As clothing challenges go, packing for Davos is up there with ... I don’t know. Maybe those work trips that cross northern and southern hemispheres (ie, climate zones)? A presidential inauguration? Christmas at Sandringham with the Duchess of Cambridge? Actually, I think this is more complex. It’s certainly the most complicated dressing challenge I have faced (and I’ve had a few, such as how to dress for Nobel ceremonies that last a few days, or a dinner meeting with a head of state, or even to deliver a keynote speech in Hawaii).

Consider the problem: five days, thousands of world leaders, global opinion shapers, politicians, bankers, business professionals and royalty (some gangsters too), all with average age, IQ and median income at least two standard deviations above the average; below freezing temperatures, heavy snowfall and a schedule that includes sessions, panels and introductory meetings that take place every 10 or 15 minutes.

There is no leeway for recovering from a bad first impression.