MEN

Nii B. Andrews

January 22, 2015

A Ghanaian Presidential delegation arrived in a foreign capital this week with enough sartorial faux pas to cause a national embarrassment- a "status embarassticus".

Some of the individual outfits will forever live in infamy; now we have looked into the abyss.....that picture by the red carpet is enough to.......

As always in Ghana, the name calling has commenced in earnest.

But some of us have been around here long enough to know that at a national level in spite of our so called vaunted manpower, we face a severe cognitive challenge; the "brain drain" is right here in Ghana.

In short, the great majority of our people may have received instruction but not an education.

In almost all spheres of our national life we do not display a firm grasp of useful and worthwhile didactic knowledge-knowledge that will enable us to overcome the wholly surmountable challenges that confront us.

How else can we explain why a Presidential delegation that has gone to seek foreign investment will arrive so poorly and ridiculously attired....granted that my roommate says that, "we subsaharan Africans do not do winter clothing properly"....and I am paraphrasing.

What quantum and quality of investment do they hope to garner (to solve the tiresome, irksome and morale busting dumsor and other perennial problems) when first impressions are so important?

Clearly, State Protocol has also dropped the ball-like most other public institutions; but do they know the didactic stuff?

If they do why have they not implemented or enforced it?

For the avoidance of doubt and hopefully to avoid a repeat of the fiasco, I shall place at everyone's disposal a list of what a gentleman should pack and wear for business travel spanning three to five business days.

Blue blazer, slip-on shoes (round toed please) shirt and trousers (preferably plain grey dress trousers or khaki) for travel days when there is no meeting or official function immediately before or after the flight.

Two suits for three days or three suits for up to five days

One dress shirt (white or light blue) for each day plus one white shirt for each evening event.

One necktie and pocket square ( preferably white) for each day plus one for spare/evening. Neck ties should be plain black or blue....or red. Intricate patterns and stripes are best avoided.

Two pairs of dress shoes (this means leather uppers with leather soles...no rubber soles please; at least one black captoe oxford) and certainly no 419 shoes!

Belts or braces; black belt for black shoes....but of course you all know that.

Underwear and socks for each day plus one spare set; socks should be plain colored navy or black (for evening) and should be at least calf length....no anklets please!

Sleep wear

One sweater or knit polo

It is better to pack only gray or charcoal suits for day wear, though navy can be substituted when there is an evening event. Gray/charcoal simplifies shirt and tie choices, and always goes with black shoes.

The suits are worn on alternate days. They should fit properly- neither too tight or loose; single breast two button suits with notched lapels are preferable and best worn with the lower button open and showing some cuff above the wrist.

When there is black tie on the agenda, the aforementioned navy suit with a white shirt and a black satin flying tie makes a passable substitute without adding to the packing burden of carrying a tuxedo or dinner jacket.

Acceptable outerwear in cold weather is a charcoal or black or navy blue calf length wool or cashmere overcoat- either single or double breast. The overcoat should be a size larger than the suit size so that it will fit properly when worn over a suit.

There is no place for a short, tight peacoat and certainly none for a brown corduroy coat with a fake fur collar and with the buttons on the wrong side!

So attired, our delegations can now step off the Presidential jet without any backlash.

Of course all of the above can be substituted for traditional national attire as the Mahatma did during his epic trip to London to meet with Churchill.This proviso should satisfy the ur and proto nationalists.

Now let me get ready for the apologists and the revisionists; they are a dime a dozen in Ghana and the bane of our motherland; they defend the indefensible.

Nii B. ANDREWS
Blebo We-Sakumo
January 22 2015