Every area code needs its dress code

First Lady Margaret Kenyatta meets Pop singer Madonna

Madonna was in Kenya early last week for a humanitarian mission. How she alternated her dressing, wearing different clothes for different area codes, just goes to show that her handlers did their homework beforehand.

While visiting the First Lady, Margaret Kenyatta, the Material Girl cut, from head-to-toe, a personable presidential figure.

Her hair was combed down, makeup and shoes not over the top and her floral chiffon dress was neither too short nor too long. It did not show a sliver of skin, and yet it was not matronly.

She kept it simple, but still slayed it. The Mirror reported that, “bare-faced Madonna strips back usual glamour as she meets the First Lady of Kenya.”

This dress code was, if you may, un-Madonna-like. She knew she was in the country, not to sell concert tickets, but causes that are near and dear to her ticker.

As far as dressing is concerned, a celeb should have a “split personality.” This trait comes in handy if a celeb is multi-faceted, and doing humanitarian missions in underprivileged communities is one of their regular gigs.

Former Miss World Kenya Cecilia Mwangi is adept at this sartorial balancing act. While on a jigger-removing assignment, she dresses for her caregiving role, not for the red carpet.

She knows how to clothe and carry herself in different settings. And she knows that, while on a humanitarian mission, it takes just one “wrong” accessory — or foot — to come off as snobbish.

Playing suave

Same applies to Madonna. In Kibera, she was dressed down, but she was not shabby. She must have taken the sensibilities of “Kiberans” into consideration before she stepped out of the presidential suite.

When Senegalese musician Akon visited President Uhuru Kenyatta at State House in 2014, the star wore a three-piece suit.

Akon could have worn tee-shirt, jeans and sneakers. After all, he is the Akon. But he chose a formal look. He was not playing it safe; he was playing it suave.

Akon, just like Madonna, knew he was coming to visit a Head of State, and he had to look commanding, monarchic, regal and imperial. Which are all synonyms of presidential.

 And you cannot be all that if you are sagging your trousers. Or you are showing too much cleavage.

Madonna and Akon are A-listers. They have glam squads, who make sure that not a single strand of hair is out of place. Before she hopped on her jet to come to Kenya, they knew her itinerary, and had appropriate clothes lined up for each date.

Various aspects

A celeb cannot be perfect in everything. Big hitters in the entertainment industry know that specialisation saves them time, face and money. “Teamwork” is why Madonna looked understated yet chic while she was hanging out with the ruling class in a ritzy address.

And, when the camera lenses captured her again, she was blending in with plebs in the ghetto.

The most common mistake many of our local celebs keep making is that they want to be all-rounders. They want to do their music or standup comedy, and, at the same time, do their makeup, management and every little thing in-between.

They think it is a waste of money to let experts handle various aspects of their brand.

With such an attitude, faux pas are bound to be common occurrences. That is why you will see a celeb dressed to the nines, but for the wrong gig.

The other mistake is that some celebs do not know that there are different dress codes for different area codes. This point has been belaboured, but for musicians, attire used when shooting videos are not to be worn in public.

“Video clothes” are not Sunday best. Ideally, these costumes should remain in the celluloid realm or in a music museum. When a musician is seen in his/ her “video clothes,” people think the musician’s wardrobe is wafer-thin.

And when a celeb is invited to formal functions, he should ditch the jeans and sneakers. Suit yourself up. There is a time for show, and there is a time for business.

Unless your dress code is selling what you stand for or you belong to the clergy, follow protocol when you get a royal invite.

Knowing what to wear, when and how is a fine art that many local celebs have not yet mastered.

International A-listers have chockfull calendars. They have long to-do lists, and are short on time. So they delegate their wardrobes to experts, which lets them to concentrate on their art ... and looking fabulous.