The Clarke Gayford and Christopher Luxon guide to festive fashion

Mismatched couple fits are a Kiwi tradition, and what better time to embrace tradition than Christmas?

Attending the London premiere of Prime Minister this week, a “blissfully unaware” Clarke Gayford arrived in a leather flight jacket and scarf, looking markedly casual next to Jacinda Ardern’s Emilia Wickstead ensemble. It was enough to warrant a whispered spousal comment, with Ardern bringing the contrast to his attention “half a second before the shot was taken” and, later, an Instagram post as Gayford embraced his misstep.

And why not? Dressing down is The Kiwi Way. Gayford’s in the public eye more than most blokes. His attire has ranged from high-vis (for Moving Houses) and board shorts (on Fish of the Day) to smart, trim suits for more formal events. While he and Ardern usually share a similar tone, their recent “missmatch of outfits” [sic] is a common sight.

Similar photos will be taken around the country during December, of men with a “did I get this wrong?” look in their eyes. You can’t really blame them. With dressing down a cultural norm here, dress codes – even black tie dictates – are treated as a suggestion at best. Summer’s combination of heat and holiday mode relaxes standards further. Christmas Day raises the stakes. Some people dress to impress relatives or make their mum happy. Others seize the opportunity of a deserved day off, discard their lanyards and uniforms to enjoy their oldest pair of stubbies. Women will, because it’s a “special occasion”, put on lipstick and one of their nicer dresses. Depending on the task at hand, some default to muck-around clothes.

Many couples look like they’re attending completely different events. This was illustrated with striking accuracy in NZ Woman’s Weekly’s annual Christmas-with-the-prime-minister’s-family magazine spread in 2023. Christopher Luxon’s very plain, very white polo shirt was in stark contrast to Amanda’s glamorous, peach satin dress (which appears to be by Australian brand Zimmerman). His exact shirt seems to be out of stock – sorry! – but others by the same brand, R2 Amsterdam, are sold at Newmarket menswear retailer Eurostyle.

A stain-free polo shirt is, for many New Zealand men, an example of pulling out all the stops. During the festive season they can be found tentatively inspecting a partially cooked sausage, picking up more ice and hiding in the garage. Stretchy fabric facilitates having a lie down or putting your back out while playing cricket on the lawn. Barkers has more than 65 different polo shirts listed online, Farmers counts more than 100. If you’re lucky you’ll get a new one for Christmas.

In what could be read as a sign of political confidence and economic recovery, Christopher Luxon’s latest NZ Woman’s Weekly look is much less laidback than previous years. Outfitted in head-to-toe navy, he wore a collared shirt and dark denim jeans with a belt, loafers and bare ankles. This time the family’s casual flourish was delivered via son William, dressed in the requisite polo shirt and pair of very, very, very clean sneakers. New Zealand’s more recognisable men are often seen in clean, white sneakers. Dan Carter wears them to Louis Vuitton events, Taika Waititi wore some on the pitch at Eden Park; Nick Mowbray wears his with shorts while partner Jaimee Lupton is dressed in a miniskirt and high heels. There’s that classic Kiwi contrast again.

For this year’s festive magazine shoot, the women of the Luxon family wore heels and dresses. Similar items can be seen in marketing campaigns and online articles that surface aggressively at this time of year. There are SEO-calibrated headlines and a glut of red and ruffles, with the general implication that women will dress up. While some retailers go for “holiday” or “festive”, Witchery, Friday Flamingo, World and Annah Stretton all have explicitly labelled Christmas edits published online. Dedicated menswear collections are much harder to find (though Kmart has a patterned three-piece short suit for those looking to “turn heads”) with local retailers instead focusing on T-shirts, shorts and sweats.

But if it’s that classic couples look you’re after, here are some ideas.