Old school is evidently not so cool anymore when it comes to soon-to-be Xhosa initiates in Grahamstown.
Old school is evidently not so cool anymore when it comes to soon-to-be Xhosa initiates in Grahamstown.
Local clothing retailers have noticed that the tweed caps perched atop red-ochre faces and checkered blazers of yesteryear are losing popularity.
Nowadays it's all about the latest fashions and wearing expensive brands, says the manager of High Street clothing shop City Fashions, Denis Narsar.
Young people are neglecting the traditional dress codes required around the time of initiation, he said. "They don't buy the usual kit of formal checkered jackets and shirts and the diced jerseys," he said, "but are now focusing more on the expensive tight denims and slim fits."
While in the past he always knew what sort of items to stock, Narsar has had to adapt to more modern tastes in recent years. Otherwise many initiates opt to browse in shops like Truworths and Markhams where they can buy the latest trends.
Another shop owner in town who asked to remain anonymous says he has witnessed fights between parents and their sons about their outfits of choice and how much they cost.
"The boys have become revolutionary in their choices and are neglecting the customary and traditional attire," the shop owner said. "It's just a matter of time before they start to wear shorts."
He said some boys throw tantrums and storm out the shop when they don't get what they want. He says the modern aspirations of young people don't always gel well with their parents' ideas of the symbolic passage to manhood.
Gloria Fete, a mother of two initiates, said she never gave her sons the opportunity to get fancy ideas and just did the shopping for them. "The idea was also to make sure that they wear the kit required by the tradition," she said, "and do away with the slim fits and skinny jeans as well as colour blocking."
Fete said parents are paying dearly as their kids opt for expensive brands at their expense. Luto Malingo, a fashion student and designer at Walter Sisulu University, says because bright colour blocking is all the rag, traditional muted colours could be kicked off the shelves for good.
"We can't blame them because time changes and fashion changes as well," Malingo said. When the boys come back from the mountains as men people can expect to see them in brightly-coloured fashionable outfits this initiation season, he said.
