Thread: Clothes make the man?

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Dandy march
Sunday Sentiments | Karan Thapar
September 12



Do manners maketh a man? Do clothes matter? Does the tie around his neck or the kerchief in his pocket say something about him? Or, in the case of Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Khurshid Kasuri, do his bejewelled cufflinks convey a hint of his personality? They may not be Van Cleef and Arpels but they’re certainly Lahori bijoux! My answer is a definite, if tongue-in-cheek, yes.

I first met Khurshid Kasuri in Washington early last year. I was staying with his Ambassador, Ashraf Qazi, an old and dear friend, whilst Kasuri was at one of the city’s better hotels. On my first morning Ashraf took me to his Foreign Minister’s for breakfast. As we walked out of his S Street residence and stepped into the ambassadorial limo Ashraf conspiratorially whispered in my ear. “You’re in for a bit of a surprise. I wonder what you’re going to make of Kasuri?”

“What do you mean?” I replied perplexed. Foreign Ministers, I assumed, were the same the world over.

“Wait and see”. Ashraf let his smile say the rest.

As soon as we walked into Khurshid Kasuri’s suite I realised what Ashraf meant. If clothes can proclaim a man they definitely do in this case. My eyes picked up three telling features : the Edwardian lapels on his waistcoat, the matching tie and handkerchief and the cufflinks. Actually, they were hard to miss. And if I’m honest Kasuri knew that as well. There’s no doubt he cut a dash but, I suspect, that was his intention.

“Well?” Ashraf asked after our four-hour breakfast. “What’s your verdict?”

As I pondered over my answer looking for the elusive bon mot, he filled the gap. “Do you know what they say in Pakistan? Others wear three piece suits, Kasuri’s are five piece!”

It didn’t take long to discover that Ashraf’s humour was not intended to mock but praise Kasuri. His striking sartorial style matched his open friendly personality. For if it’s the clothes that first catch your attention it’s the obvious sincerity of the man that soon takes over. It was the same last monday when he walked into the CNBC studio at 10.00 at night to be interviewed.

He made a grand entry and then proceeded to introduce himself. “The lamb is reporting for sacrifice!”

Kasuri has a large voice but to call it loud would be a misunderstanding. And, as his introduction revealed, he also has a sense of humour. However, what I had not anticipated was his laugh. As he guffawed over his own joke the taut atmosphere unwound. Soon we were all chuckling.

On air I asked him about the public display of differences between the two foreign ministers at their press conference earlier that morning. Was it proof that the peace talks were starting to unravel?

“Only if that’s how you want to see it” he replied. His smile seemed larger than before. “But what about the other view? If we can express our differences, even our disagreements, in a civilised and non-combative way doesn’t it show we’re beginning to understand each other? Isn’t that the first sign of progress?”

It was a good point but the closest Kasuri came to gloating was a little tug at his double cuffs. It made his jewelled cufflinks a shade more prominent. The sparkle on the diamonds did the rest of the talking.

Quite frankly, there’s a lot to be said for the dandy politician. Men who dress up like to impress. That usually means they also say and do the right things. In a foreign minister that has to be a virtue. To corroborate my point, consider the opposite : those who don’t care what impression they make also don’t worry about the memory they leave behind.

I would wager this is equally true of Mr. Natwar-Singh. Whilst no Beau Brummell he has his own distinctive sartorial style. Not just the white Nehru jacket with a natty kerchief but also the casual moccasins usually worn without socks. And oh, how could I forget, the affinity with Forster. It may be a bit of vanity but it’s part of the man’s attractiveness.

When I saw the two foreign ministers together I realised they share something in common. Though very differently attired, a clear and deliberate effort lay behind their appearance. Not contrived but cultivated. With men like them at the helm a new era has dawned. Gone are the hardships of the Dandi March. This is the age of the dandy parade!