The APEC summit gives world leaders a chance to play a little dress-up and trade-in their typical business suits for the traditional wear of the host country.

This year it’s in Singapore and we’ve got a description, but no photos yet, of what the leaders will wear for the group shot on Nov. 14.

Long-sleeved linen shirts with mandarin collars for the men, and a V-necked blouse with elaborate embroidery and lace for the women will be sported by President Barack Obama and the leaders of the 20 other nations attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit next month.

This year’s outfit was created by local Singapore designer Wykidd Song, the Straits Times reported, and is inspired by the Peranakans,  a local term for the descendants of the Chinese who settled in the Malay Archipelago from the 17th century.

“The Peranakan culture is a rich blend of the Chinese and Malay cultures with some influence from the Portuguese, Dutch, British, Thai, Indian and Indonesian cultures as well, ” the Singapore Tourist Board says on its web site.

And there’s a choice of color –  blue, red and green.

Some of the world’s most powerful leaders don some of the world’s most distinctive outfits at the annual APEC group photo shoot.

At the 2008 meeting in Peru, they wore traditional ponchos, and other years have featured long silk tunics or leather jackets.

PHOTO CREDITS: Bush in poncho, REUTERS/Pilar Olivares; Bush, Putin, Hu in traditional Vietnamese outfits at 2006 APEC summit, REUTERS/Reinhard Krause.