Socks, not shoes, make the man

Franklin Roosevelt's trademark grey fedora would not look out of place on readers' heads.

Ah, to be able to bring back some of the "olden" male fashion items, In fond remembrance of things past (October 11). I, for one, am trying to do my part. Unlike Mr Jabri-Pickett, I believe the fedora should be brought back and I wear one every time I go outside. I have dress fedoras, semi-formal fedoras and casual fedoras. All have their place and I enjoy wearing them. Some find it odd, but others are intrigued and have asked where they can buy their own, to the point that I have thought of starting a hat shop. You are bang on, however, about watches under cuffs, crew neck undershirts, the pocket square, the tie clip, the pocket watch (with or without the fob) and cufflinks. I am conflicted about the tie bar and the waistcoat (it is classy, very classy, but it has its venues). And, as all good critical readers, I think you missed the boat on the spectator shoes, something I just haven't been able to add to my wardrobe. You also missed one key element of any well dressed man: the shirt stay. The smallest of accoutrements, one that is never seen but that keeps your socks up and your shirt tucked in. No, not sock suspenders but rather "garters" that connect the shirt tails to the socks and keep you looking neat and proper at all times. Male sartorial elegance seems to have faded. I long for the days in which it reappears as I believe it helps men act as gentlemen and ladies swoon. Steven A Brown-Cestero, Dubai

Farooq Leghari has written a thoughtful column, They're buying my country's sovereignty for $7.5 billion (October 11). I might applaud him for being courageous enough to dismiss his prime minister and party leader during his tumultuous tenure as president: a rare feat in Pakistan's history. I might also applaud Nawaz Sharif's show of guts in dismissing three army chiefs, as well as his surprising ability to re-enter politics after his last, unsuccessful sacking of Pervez Musharraf.

However, I see his claim that Pakistan's sovereignty and self respect are being undermined as nothing more than lip service. Pakistan has not had any sovereignty to lose since the first military coup in 1958. That takeover wedded our "babu" establishment to the whims of American foreign policy. Short of a revolution or geographical restructuring, the worst that will result from this US aid package, as always, is a revision of the official bill and a set of unofficial agreements to appease the Americans. If Pakistan had true self-respect, we would restructure our debt, offer special overseas remittances programmes, and build sensible business plans to attract foreign direct investment. None of this happened during the tenure of Mr Leghari, and it is not any more likely to happen now. Instead, we all get what we paid for. Athar Mian, London

I have only one question for President Leghari: was the country managed any differently when he was in power? Pakistani officials need to stop playing the blame game. Anwar Khan, Dubai

Introducing parking fees will not solve the problem, Parking meter amnesty extended in Abu Dhabi (October 11). There are simply too few spaces for the number of cars. The parking of taxis, buses and commercial vehicles should be in designated areas only and not in car parking spaces. Abu Dhabi needs a comprehensive transport plan that permits people of all incomes to rely on public transport instead of private cars. We need more buses, light rail, trains and boat services to Dubai. Car pooling should also be actively encouraged. Anita C, Abu Dhabi

This is a very important topic, Don't just fete films, screen them (October 10). The contribution and role of cine-clubs in the UAE needs more attention. But instead of actually having a look at the cine-clubs in the UAE and featuring them Kaelen Wilson-Goldie chose to write about her recent interview of Akram Zaatari and her work in Beirut, which she knows very well.

That's a pity, because off the top of my head I can think of two cine-clubs that do fantastic work here in Dubai and are gems of the local cultural scene. One is the Emirati filmmaker Nayla al Khaja's "The Scene Club" that shows a movie once a month in the Dubai Knowledge Village. And the other one is the famous "Mahmovies!", the brainchild of yet another celebrated filmmaker, Mahmoud Kaabour, and held in collaboration with the Jamjar gallery in Al Quoz.

Mahmovies! happens twice a year and the next session is in early November. There's no website for it yet, but there is a Facebook group. MK, Dubai