thinking

aloud

How tHe tHobed tick...

he thing about Qatari men is, despite their big cars and rugged dune trips, when it comes to their thobes, they are as dandy as they Well driving all the way back home to Waab for a change doesnt quite make sense. Ta-da, the car is your refuge. The washing is done at home, reveals a young Qatari (of the orange spill fame) who with great amusement answered all my curious queries but the ironing is always done at the laundry. At a recent photo shoot, when great self-deliberation went into simply sitting on a bench in an open area, I couldn't quite figure out what the big deal was. Till a week later when I placed my white-jeaned derriere on a similar bench at Katara, only to drive straight back home to set right the brown patch. It's definitely not easy being in whites 24x7. No sir, it's not... Now, let's get to the ghutra. We have seen women spend HOURS in the Ladies' room adjusting their sheylas, to give it the perfect twirl, swish and drama. Apparently, the situation is no different in the Men's room, my man tells me. Have you ever seen a gentleman in a thobe pass his reflection on a mirror or a window, and not stop to adjust his headgear (preen)? See, what distinguishes one guy from the next is the fine detail. The brands he sports, the fabric he chooses ....and the way he wears his ghutra. The dandiest wear it slightly lop-sided; the akal (the black ring) placed at an angle, one side of the head scarf neatly placed across the head. The more serious 'I look perfect without any effort' - wear it straight. But the little pleat over the forehead will be just right. Two little curves. I personally prefer the red-white chequered scarf, but the plain white seems to be getting more popular I notice, while trawling the malls. The akal again is of different types its weave and weight vary, some have a very long pair of tassels, some dont. When we do shoots of people we interview, the women come already made-up, and at most will tuck in a few stray strands of hair into their headscarf. The men on the other hand will adjust their ghutra continuously "Rob, can I see the preview. Ha, ok. I think I need to..." It's a good thing that here in Qatar we are all casual about time, and we're always ready for some lighthearted vanity. There is even something charming about it. Especially if they won't think twice about rolling up their sleeves and tugging up their thobe to fix a flat tire. After all, what's a little grease or shawarma spill that the right kind of washing fluid and a quick change can't fix? By Vani Saraswathi

photography: rob altamirano

come. The cut is perfect not too tight, not too flowy. The cuff-links are carefully chosen Aigner or Piaget for example to match the Rolex or Omega on the wrist that holds the amber or jade prayer beads. The collar is starched and the pocket is adorned by nothing less than a Mont Blanc. The hem skims the ankle, no longer, no shorter... revealing pedicured feet in sandals, or in case of some, formal oxfords or brogue. And no matter what time of the day or night, the white is always milky (laundry tricks apart, the whiteness involves more than a couple of wardrobe changes through the day.) As a colleague pointed out, look at the SUVs of most Qatari men; it's their car... but it's also their portable wardrobe. Fresh from the drycleaners, several plastic-wrapped thobes hang neatly in the back seat. Though I have not witnessed this, it has been recounted more than once that a quick change in the backseat is quite the norm. Say, at the Four Seasons meeting there was a slight qawha accident, and your next meeting is across the road at BMW, or a rather clumsy colleague decides to give you an orange juice rinse.

74

Summer 2011