Leaders get chance to sport the silver fern

By Catherine Masters

Here come the men in black - and Jenny Shipley.

They weren't the All Blacks, but the Apec leaders could have passed for a touring New Zealand sports squad as they donned the garments chosen to commemorate our hosting of the summit in the year of the Rugby World Cup and the America's Cup.

The official outfit for the Apec Leaders' Retreat in Auckland consisted of black woollen trousers, a black long-sleeved polo shirt complete with silver fern and a black sailing jacket.

The Prime Minister said the attire was an expression of the passion and strength of "Awe Black."

"It is contemporary in a fashion sense and is the colour proudly worn by all of New Zealand's leading sports teams."

She said the polo shirt, from Snowy Peak of Christchurch, was 100 per cent merino wool; the Line 7 sailing jacket was inspired by New Zealand's competitive edge in world yachting; and the locally made woollen trousers set off the outfit.

The essence of New Zealand pride was captured in the striking silver fern on the tops.

The outfit made Mrs Shipley proud - and stand out from the crowd. The only woman leader wore a black woollen skirt and a slightly different shirt and jacket.

And where the other leaders' jackets had a silver fern emblazoned on the left breast, Mrs Shipley's did not, allowing her to wear her favourite silver fern brooch on the right.

She said the leaders' attire "tells New Zealand's story: ambitious, competitive and proud - Awe Black."