Charles Pants in Blue Stripe Sand or following the dust and

or following the dust and noise of the Dakar Rally as it tears across sand and scrub where machinery

By midday the ride pushes inland

and the plan quietly disappears

Built for motion through the highlands of Uzbekistan

zipped against morning air

Charles Pants in Blue Stripe Sand or following the dust andCharles Pants in Blue Stripe Woodstock, Cape Town, just before the ceremony starts. The street is louder than expected. Music drifting from somewhere nearby, people stepping between cafs and old brick warehouses dressed sharper than usual. Jackets come off early. Shirts stay tucked. The Charles Pants sit high on the waist, holding their line as the afternoon stretches on. This is formal without stiffness. Standing conversations turn into long ones.