Financial hubs, such as the Dubai International Financial Centre, tend to develop their own culture and style, especially in men’s clothes. You can tell a lot about the place simply by looking at what men wear.
The global uniform for financial business for men is, of course, the two-piece suit. From New York to Hong Kong, financial professionals go for the jacket and trousers we know as the “lounge suit”, shirt and (sometimes) tie.
(My comments exclude the Emirati dishdasha, which in some respects is the cultural equivalent of the lounge suit, with a variety of nuances. But that is a different story for a different day. As is women’s wear, which is at least a book, maybe a trilogy.)
Two-piece suits are practical. They look smart and businesslike in a way blazer and trousers or jeans never can; it is the male equivalent of a woman’s handbag, with all those essentials – phone, wallet, keys, pen – in the pockets. In Dubai’s fierce air conditioning, the jacket is often essential.
Now, with the DIFC back in full swing, it is a good time to assess the sartorial status of the emirate’s financial centre. After discreet surveillance over the past few days, I can conclude that menswear there falls into three distinct categories:
THE SAVILE ROW. Despite its origins in London, this is the look of "masters of the universe" from Manhattan to Kowloon: sharply tailored two-piece made from fine wool, often with a silk mix. The trouser creases are there forever, the lining is silk, sometimes of a strongly contrasting colour to the dark grey, blue or black of the suit.
The shirt is white or light blue, the collar high, the tie of silk and usually knotted “goldilocks” style: not too big and too small. The shoes are black and polished to a high degree, invariably lace-ups. Buckles will do at a push, slip-ons too, but only occasionally. Any other colour is simply unacceptable, according to the old English prohibition on “brown in town”.
THE CITY CENTRE. Named after the mall in Deira, where this look is all the rage among sales assistants, it has recently found its way into the Gate district. Naturally, it's not quite as exclusive as the Savile, nor as expensive. It tries hard, but never quite gets there.
The off-the-peg stitching is not quite as fine along the margins, and loose thread often hangs; the trouser waist is either too high, sometimes almost under the armpits, or too low, beneath the bulging stomach. The crotch is either laughably low, or painfully high.
The tie is optional, and can be of any material or pattern conceiv-able, as long as it is left half undone. If it clashes violently with the shirt, that’s the look.
Shoes can be any colour, as long as they are scuffed and dirty.
THE GATE. This is the DIFC's very own style, and is reflective of the multicultural nature of the centre. There is a strong Levantine influence. It is here to stay, I believe.
The light grey/blue jacket is short and tight, never intended to be buttoned. The trouser band sits exactly one inch below the hips, and is held there by a wide leather belt of any colour. The shirt is slim-fit, of any material or colour, and, because the tie is prohibited, is always left with two buttons unopened at the top.
The shoes, like the City Centre, can be any colour, as long as they are shiny, and pointy.
fkane@thenational.ae
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