“Event dressing” can throw the most shrewd among us off-kilter. Even for those few who attend enough events to dress in their sleep will find themselves aimlessly walking through a series of contradictions.
But what does it actually mean? You see, the term “smart casual” is thrown around all too often with a distinct air of nonchalance – it sounds ever so breezy, doesn’t it? Don’t be fooled, for there is a somewhat arched tone to the term that tends to suggest otherwise.
Surely if there was anything casual about the considered concept, there would be no need to send an email (or worse still, a “friendly” phone call) from an event organiser reminding us to pick up our game a little. A more honest approach? “I feel like I owe it to you to let you know that everyone else attending my event is going to be looking smoking hot, so try to keep up, OK?”
Dress codes, for most of us, often seem to be nothing more than a series of elephantine-sized traps. “Buy this, get rid of that, wear this, but heavens, not with that – although at least you won’t look like her.” Tiresome if nothing else.
What most of us really want to do in these situations is to fit in, to not make a scene. You see, as much as I preach about bravery and the importance of self-expression, I am fully aware that most of us don’t really want to set trends or make a sweeping statement. Let’s not forget: nobody really likes to be told what to worry about. We do that beautifully ourselves.
Firstly, if one wants to enjoy dressing for the occasion then feeling comfortable, or more to the point like yourself, is much more important than following any conceited rules that may be thrown your way. Assuming you have the basics covered – a good pair of quality shoes and bag – it is safe to splash out on one or two big-ticket items a season and wear the life out of them.
Forget about branding. If you don’t have the paycheque to go all-out on a designer wardrobe, one gaudy (obviously there for a purpose) piece is only going to suggest you have something to prove, or worse still, a complete a lack of self-awareness. Sticking a last-minute panicked neon sign in the window isn’t the right way to go. Instead, think subtlety with a twist – think non-threatening, yet well-considered taste.
The French do it well – clean lines, in black, navy, cream, white and occasionally a splash of orangey red – added touches coming from accessories such as scarves, stockings and jewellery. Your success lies in the presentation.
Don’t push things; you will only end up appearing slightly self-indulgent. Go for fabrics such as silk and linen. Not only are they comfortable and cooler for the climate here, but they also drape beautifully and flatter the silhouette.
Even if you have great legs, a few inches above the knee is plenty. As I said, you need to at least look like you have nothing to prove. Trousers are often replaced by a preconceived safer option (the dress), but cigarette pants or cut-offs will often set you apart as long as they are structured. Most importantly, keep things neat – hair, nails and make-up should be simple but absolutely done. Shoes are often the ultimate trip-up. Remember a shoe that does anything to inhibit a confident stride is a no. You absolutely need to walk like you mean it.
It is an obvious truism that knowledge is power. But self-confidence is gold. So refine your delivery. A calm, considered delivery is always better than trying to scramble together to be something you are not.
ktrotter@thenational.ae
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
The White Lotus: Season three
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Rating: 4.5/5
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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Dhadak
Director: Shashank Khaitan
Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana
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