By Lifestyle Editor
Photo: Courtesy of Cartier
An important aspect of a gentleman’s education and lifestyle has always been an appreciation for culture, which includes attending classy events. These classy places not only provide the opportunity to put on some classic tailoring but also the ability to immerse oneself in an atmosphere of refinement and good taste.
Here are GC picks for the top 10 classy places to visit this year, to level up your elegance journey:
Victor Goh, Raja Izz, Raja Ameer (Picture: @victorviktorvittorio)
1. Polo matches
In an outdoor game, the setting is so beautiful, the horses so majestic, and the players so festive in their full polo regalia that you can watch. The "game of kings" is a guaranteed way for you to meet cultured and polished people, who might share the similar values and outlook on life too. There are few tournaments in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya that you would not want to miss to attend this year.
GC Recommends: KL Polo Open (Malaysia), Snow Polo World Cup 2023 (St. Moritz), Singapore Urban Polo (Singapore)
Emran, Bon Zainal, Dato' Sufian Majid, Syed Ali (Picture: GC)
2. Evening Balls
To attend some of these evening balls you have to be invited by the magazine editors or have some connections with the high-society. Some of these balls are the debutant balls which are a little bit old-school but they still take place today. You may hear of a few of these annual events taking place in KL this year e.g. Ambassadors Ball, Gentlemen Ball, Year End Ball. These are polished events which allow you an opportunity to dress-up in a sharp tuxedo and have an unforgettable memory.
GC Recommends: STYLO Gentlemen's Weekend (To be announced), The Stars Ball (Paris), The Grand Ball of Monte-Carlo (Dubai)
Kavitha Sidhu and Roberto Guiati (Picture: @themeliumgroup)
3. Auctions
There are numbers of auctions held monthly in KL, some selling fine-arts, jewelry, and properties. On top of immersing yourself with rare items, these are the places to make new friends with intellectual, creative and sophisticated people.
GC Recommends: Henry Butcher Malaysian & Southeast Asian Art Auction (Malaysia), Sotheby's Auctions (worldwide)
Nina and Raja Izz (Picture: @izzud)
4. Art Gallery
Visiting art gallery is one of the best way to increase your intellectual curiosity, imagination, and cultural sophistication. Looking at art not only forces you to create meaning and solve puzzles. It also creates unsolvable mysteries that you will carry throughout your life.
Take “The Mona Lisa” by Leonardo Da Vinci. What exactly does Lisa's smile mean? No matter how many times you see this painting, it still mystifies. The enigma of surrealism persists precisely because it resists meaning.
And yet, we can continuously connect to the enigma and try puzzling out new meanings even if we know we’ll never come to a conclusion.
GC Recommends: Van Gogh Alive (Malaysia), Donatello: Sculpting the Renaissance (London), Michelangelo and the Consequences (Vienna), Art Basel (Hong Kong)
Picture: @oldmoneyculture
5. Opera
Cheerful people all around. Old ones full of knowledge and young ones full of class. Stunning girls strolling around in their dresses and high heels. Men in suit and dressed to the nines. Not as popular in Malaysia yet, opera is still one of Europe’s sophisticated hobbies. The peoples you meet there are some of the most cultured and sophisticated beings you can come across.
GC Recommends: Grand Gala Concert – Operrisima (Malaysia), Kings & Queens of the Opera (Singapore), The Magic Flute (London), Opéra Gala of La Traviata (Monaco)
Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake" Ballet (picture: Jack Vartoogian/Getty Images)
6. Ballet
For over a century, countless people across all cultures have included seeing ballet on their list of must-have experiences. With its passionate story, sumptuous score, and iconic choreography, it’s no wonder that ballet continues to captivate audiences and creatives alike. You could say that celebrated ballet like "Swan Lake" holds a secure place on humanities’ cultural “bucket list.”
GC Recommends: Ballet Illuminations (Malaysia), The Sleeping Beauty (London), Cinderella (London)
Tengku Irfan (picture: @tengkuirfanofficial)
7. Classical music events
There’s a sense of grandeur, epicness and satisfaction that only listening to a symphony or a longer piece of classical music can give. We are not going to lie; we can get bored listening to classical music and the entire program or piece is almost never completely engaging to us, but that’s okay. Because we know there are those few magical moments — when the orchestra crescendos to that monumental peak, or when the musical is so light and transparent that it almost disappears, or that one solo that make us hold our breath — that will give us goosebumps unlike anything else. And it’s those moments that stick with you, that lodge themselves deeply into your consciousness and become new core memories.
GC Recommends: Happy Birthday Rachmaninoff (Malaysia), Melur The Musical (Malaysia), Paul Lewis Plays Mozart Piano Concerto 25 (Singapore)
Jane Attaskulchai Deen and Danial Deen Isa-Kalebic (Picture: @janetira)
8. Michelin star restaurants
Food-lovers are always in for a treat when visiting a Michelin Star Restaurant. There is a difference between expensive restaurants and classy restaurants. Gents, you want to find yourself attending the latter. The elegance journey is not about looking rich. It is about placing yourself in a classy environment that will allow you to reflect the heritage while meeting the right people. On top of that, these kind of classy establishments allow you to appreciate the food and wine without the noisy distractions around you.
GC Recommends: Dewakan (Malaysia), Jaan by Kirk Westaway (Singapore)
Hann Khalil at Annabel's Private Members' Club.(Picture: @hannkhalil)
9. Private members club
Private members clubs are no doubt the crème de la crème of society. The kind of peoples that are member to this club are typically sophisticated and polished. These are the kind people that you want to associate with. However, please note that the membership to these clubs are not cheap and some of them can be incredibly difficult to get into.
GC Recommends: Royal Selangor Club (Malaysia), Annabel's (UK)
Oliver Cheshire and Pixie Lott at Wimbledon (Picture: Getty Images)
10. Tennis clubs
The friendships you make playing this elegant sport is are strong. You’re bound to meet like-minded people seeking to improve their physical and mental health, and challenge themselves every time they step on the court. Tennis friendships make you a better person.
GC Recommends: KLGCC (Malaysia), Wimbledon 2023 (UK)