With the possible exception of JFKs formal morning wear, it looks to me as if presidents have generally stuck to the dress code prevalent in politics/business at the time. The prime minister is an old Etonian. Judges of hatred and bitterness I despise you all. Id love to see someone wear proper morning attire for an inauguration. Im quite sure President Obamas tuxedo was made by Hartmarx. In fact, it was a dark blue suit that helped him pop during a. Why does the president always wear a blue suit? Not surprisingly it is people's favorite color.". Franklin Delano Roosevelt in a fur collar and polished top hat. "It really depends on the nature of the task.". While I would welcome a more interesting presidential wardrobe of course, I think its important that, as a symbol of the democratic nature of the office, the presidents wardrobe should stay well within custom accepted in parliament and in business. If the suit is black, he combines the white shirt with a black or burgundy tie. Just because he does it on purpose doesnt make it any better ;). He's a germophobe in the extreme. Their wives wore the reverse, with Michelle Obama in a red dress and Melania Trump wearing a powder blue ensemble. Obama -trousers too long. Jay-Z. Finely written article, as are all that I have read on this blog. Since its founding in 1818, the company has dressed 40 of the 44 chief executives that preceded Trump. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. I have one something like that which came from the J. Peterman catalog sp 20 years ago. Bidens break sits right at the top of his shoe, he said. I do not want to have to choose what I like or seen because I have many other important decisions to make. Truman didnt wear expensive suits, he wore his suits with elegance to fit his frame, and they looked extremely good on him. There are no good Comb-overs. From your list, it does not look at all as if the inauguration used to be much dressier. Being the president of Russia is no easy task. However, there is no excuse for the white tie in 2009 or 2013! Oh, sure, you might spot purple or yellow now and then, but those are clear statements of aloofness, be they calculated or careless. Always Wear The Same Suit: Obama's Presidential Productivity Secrets Tonight (Feb. 28), during his first address to a joint session of Congress, President Donald Trump wore a blue and white striped tie. Powered and implemented by Interactive Data Managed Solutions. Other than that, great article! Guidelines for Elders - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The President can and in my opinion, should dress more formally for these events, he is a representative of the people and represents the Unites States most visibly and should dress the part. The president does not love the image of him presented in the press. Their wives wore the reverse, with Michelle Obama in a red dress and . Formality appears to be lost to many in the modern era and this is the perfect event to return to it. Politicians want to appear to be rather like the rest of us. Does the president always have to wear a suit? . Why do presidents wear blue suits? - Wise-Advices Presidential flag pins: proving patriotism If you watch a modern presidential primary debate, it looks like pinning an American flag to your suit is a prerequisite for stepping on stage. If youre wearing a two-button jacket, you only button the top. What a contrast to previous Presidential families. At a yearly salary of $400,000 the president could certainly buy decent clothes, however I am not even sure he has to pay for his own clothes. JFK changed clothes at least three times every day. Reagan always dressed smartly in a clean cut suit that accentuated his shoulders. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Harry Truman had been a haberdasher, and was always nattily attired. I believe that this post is a discussion of presidential attire at the inauguration. With the presidential inauguration taking place on Jan 20, 2021, we thought it was an excellent opportunity to take a closer look at the suits and outfits worn by U.S. Presidents throughout history on their inaugural day.You will probably be surprised to see how the outfits developed over time. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Why do presidents wear blue suits? President Obama always wears the same thing. The message: RelaxI will look and behave the way Americans expect of a President. A slimmer, more detail-oriented fit reads more youthful and modern, while a larger and more relaxed suit, Fresh said, may speak to a different audience, but could also show a lack of confidence. Kennedy showed that elegance was no longer the exclusive property of the aristocracy. For more information about his wardrobe take a look at this post. A nice white crown fold pocket square finished off the look together with an American flag pin on the lapel. They can be aloof now. Bush, not George W. Bush. But repeating the same mistake today is just disappointing. Why does the President of the US always wear a blue suit? Dear Thomas, thanks for sharing your opinion. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Also, as I mentioned before, he famously chose Hartmarx for his clothes because it is both an American company and American made. A rich discussion here. As Washington Post columnist Tom Shales wrote of a televised Bush-Kerry presidential debate in 2004: "Bush wore his traditional blue necktie, though a darker shade than the usual robin's-egg hue, and Kerry wore the classic TV-red necktie; red ties supposedly lend color to the face of whoever wears them, and if there's anything the Massachusetts senator needs, it's color.". We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Instead of cramming the speechwriting process into tiny windows throughout the next day, the president utilized his night to get a head start. The world needs to embrace the beautiful, the dignified and charmed if to but contrast that which lacks it. With the arrival of Ronald Reagan in power in the 1980s, anew air of vibrant colors and sophistication shook the White House. HW is his father. Yet, appropriately for his in-between status, his dress didnt quite go full presidential. A study last year found red clothes on women makes men feel more amorous towards them. "He looks confident and, in my opinion, gives a look of readiness. We are all striving to become so in our personal lives. When Kamala Harris, Michelle Obama, and Hillary Clinton all show up wearing purple, it must mean something. Live Science is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. But the president tells Lewis he sticks to wearing blue, gray and black suits not out of a lack of style or adventure, but to save his mind for other decisions. In sports, athletes wearing red are known to outperform their opponents, in part because referees cut the red-clad competitors some slack, researchers discovered. In fact, he made it clear that elegance did not need to be named. Yes, I agree. How come there are no comments on Obamas trouser 5 inches to long and bunched, in addition to those aesthetically hideous shoes. I found this NYT article from 1981 interesting. All the emphasis is on fitting in. Frankly, when he announced his candidacy and I thought it impossible that the American people would elect as president a man with a bad comb-over, improperly tied neckties, and ill fitting suits which he never buttons. During his presidential campaigns he was seen with a more casual look of jeans and shirts, but in office, he has opted for an obligatorily more elegant image, based on classic two buttons. Only then did he go full presidentialsolid dark suit, white shirt with French cuffs, cuff links with some kind of crest, solid Democrat-blue tie, fiercely polished black shoes. The former President explained the logic behind this routine: "You will see that I wear only gray or blue suits. (Getty Images) Zelensky's attire garnered some criticism. I agree 100% with your summation. See his primary campaign videos same thing about 4 inches too long. Cajetan, we were not talking about dresses but how presidents dress in general. Its also the number one color to wear to a job interview and the applicants for president know that. The president laments the fact that his life no longer has any spontaneity, but says hes adapted. Whereas a more conservative, looser fit looks like he might be ready to go do something else.. In 2012, Ryan Lizza had a big scoop for the New Yorker: hundreds of pages of White House memos. The diplomatic protocol and the demands of the presidential dress-code leave a narrow margin of freedom to express themselves freely. I think this is perfectly fine at the inauguration, the president should arguably dress in the way that it is customary for statesmen to dress at ceremonial daytime occasions. Sven, apropos your comment about Trumps necktie being too long its pointing out what it seems hes most proudest of and with which he appears to do most of his thinking. Its divided into three distinct and clearly deliberate phases. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Thank you Cormac for sharing your opinion and for introducing the the individuals motives to this discussion. Neckties are said to be descended from the cravat and used throughout most of history, at least the portion during which humans have been fully clothed. Dark blue makes us feel like the person wearing it is smart, together, and trustworthy. Over at 99u, Sean Blanda supplies a case study: For example, after he won the Nobel Peace Prize, his staff submitted several acceptance speeches that Obama deemed unusable. He is a former editor-in-chief of Live Science with over 20 years of experience as a reporter and editor. One of the things you realize fairly quickly in this job is that there is a character people see out there called Barack Obama. Have you taken. Brooks Brothers has outfitted 41 of the 45 American Presidents, including Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, Herbert Hoover, Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump. This goes for the leaders clothes as well. "The presidency isn't about health and physical fitness, but Biden looks like a young man, like he could go toe to toe with anyone," he said. The last President to wear a morning coat was Kennedy in 1961, who, sadly, used a modern foldover collar. Pitiful trolls criticizing a giant. Washingtons women will surely continue to get the most attention for their attire, but keep an eye on the Presidents clothing. The button rule supposedly dates back to the early 1900s, when King Edward VII was too fat to button his bottom button, thus beginning the trend that holds true today. He seemed to be following a long-standing practice in the management consulting game: Dress like the clients, but a little better. The president constantly talks about how he watches ESPN and expresses frequent disdain for CNN, FOX, and MSNBC. It's also the number one color to wear to a job interview and the applicants for president know that. I am not sure whether Obama chooses his own clothes or if he has someone who does it for him. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Thats not you, the president said. Conclusion: