I love this thread. Hunting is a want, not a need, and African hunting (as well as upland or driven birds) is the want of wants. I very much believe in dressing the part, since it's a big share of the experience and the romance of this delightfully passé activity. Of course, I believe that every hunter has the right to wear his favorite and most comfortable gear, but to me it's nice to give a nod back to days and times when wearing the appropriate elegant clothes for any occasion--very much including hunting--was the norm.
In the end, I think dressing the part is not unlike carrying a vintage rifle. It adds a lot of flavor and panache to an activity that *is* based on flavor and panache. Good thread.