The London Lounge

Fifty years ago today John F. Kennedy was sworn into office as President of the United States. He and his inaugural party wore formal daywear and were praised for it. Today if the man who holds the most important job in the world were to appear in like manner he would be critized. In this span of time,roughly the professional life of one well dressed man,our nation has made such "progress". Our language is most excellent,our manners most impeccabe,our bodies most healthy.
I spent the years of my minority looking up to good men of rural America whose form reflected their substance. This reflection is seldom discernable even in the polite society of urban modernity. Of course the nation still has its good men but there is far too little manifestation of their goodness. I miss the old order and long for its return. This forum affords some hope.

Well said Rodes. We must also remember 50 years ago today JFK also took off his hat.

Best Regards,

Cufflink79

Somebody sent me this link about presidents and hats (on an unexpected blog):
http://dovbear.blogspot.com/2011/01/let ... about.html

This is an interesting feature on how the position has changed in Canada. Notwithstanding the sentiment, is bad formalwear better or worse than no formalwear?
http://themonarchist.blogspot.com/2007/ ... arper.html

It is obvious that JFK did wear morning dress to his inauguration (including a top hat - not a very good one, but nonetheless) and who on earth would make a speech actually wearing a hat? However, his general practice was to wear no hat. One unfortunate consequence of this is that modern Presidents (who also do not, beyond a baseball cap), wear hats, is that they return military salutes with an absurd, hatless salute.

However, some of my informed sources tell me that men's hat sales are increasing. I don't see President Obama buying one though, do you?

_DR wrote:This is an interesting feature on how the position has changed in Canada. Notwithstanding the sentiment, is bad formalwear better or worse than no formalwear?
http://themonarchist.blogspot.com/2007/ ... arper.html

Surely, bad clothes should always be avoided. If our political leaders can't even dress themselves properly, we should not be electing them: let them be put instead into overalls and set to work petrol (gas) pumps so that they can do something useful wih theoir lives.

Excellent website though - excellent.

Unfortunately we have to vote one of those who candidate or none at all...
I wouldn't really mind the fact that a president no longer wears morning dress even on formal occasions, not even the fact the he doesn't wear a hat, if I could see even a glimpse of personality, of character in his dress - anything really that is not strictly prescribed by his staff

No elected parliamentarians might be an attractive option; so long as there were a careful monarch with an efficient Household.

storeynicholas wrote: a careful monarch

They are born too rarely to rely on it

I must be getting old, I can remember when politicians had style! Today they dress to a formula depending on which focus group or "stylist" is in vogue. If they wear a tie it is either colour coded to their party or as bland as they are!

Very sad.

Roosevelt had style. Truman had it. So did JFK, thanks to his wife. Reagan had it in spades, and GHW Bush wasn't too bad, with his pinched, preppie, Yalie suits and repp ties.

But poor Obama, with his cheap Hart, Schaffner, and Marx suits, Old-man jeans and hideous Nikes, Tommy Bahama shirts, Oakley sunglasses, smart-phone, belt-holster, three button dinner jacket and white tie. Leader of the free world, and he looked like the help at his own inauguration party. Did he always dress this way? He must have been roundly mocked by his classmates at Harvard Law.

C

NJS

_DR wrote:
This is an interesting feature on how the position has changed in Canada. Notwithstanding the sentiment, is bad formalwear better or worse than no formalwear?
http://themonarchist.blogspot.com/2007/ ... arper.html


Surely, bad clothes should always be avoided. If our political leaders can't even dress themselves properly, we should not be electing them: let them be put instead into overalls and set to work petrol (gas) pumps so that they can do something useful wih theoir lives.

A good suit is always better than bad formalwear. Unfortunately the type of fellow who is inclined to wear bad formalwear will also have a closet full of very bad suits, so there's little to be gained.

Carl - True enough.
NJS

AndyM wrote:I must be getting old, I can remember when politicians had style! Today they dress to a formula depending on which focus group or "stylist" is in vogue. If they wear a tie it is either colour coded to their party or as bland as they are!

One of the many disappointments of being a young man trapped by the vagaries of the current crisis has been for me the style and manner of the politicians and individuals who led us to ruin (I speak specifically of Ireland). For me the shabbiness and cheapness of they way they held themselves although perhaps appealing to a marketeers graph has always seemed indicative if the low esteem which they held of themselves and ultimately their own country. Like any superficial element of character it may seem superfluous, but I do believe there's a kernel of truth there. Thankfully the strictures and snobberies of dress and class are somewhat broken down but always for a position of authority I believe there is an obligation to strive to be better, not for oneself but for what representation and advocacy is. What is often called 'making the effort'.
Its like breaking open the heart of a le Carre novel (a master of claustrophobic equivocal manoeuvres) and these grey shabby men slouch from corner to office to press conference, saying nothing and meaning less and less.

Perhaps this makes me something of a peasant? I may crave the glitter of grand persons. But certainly the ill-favour they shgow their office reflects on their persons in my opinion.

For me the shabbiness and cheapness of they way they held themselves although perhaps appealing to a marketeers graph

Many politicians would dress like Snoop Dog if they thought it would get them votes, and after they leave office, many would be happy to advertise toilet paper. Role models, I think not!