They say that it’s the details in menswear that really count. Truth be told, grand statements are for the vanishingly small number of men who want to stand out, who think that being in fashion is more important than being stylish.
It’s an idea that, in 2013, many designers – brand giants with overheads and recessionary concerns especially – woke up to. The most readily adopted trend of spring/summer 2013, from the likes of Armani and Christopher Raeburn? The bomber jacket. And for those who wanted to go really radical: the baseball-style of the bomber jacket. It hardly quickens the pulse.
Shoes were classic, too – brogues, Oxfords – but this time around in suede, ready to be ruined by the season’s stylists’ preference for their catwalk models going sock-less, which made sense, for warmer climates at least, teamed with the continuing love of the ankle-skimming trouser, much to the horror of tailors.
Even colour, which the fashion world tries to revive for menswear every summer usually with limited success, was this time washed out. Muted pastels made many a shade sufficiently safe for the typical conservative male to approach, albeit in a 1980s way.
Only suiting, ironically perhaps given how most suits are worn in formally regulated settings, went for all-out, sunglasses-on dazzle. Paul Smith’s searing reddish-orange, single-button style was among the best.
Most would be more inclined to stick with the other key suit trend of the year, the very epitome of conservatism: the three-piece suit. Bank managers of the old school had never been more on-trend.
Whatever next? Tab-collar shirts? Men in fedoras? Well, yes. They were both favourites of the London Collections. Indeed, possibly the definitive trend of the year could be summed up as sartorialism: men manning-up in classic duds that would not have scared their granddaddies.
As far as the shock of the new went, the situation barely improved six months on, for autumn/winter, nor across the channel in Paris. Pattern was some of the biggest news, but, aside from its coming in blown-up proportions, remained essentially traditional. Even the likes of Raf Simons and Hedi Slimane, two of menswear’s progressives, stuck with enlarged madras, houndstooth or Prince of Wales checks. It was all so postmodern. There were nods to punk, too.
For this past wintry season, only a few of the capital D designer brands pushed the proverbial envelope. Dries van Noten borrowed a successful idea from womenswear of late to suggest wearing our pyjamas during the daytime could be one way ahead – you know how some men can’t be bothered to get dressed in the morning. While Dior Homme’s Kris Van Assche channelled sci-fi with the super-high-collared and high-waisted, Louis Vuitton thought lots of snow-leopard fur was the answer. Luxury still looks for success in excess.
But, if this all sounds like a complaint, it isn’t. The small things count, providing that the end result remains wearable, as so much of this year’s output was. It may also account for the year’s reappraisal of, and continuing appreciation, for so many clothing companies old and new renowned as makers of honest and solid products: Filson, Red Wing, Gitman, Alden et al; mostly American and in a workwear tradition. There’s a demand for the dapper, but also the dependable. The splashed cash is increasingly going on accessories – a wardrobe-reviving trick that women have long kept to themselves – or even on tech. Clothes, more and more, are what you wear to live in, not live through.
artslife@thenational.ae
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The specs: 2019 BMW X4
Price, base / as tested: Dh276,675 / Dh346,800
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged in-line six-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 354hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,550rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.0L / 100km
Fifa Club World Cup quarter-final
Kashima Antlers 3 (Nagaki 49’, Serginho 69’, Abe 84’)
Guadalajara 2 (Zaldivar 03’, Pulido 90')
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
Favourite Emirati dish: Fish machboos
Favourite spice: Cumin
Family: mother, three sisters, three brothers and a two-year-old daughter
BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
if you go
The flights
Direct flights from the UAE to the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, are available with Air Arabia, (www.airarabia.com) Fly Dubai (www.flydubai.com) or Etihad (www.etihad.com) from Dh1,200 return including taxes. The trek described here started from Jomson, but there are many other start and end point variations depending on how you tailor your trek. To get to Jomson from Kathmandu you must first fly to the lake-side resort town of Pokhara with either Buddha Air (www.buddhaair.com) or Yeti Airlines (www.yetiairlines.com). Both charge around US$240 (Dh880) return. From Pokhara there are early morning flights to Jomson with Yeti Airlines or Simrik Airlines (www.simrikairlines.com) for around US$220 (Dh800) return.
The trek
Restricted area permits (US$500 per person) are required for trekking in the Upper Mustang area. The challenging Meso Kanto pass between Tilcho Lake and Jomson should not be attempted by those without a lot of mountain experience and a good support team. An excellent trekking company with good knowledge of Upper Mustang, the Annaurpuna Circuit and Tilcho Lake area and who can help organise a version of the trek described here is the Nepal-UK run Snow Cat Travel (www.snowcattravel.com). Prices vary widely depending on accommodation types and the level of assistance required.
THE SPECS
Engine: 4.4-litre V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 523hp
Torque: 750Nm
Price: Dh469,000
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
