In a Manhattan restaurant on a Monday night, a group of visiting college students ate, drank and gabbed so loudly their lady companions looked ashamed to be seated beside them. Nothing was as disreputable, however, as their collective uniform of ratty baseball caps, oversized sweatshirts, baggy trousers and grimy trainers.
Around midnight, the mob was silenced with the snazzy arrival of Joe Jonas, one-third of the Disney-devised pop phenomenon the Jonas Brothers. In contrast to the rest of the male population that evening, Jonas came dressed in a leather jacket over a white V-neck shirt, dark denim jeans, black trainers and a brown leather strap watch. His date, the Brazilian model Jessica Pott, looked proud to be in his company.
Throughout the past year, Jonas has made it clear he was moving past his Disney days, not just through the launch of a solo music career, but also through his fashion choices. Not only did he get rid of his mop-top haircut and grew a moustache, he also replaced a daily wardrobe of graphic tees with a sleeker set of tailored suits, neutral-coloured shirts, designer denim and a quality selection of shoes.
Jonas, at age 22, exemplifies how editing one's wardrobe can overturn one's disposition - how dressing up is not an act of purely aesthetic preference, or of emasculation, or of vanity. In contrast, dressing well shows respect to one's companions and the moment being shared together.
Not that Jonas, or anybody for that matter, is secure against inconsistency. The very next morning, he strolled around the SoHo neighbourhood in an oxblood cable knit sweater and a fedora. If the outfit looked unique, it was only because it was absurd. Another lesson: editing one's wardrobe is a never-ending task.
Open your wardrobe and go through each piece, then get rid of anything that doesn't fit well or you haven't worn for more than a year. Assess what you're missing - a casual navy blazer, perhaps? Or a pair of jeans that fit perfectly?
Speaking of which, it was three years ago when I decided to chuck out almost a dozen pairs of jeans - cheap buys from the likes of H&M, Gap, Old Navy - and bought myself a single pair of selvedge denim from the Parisian brand APC. A pair costs around Dh750, which seems ridiculous - criminal, even - and at first I did shudder at the thought of such a purchase.
Three years on, though, and I still own only that one pair, which I wear at least three times a week. They seem to grow sturdier and more beautifully faded by the day. In short, cost-per-wear wise, a sensible acquisition.
So before you purchase yet another pair of board shorts or high-top trainers, make sure you first have the rest of your wardrobe basics in order. Is this athletic jacket a trend-driven purchase I will wear 10 times and then never again? Would three pricey but high-quality, crisp white dress shirts make more sense than buying five low-end ones each year? Make better decisions and you'll become a better man.
James Gabrillo is the assistant Arts & Life editor at The National
jgabrillo@thenational.ae
Uefa Champions League last 16 draw
Juventus v Tottenham Hotspur
Basel v Manchester City
Sevilla v Manchester United
Porto v Liverpool
Real Madrid v Paris Saint-Germain
Shakhtar Donetsk v Roma
Chelsea v Barcelona
Bayern Munich v Besiktas
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
SERIE A FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
Roma v Udinese (5pm)
SPAL v Napoli (8pm)
Juventus v Torino (10.45pm)
Sunday
Sampdoria v AC Milan (2.30pm)
Inter Milan v Genoa (5pm)
Crotone v Benevento (5pm)
Verona v Lazio (5pm)
Cagliari v Chievo (5pm)
Sassuolo v Bologna (8pm)
Fiorentina v Atalanta (10.45pm)
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ovasave%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20November%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Majd%20Abu%20Zant%20and%20Torkia%20Mahloul%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Healthtech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Three%20employees%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24400%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Set-jetting on the Emerald Isle
Other shows filmed in Ireland include: Vikings (County Wicklow), The Fall (Belfast), Line of Duty (Belfast), Penny Dreadful (Dublin), Ripper Street (Dublin), Krypton (Belfast)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff
By Sean Penn
Simon & Schuster
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
The biog
Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi
Age: 23
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing
Medicus AI
Started: 2016
Founder(s): Dr Baher Al Hakim, Dr Nadine Nehme and Makram Saleh
Based: Vienna, Austria; started in Dubai
Sector: Health Tech
Staff: 119
Funding: €7.7 million (Dh31m)
if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Seoul from Dh3,775 return, including taxes
The package
Ski Safari offers a seven-night ski package to Korea, including five nights at the Dragon Valley Hotel in Yongpyong and two nights at Seoul CenterMark hotel, from £720 (Dh3,488) per person, including transfers, based on two travelling in January
The info
Visit www.gokorea.co.uk
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5