Tailor-Made

In preparation for a night on the town, Tim and the boys had suits made. A month before the event we found a fabulous tailor down town. On the first visit, Tim, Simon, and Max chose fabric and style and were measured.  Tim chose a black Italian wool for a tuxedo. Max chose a charcoal cashmere made in the UK.  Simon chose a black pinstripe by Georgio Armani. Each one also picked cotton-silk fabric for a shirt.

The second visit was to try on the partially-made suit. The tailor, Philipe, was extraordinary.  Lisa especially enjoyed watching him cut fabric for a new item.  With huge scissors and no pattern, he created pants or a shirt or a jacket in just minutes. Philipe looked at each of our suits and made chalk markings in different places.  He actually ripped Simon's sleeves right off! It was a pleasure to watch him work so quickly and effortlessly.

In total we made four trips to the tailor for various fittings. It became something we looked forward to because there were always the most interesting people hanging out there! One night we met this Professor from Carnegie Melon University.  He was picking up some new bow ties and getting fitted for a new coat. We had a wonderful time talking with him. On another occasion there was a Qatari man having a suit made for his friend. We were all taken by the gorgeous cut of his thobe.

This past Saturday was the night we had prepared for. It was a black tie event for the Model United Nations program at Qatar Academy. Dinner and a Film Festival at the Grand Hyatt Hotel was everything we had hoped for. Delicious food, great company, and 9 short films made by students. The purpose of the event is to give students an opportunity to raise awareness about an issue through the medium of film. Topics included the protests in Syria, bottled water, migrant workers in Doha, victims of Japan's tsunami, and child labourers in Lebanon.