The Third Best Dressed Leader of All Time is Nelson Mandela

Third place for Best Dressed Leader goes to the well-loved and impeccably dressed Nelson Mandela.

Just about everyone knows Nelson Mandela’s name, although it’s not uncommon for those who don’t follow politics to not necessarily be familiar with the man and his career. The fact is, Mandela has one of the most storied pasts of any politician in history, and has truly been through a great deal of strife throughout his career. Bearing this in mind, the man also happens to be extremely fashionable, even well into his 80s. The importance of being well-dressed cannot be overemphasized for those who take on leadership roles, and Mandela clearly knows this quite well given the way he has dressed throughout his career. Consider the following aspects of Mandela’s look, all of which you might be able to actually incorporate into your own look depending upon how you tend to dress. Mandela is an innovator of big ideas and creative fashion ensembles.



The Mandela Suit

When it comes to Nelson Mandela’s fashion, a lot of people consider the look he embraced as a young man to be his most attractive. Indeed, Mandela looked nothing short of stunning in the suits he wore during his younger days, which were completely unique in their own right and didn’t look anything like what was being worn by his contemporaries. For example, the suits that Mandela usually wore tended to feature extremely wide lapels; wider, perhaps, than 90% of suits that can be found on the market today. This being said, the wide lapels worked perfectly when it came to framing Mandela’s silhouette, resulting in an exceptionally attractive look that would be difficult to recreate today. And Mandela knew how to accessorize a get-up with jazzy ties and perfectly folded pocket squares. Another leader who made it into our list of top five dressers for wearing the perfect suit is Kofi Annan.

The Casual Transition

A lot of people know Nelson Mandela’s look as being quite a bit different from the wide-lapeled suits he wore as a young man. Indeed, Mandela’s years as being an activist led him to wear much brighter colors that were symbolic of Africa, which can be seen in a great deal of photos taken throughout the second half of his career. Mandela’s penchant for bright, prominent colors helped to show his solidarity and prominence as an African, and many people consider them to be symbolic of the causes he stood for. Nelson Mandela has embraced a more casual yet stylish aesthetic through the years without losing his high level of sophistication.

Takeaways for the Modern Man

Modern men who are looking to take their style to the next level can learn quite a bit from Mandela. While the wide lapels that he wore in his younger days aren’t exactly in style any longer, a smart suit never does anyone wrong. Be sure to follow Mandela's example of accessorizing all your suits with patterned ties and solid colored pocket squares. If you’re more into the colorful pieces he is known for wearing, however, you can get a lot out of checking into the new 466/64 fashion line that has been directly inspired by Mandela’s look. While he may not be involved himself, you can rest easy knowing that the pieces were designed specifically to achieve the same look and feel of the clothing Mandela has been known so well for wearing. If you wish to read more, please take a look at our breakdown of Best Dressed Leaders.

If you ever wanted to compare opposites, we suggest reading our article about Muammar Gaddafi and his fashion woes.


Your Bows-N-Ties Team