What to Wear in Plettenberg Bay — A Garden Route Summer in Linen
What to Wear in Plettenberg Bay — A Garden Route Summer in Linen
Warm days, a cool wind after dark, and the wardrobe that handles both.
Every December, half of Johannesburg seems to drive to the sea, and a good part of it ends up in Plettenberg Bay. The town on the Garden Route, a little over two hours' drive west of Gqeberha, the city formerly called Port Elizabeth, is South Africa's classic summer holiday address: wide beaches, a lagoon, a river, a nature reserve on a peninsula and a calendar of long lunches between Christmas and the New Year. One local fact shapes the packing. Summer here is warm rather than hot, with highs in the low to mid-twenties, and the evening wind off the Indian Ocean can bring a chill.
That is a climate made for linen, which is light by day and, with a sleeve rolled down, enough for a cool evening. The softer colours of the PP collection sit well against Plett's palette of white sand, fynbos green and grey-blue sea.
“A summer that ends with a cool breeze asks for cloth that can do two things at once.”
— Pieter Petros, founderRobberg comes first, because it should be done in the morning. The Robberg Nature Reserve is a rocky peninsula south of the town, with circular walks of different lengths, seals on the rocks below and dolphins often in the bay. The paths are rough in places and exposed to sun and wind. The PP Casual Linen Trousers in Oatmeal, with a Laos Long Sleeve Linen Shirt in Beige Cream and good walking shoes, protect against both.
Lookout Beach, a Blue Flag beach where the Keurbooms lagoon meets the sea, and Central Beach in town are where Plett spends its afternoons. The water is cooler than the Indian Ocean further north but swimmable in high summer. The PP natural swim shorts in Sapphire Blue are for the surf; afterwards, a Cuba Linen Shirt in Blue over PP linen shorts in White for the beach restaurant. On the headland above, The Plettenberg hotel looks out over both beaches, and its terrace is a classic spot for a late lunch.
The Keurbooms River is the quieter side of Plett: canoes, a ferry upriver through the gorge, and picnic spots on its sandy banks. For women, a swimsuit suits the canoe; the Linen Ladies Set in Lemon, blouse and shorts in one colour, waits for the picnic on the bank. The Amelia linen dress shirt in Dubarry suits the riverside lunch.
Inland, the Plettenberg Bay wine area has grown up over the past two decades, with cool-climate farms known for sparkling wine made in the traditional method and for Sauvignon Blanc. A tasting lunch on a farm terrace calls for something a little more composed: a Male Linen Shirt in Pink with PP Casual Linen Trousers in Sapphire Blue. A woman might wear the PP linen blouse in Sky Blue with a long skirt.
Evenings in Plett are social and, in December, busy: restaurants in town, braais at the holiday houses, parties at the beach clubs. When the wind comes up after dark, a Bliss Linen Shirt in Vanille and a light knit are enough. Those travelling on from the Garden Route to the Cape will find the next leg in what to wear in Cape Town.
Johannesburg and Cape Town both connect to Dubai, where Park Hyatt Dubai, The Lagoon Beach Club, Surf Club Dubai and Sofitel The Palm Beach Resort carry the collection.
Southern right whales leave the bay before the holiday crowds arrive and return in winter. Between December and February, the bay belongs to the swimmers.
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