Mandela's shirts take Britain by storm

Mandela's shirts take Britain by storm

LONDON (Reuter): South African President Nelson Mandela's wardrobe of colorful Indonesian batik-inspired shirts has made him perhaps the first statesman to break the suit-and-tie mould during his official visit to Britain.

At a formal state banquet at Buckingham Palace Mandela stood out in a black silk and satin shirt from 100 other male guests who looked like carbon copies of each other in formal dinner suits.

For a morning tree-planting ceremony in a park he chose a gaily patterned shirt in blues, oranges and grays that was perfect for his impromptu dance with musicians in tribal dress.

"Mr Mandela was a very sleek dresser before he went to prison and when he got out of jail in 1993 he started to identify himself with the people," his stylist Yusuf Surtee told Britain's Sky television.

"Lots of people in South Africa, the underprivileged, were not wearing suits. They were wearing shirts."

But it wasn't until a trip to Indonesia in September 1994 that the style took off. "He decided that if they can wear it in Indonesia "I can start it in South Africa,'" Surtee added.

Mandela told him he wanted a shirt that was colorful, long with slits at the sides and comfortable. Such shirts have now become his trademark.

Mandela does wear suits when the occasion calls for it, such as a meeting with Queen Elizabeth and for his address to parliament yesterday.

Asked if he thought British politicians would adopt the less formal attire, Surtee replied: "I don't know it they have the guts to do that."