Looking cool is the fashion mantra

For 17-year-old Amir Hossein, an hour to get ready for school is not ‘unusual’.

Though his school uniform is usually a crisp white shirt and navy blue trousers, Amir said he needs to ‘(look) cool to fit in’. A dash of hair gel and a yellow wrist band are accessories he can wear along with the uniform without breaking school rules. However, for a night out with his friends, Amir says he makes sure he looks his best.

Youth in the UAE have access to some of the best brands and styles available in the market. They draw inspiration from the likes of trends doing the rounds in Saks Fifth Avenue, New York and fashion shows in Milan and Paris, after which they ‘mix and match’. Khaleej Times caught up with a few youngsters asking them about their fashion mantra. Some said that they dress to be comfortable and stylish, some dress to keep up with their peers and a few border on the outrageous.

Hossein said: “The weather here is hot most of the time (so) you can’t wear a lot of synthetic fibres... malls and retail outlets give you plenty of options in terms of good quality and price. I personally like clothes that are comfortable and sporty... most students have their individual style mantra.”

Indian national Prerna Sudhir (16) said that she wears clothes that keep her comfortable. “Kids in the UAE have an individual style, but they are trendy. There is a lot of attention given to brands,” she said.

However, Anupa Ajish (16) insists that there are a lot of kids who experiment with what could be labelled the ‘freak appearance’. “You see a lot of kids with multiple piercings, tattoos and strange gothic-looking clothes. But that is a very small number,” said Anupa.

Both girls said that most of the youngsters prefer wearing bright colours and wearing a mix of both Western and Asian styles. “I wear a pair of jeans, a T-shirt and pair it with a bright Indian style dupatta (drape),” Ajish added. Sudhir also said that since Dubai has a very active night life, a lot of students can be seen in club wear.

Sri Lankan national Tharusha Desilva (15) said: “I mostly dress to look good. The most I have spent is Dh300 on (an item) clothing. Trend wise, you see students experiment a lot here.”

However, Indian national Shashank Sharma (15) is under the opinion that expatriate students must exercise more caution when they pick clothing. “You see a lot of men and women wear clothes that are provocative. People must know that when you live in a certain place, you must respect the culture of the place,” said Shashank.

Cleone Lobo, a travel agent, said: “People here are very trendy. Very rarely do you see a shoddily dressed person. Clothes worn by the young are very funky and a lot depends on the season and current trends as well.” Adding to it, Natalie Monterio said: “You do see people with tattoos and several piercings, which too is okay. A vast majority tend to mix and match, because of the various cultural influences in this part of the world. People need to dress well just so that they can keep up with the high standards of the place.”

dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com