2026 election day fashion… It’s not the Durban July [PICS]

Outside the colourful party gazebos, or lack thereof, voters were not particularly interested in wearing their political hearts on their sleeves. Forget dressing up for democracy. Election day fashion was more about dressing down, with shorts, slops and T-shirts dominating the un-catwalk-like queues as voters braved temperatures of around 30 degrees to make their mark. It was definitely not the Hollywoodbets Durban July. In fact, the biggest fashion accessory of the day was undoubtedly a cooler box, often accompanied by a camping chair or two. Standing in a queue for hours under a baking sun is hardly anybody’s idea of a good time, and those who came prepared were clearly onto something. The only people who seemed to have received the memo about dressing for an occasion were the politicians. While candidates and party representatives turned up looking ready for a cocktail party or business meeting, voters appeared more suitably dressed for a braai, a shopping trip or an afternoon around the swimming pool. There was hardly a high heel in sight. Women opted for strappy tops, slacks, shorts and sandals, while men favoured golf shirts, T-shirts, chinos and takkies. Shockingly, there was even the occasional khaki shorts and shirt combination. Some looked as though they had popped out between business meetings, while others appeared ready to head straight home, light the fire and crack open something cold. Which is kind of what everyone wanted, from early on. It was hot, damn hot! LIVE interactive map, latest news, multimedia and more! View Map Slops, tees and even khakis Election day fashion also seemed to have very little to do with political allegiance. Outside the colourful party gazebos, or lack thereof, voters were not particularly interested in wearing their political hearts on their sleeves. There were few party-branded shirts among ordinary voters, with the crowds instead resembling a rainbow of casual clothing. No particular colour dominated, unless sunburn red counted as a fashion statement. Some voters seemed to be conducting business on their phones while waiting in line, dressed in the sort of smart-casual attire that suggested the office might still feature somewhere in their plans. The younger generation looked equally unimpressed by the prospect of dressing up for democracy, with children in vests, T-shirts, shorts and takkies looking more prepared for a day of play than a visit to the ballot box. Dressing up is for politicians and Kardashians There was something rather South African about the whole spectacle. An election might determine who runs a municipality for the next five years, but it certainly wasn’t going to interfere with plans for a lekker afternoon off. Voters looked as though they had every intention of making their mark and then getting on with enjoying the rest of the public holiday, whether that meant heading to the shops, firing up the braai or cooling off in the pool. Democracy didn’t need designer labels, except if you’re a Kardashian or a politician. It needed people willing to get off their backsides and brave the heat, because when it comes to election-day fashion, the trendiest thing anybody could wear was a freshly inked thumb.