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.

George W. Bush heads to Peru this morning for his last scheduled trip abroad as U.S. president. Accompanied by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, he will attend an Asia-Pacific summit in Lima, Peru, where he will seek support for global financial reforms.

The 21-nation APEC grouping accounts for nearly half the world’s trade. U.S. officials have rejected characterization of the visit as a swan song for a lame-duck president with record low approval ratings.

Back in a chilly Washington D.C., the country’s attorney general, Michael Mukasey, 67, was reported to be resting comfortably in hospital after collapsing while delivering a speech at a hotel in the capital.
Video showed Mukasey slurring his words about 15 minutes into his speech and then slumping forward onto the podium before members of his FBI security detail rushed to his side. The cause of his collapse has not been made public.

With Bush out of town and Congress not in session, the biggest news may come from fresh leaks on President-elect Barack Obama’s picks for the top jobs in his new administration.
The Washington Post said the leaks were challenging Obama’s famous ability to impose discipline and control over his presidential campaign. Obama plans to announce his foreign policy team after Thanksgiving on Nov. 27, according to a Democratic official.

The latest name doing the rounds is that of retired Gen. James Jones. Democratic party sources said he was the leading contender for the key post of White House national security adviser. Hillary Clinton remained on track to be named as secretary of state.

U.S. stock markets plunged to fresh lows on Thursday but Dow Jones futures were up on Friday, pointing to a rebound from the previous day’s losses.