MUNITY-East

By Emily Tang, International Bilingual School at Hsinchu Science Park 

Resolutions filled with Times New Roman font and red annotations. Busy delegates debating current issues central to today’s society. It’s easy to see how delegates could get completely lost in the serious and intellectual side of Model United Nations. However, a glance around any MUN conference will show you this is not the case. With every conference come delegates who know how to dress, mastering the art of blending formality with fashion. 

Have you ever wondered how some people manage to look fashionable and professional at the same time? Here are some tips:

Girls:

Fashion comes with character. Flaunting a suit with well-fitting curves or wearing a colored blouse that differs from your typical white button down can give an outfit some spirit. You can also add a feminine touch by using accessories, such as bright scarves or sassy purses. However, be sure not to over-accessorize: too much is never too good.

Finally, heels. Nobody can deny them -– they give your outfit charm, class, and a few extra inches. In regards to the height, usually 2 to 3 inches heels are appropriate. That being said, if you know you’re going to be on your feet all day, flats are always an option—you can be chic without the pain!

Guys:

The easiest and most universal way for guys to dress with style is to keep it simple and to stick to the basics of “business-casual” dress. That is to say—leave the shorts and cargo pants at home. A possible combination sure to work is a well-fitting shirt paired with flat-front pants made of cotton or microfiber.

One addition you may not have considered is a vest. Not only does layering look stylish – it’s also practical. Inside the air-conditioned conference rooms you can keep it on, and just as easily take it off when you step outside into the sweltering streets of Singapore. To finish it off, a simple pair of brown, navy, or black dress shoes will do the trick.

If you’re overwhelmed by all this information – don’t feel like you have to follow all of it word-for-word. Remember, the best accessories are confidence and a dazzling smile!

By Megan Song, Korea International School / Art by Sujin Jun / Layout by Wei-Wei Lin

Exuberance made a comeback this year at THIMUN’s dance party on Friday, November 26th. Although invitations to the party were sent out to all THIMUN participants at the same time, many delegates had different thoughts about the invitations. Delegates and press members who have attended the previous dances reflected on the important aspects of the party.

The venue. “They hold it in the same place each year – in Orchardville green. But I find that inconvenient,” Phyu Phyu Myat Kyaw from the Advisory Panel adds, “I attended the dance 2 years ago. I just remember it was crowded and hot.” Jeffrey Yau, from General Assembly 5 had similar sentiments but expressed them differently saying, “the venue was alright, although it was crowded.”

Venues were not the only disputable issue among participants. Some prepared fancy dresses and tuxedos, such as Anastasia Sherchuck from General Assembly 5 “I prepared a dress. It’s black and it has white in the middle. Others have commented that the dance is more of an informal event, so a black vest and a shirt would be good enough.

It is this mixture of contrasting opinions, views, and interpretations that define THIMUN. Even regarding the most enjoyable event, MUN-ers refuse to think identically. Even the dance party itself evoked opposing sides: “Everybody is required to go,” remarked Phyu Phyu Myat Kyaw from Advisory Panel. On the other side, Crystal Lee from Security Council said, “Our school decided not to go.” Her school, Shanghai American School voted against attending the dance. With only one vote for going, a united decision was ‘to stay’ and enjoy another night of shopping and good food.

Amidst normal preparations for Friday’s dance, MUN-ers did not fail to abandon their analytical mindset. The need of unification, such as acting as a school, also played a big role in preparing for the party. In whichever way each participant prepared for the dance, the dance was a necessary break after all the hard work.

By: Jessica Chang, Korea International School

“I don’t do fashion. I am fashion,” (Coco Chanel quotes). Many delegates of THIMUN-Singapore faithfully follow this quote and successfully manage to show up to the conference looking fancy and chic. While some display themselves with familiar black blazers, white dress shirts, and black dress shoes, bright-colored dresses or colorful blazers were spotted as well.

Take Sarah Munoz (Lycee Francais de Singapour), a delegate of Mauritius in GA2 ; she wore a voguish beige dress shirt with matching brown pants. It was as if her clothes were meant for the conference because they did not stand out too much, nor blend in too much with other delegates’ clothes. “I think most people here are generally the same– fashion-wise,” says Munoz. Therefore she decided to contrast this, saying the “conference will be boring without any colors.”

As with Munoz, Tina Huang (Shanghai American School), a delegate of Senegal in GA5, hints that being fashionable is definitely a fun part of MUN conferences. She also states that people can take advantage of dressing up because they can’t really wear trendy dresses to school. “I am particularly aware of color-coding,” but “I don’t have much taste in clothes. I just wear whatever looks good in the morning,” Huang remarks. Her gray flower ribbon and gray skirt surely looked a la mode. That goes for Aaron Pu and Eugene Quillin, delegates of India in ECOSOC, from International School of Beijing. They did not spend two hours in the morning looking for the perfect outfit; they just picked outfits that looked “right”. In addition, Quillin mentioned that they just have a good sense of style–”fashionable in general.” Aaron decided to wear a blue dress shirt under his blazer because it was “uncommon” and he did not want to be camouflaged with the dark attire of other delegates.

As everyone knows, THIMUN-Singapore is not all about fashion. However, a little bit of fashion adds spice to the conference. And why not look up-to-date? Looking trendy will never die.

By Kayla Justice, International School Ho Chi Minh City

Sophistication spreads from language to technology and, of course, to fashion in this year’s THIMUN-Singapore conference and it shows. Regardless of whether it’s displaying designer brands such as Gucci, Channel or Louis Vuitton or, lesser known, not-so-designer logos, everyone has pulled together his or her best outfits for the occasion. Amongst the meeting rooms a select few have nailed ‘it’ factor.

Take delegate of Spain, Jane Woo, in General Assembly 1, who, sporting a chic grey dress complimented by a flowery-patterned scarf and belt, owned her outfit. Ms. Woo, the delegate of Spain fromthe Korean International School, remarked, “While fashion is not a big part of why I participate in THIMUN, as I gain more experience in MUN, I’ve realized that it’s not necessarily fashion that matters, but appearance. You should look clean, which helps you look professional, which gives you an air of credibility and having credibility makes people want to follow you.”

On a similar note, delegate of Sweden, Halah Ibrahim (Dhahran Ahliyya School), who also captured the essence of MUN professionalism with her tasteful sweater and outfit ensemble,thinks THIMUN participants should dress appropriately, seeing as we’re all, “here for a conference,” and “should look respectable.” However, ‘looking professional’ does not have to include a hefty price tag, also addressed by Halah, who, like many of us here, just, “took the stuff” she likes to make suitable outfits for this year’s conference.