Formal Wear for the Big Man

January 17, 2016 3:10 PM

So my lucky, lucky husband has been invited to attend a party being hosted on a yacht in Dubai. He has no idea what to wear.

He is traveling there for business and also to attend the big healthcare expo the end of this month. The party is being hosted by a large, local healthcare provider and the only wardrobe guidance we have received is 'formal'- though we received that information through a third party.

We have no idea what he should wear to this event. Complicating things is that he is a big man and wears a 46" waist and a 20-34/35 shirt. He would prefer to NOT wear a suit. Any ideas?

posted by PorcineWithMe to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (12 answers total)

Best answer: Unfortunately, my best guess is that "formal" probably means a suit, especially since this is a business party and not being hosted by friends. A yacht in this context is not likely to involve a lot of spray or anything that would require more casual or durable clothing. That said, there's probably someone coordinating the party who would be happy to field this kind of question--was there an email address or a phone number of someone to RSVP to?
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 3:18 PM on January 17, 2016

Best answer: Formal attire means he should absolutely wear a suit, lest his hosts be insulted.

He could also don the traditional middle eastern djellaba or whatever local variant they wear in Dubai
posted by Kwadeng at 3:22 PM on January 17, 2016

Response by poster: No, local attire is out- the Emirati people are NOT impressed with foreigners donning their attire.
posted by PorcineWithMe at 3:24 PM on January 17, 2016 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I'd strongly suggest you find out for sure what the dress code is before making any decisions. But if it *is* formal, it will have to be a suit at the very least, possibly a tuxedo.
posted by cooker girl at 3:26 PM on January 17, 2016 [3 favorites]

Best answer: Formal attire is a very specific term, and it means at the very least a black suit plus tie. A tuxedo would not be out of the question and would be appropriate if you think the hosts are sticklers for etiquette/protocol.

There isn't really any way you can wear anything else without being out of place.
posted by saeculorum at 3:53 PM on January 17, 2016 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: I was hoping there was some kind of new formal style that didn't involve a jacket, but the answer is clear. Thank you all for your responses. Now off to find formal wear rentals in his size in Dubai.
posted by PorcineWithMe at 4:25 PM on January 17, 2016

Silk will be cooler than wool.
posted by brujita at 4:56 PM on January 17, 2016

I would find out more abou the dress code before you do something like rent a tux, because my experience with this kind of business party--especially if a lot of the attendees are not actually residents of the city--is that a lot of male business travelers bring a charcoal gray suit that is expected to serve for all occasions with appropriate changes in shirt, tie, cuff links, etc.
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 5:41 PM on January 17, 2016 [2 favorites]

Op, nowhere does it say that your husband is not Middle Eastern, hence my suggestion.

Now, I think a standard grey or dark suit with a nice tie should suffice and buying rather than renting seems to me the way to go as there are plenty of occasions for a professional to wear them.
posted by Kwadeng at 12:41 AM on January 18, 2016

A "standard grey" suit is not correct formal dress. He should wear either a black suit or a tuxedo, with a tie.
posted by Dolley at 7:59 AM on January 18, 2016

Best answer: A suit will be fine, it won't be uncomfortable as Dubai is cool in the evenings this time of year, especially near the water.

A "standard grey" suit is not correct formal dress. He should wear either a black suit or a tuxedo, with a tie.

Neither a tuxedo nor a black suit (god forbid) is correct formal dress either, if you're going to be precise about it.

In the context of attending a vendor party at a conference, whatever suit you're wearing in the daytime will be fine for this as well. Based on years of living in Dubai and years of attending conferences like this, when they say "formal" they mean suit or thobe (only for locals though!).
posted by atrazine at 9:24 AM on January 18, 2016

Response by poster: Thank you atrazine- that's exactly the info I was looking for!
posted by PorcineWithMe at 10:23 AM on January 18, 2016