The London Lounge

Why must modern politicians dress so badly? The rule in the UK seems to be a dark suit (badly fitting), white shirt and a solid colour tie. The government seems to have adopted a rule that all ministers must wear a purple tie, which I suppose is suitably penitential, but their collective mode of dress is just unutterably DULL. Why can they not show some imagination? It is almost as if they are afraid - afraid to look too trendy, too old, too quirky, too rich, too anything except bland, bland, bland.

Will did some posts on this a while ago, take a look if you haven't already:

http://asuitablewardrobe.dynend.com/search?q=g8

Everyone is afraid. That's it. Especially afraid of: clever, smart, handsome and beautiful - and as for panache - forget it - the politicians' perception of the reaction of the general population seeing a clever, smart, handsome, well-dressed politician is that they would need a change of pants from laughing overmuch; that they can't cope with anyone more elegant than: scruffy, thick-tongued, provincial geeks peddling their muzak and their food and their designer-labelled-ripped-bespoke jeans - and all the rest of their tawdry apparatus. Therefore, even if the politicians' clothes are bespoke, they are expressly bespoken to look as though they came from a chain store.
NJS

pvpatty wrote:Will did some posts on this a while ago, take a look if you haven't already:

http://asuitablewardrobe.dynend.com/search?q=g8

Ye Gods, they are even worse than I thought!

Scot wrote:

pvpatty wrote:Will did some posts on this a while ago, take a look if you haven't already:

http://asuitablewardrobe.dynend.com/search?q=g8

Ye Gods, they are even worse than I thought!

Is that possible?
NJS

Scot wrote:Why must modern politicians dress so badly? The rule in the UK seems to be a dark suit (badly fitting), white shirt and a solid colour tie. The government seems to have adopted a rule that all ministers must wear a purple tie, which I suppose is suitably penitential, but their collective mode of dress is just unutterably DULL. Why can they not show some imagination? ...

Because they are not dictators. Some dictators did have an accurate sense for style. See the article "Dictatorial style", by Taki, published in The Spectator (Thursday, 25th January 2007):

http://www.spectator.co.uk/the-magazine ... tyle.thtml

It's certainly interesting that Benjamin Disraeli and Winston Churchill were considered quite the dandy in their youths.

They aren't quite politicians but Marx and Engels drafting the Manifesto:



This fellow, however, is a politician:



Note the nice little red pocket square to fit the location. Notice the old world etiquette in removing his hat to address the crowd.

marcelo wrote:
Because they are not dictators. Some dictators did have an accurate sense for style. See the article "Dictatorial style", by Taki, published in The Spectator (Thursday, 25th January 2007):

http://www.spectator.co.uk/the-magazine ... tyle.thtml

With my previous posts in, I would add that what a pity that dressing properly is somehow villainised these days. I thought I had heard it all, but its demonisation as undemocratic is a new one to me.

There is surely a difference between dressing and gaudy self-glorification in the way Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself while draped in pompous display?

It's interesting to note that poor old Chamberlain looks a little out of place in the photo above by the excessive length of his trousers.

One fellow I came across recently, while watching the wonderful TV series The World At War, is Lord Robert Boothby. He seems to have been rather well clad.

Owing in large part to the extraordinary extravagance of his dress, Disraeli was jeered at his maiden speech in the House of Commons but he did not give way until he had called out prophetically I will sit down now but the time will come when you will hear me!
NJS

Note also the notch lapels on Disraeli's frock coats.

Sator wrote:

Who, may I ask, are the three men standing with Chamberlain?

Are these captoes they are wearing with their morning suits? Could it be that there is some...broguing visible ?!? No, no, that's not possible .

Frog in Suit

Morning dress is correctly worn with black punched captoe oxfords. No wingtips here

Costi wrote:Morning dress is correctly worn with black punched captoe oxfords. No wingtips here

Thank you, Costi. I am relieved beyond words .

Frog in Suit

PS: More seriously, I would be interested in the identity of the three men standing with Chamberlain.