Here in Muscat, Oman, there aren’t dress-hire shops for men. Any chap wanting a dinner suit, tux, etc (even Red Sea Rig/Gulf Rig/Schooner Rig etc) has to own his own. Local Omani Arabs tend to tosh up in their best white dishdasha Arab gown with dark ornate gold-embroidered, gauze-like coat worn on top, fancy turban, silver waist-belt with ceremonial Khanjar dagger and best sandals.

My plan for a dinner suit is first to look at menswear shops which tend to sell French and Italian prêt-a-porter suits (the other is Indian ready to wear suits which aren’t anything like the quality – plus they don’t have Indian-made p.a.p. dinner suits etc). Half-expecting no luck, I will drive into Ruwi (which is a bazaar-like maze of streets, heavily-Indian influenced part of town) and go to an Indian tailor we’ve used to make everyday trousers for me, armed with my detailed requirements and of course my son. I’ll check out his materials, if needs be look elsewhere for materials too. I presume it will take a few fittings during the process. Should I buy the shoes first to ensure that at the fitting the trouser cuffs lie properly on the shoe ?

A couple of details which I’m thinking about ? Horizontal or sloping pockets ? Pocket flaps or no ? Jetted pocket slits instead or as well as pocket flaps ? Hugo Boss trims his jetted pockets with narrow silk edging. Idea or not ? Box-style jacket or waisted ? Front darts or not ? Vents – none ? centre ? sides ? What length of vents if used ? What sort of panelling to back and sides ? Trousers – pleated front or plain front ?

The more I think about it, the deeper it gets !