How politicians project power through fashion, from Donald Trump’s ties to Xi Jinping and Kim Jong-un’s suits and Theresa May’s shoes
Presidential outfits are less about brands than style and symbolism, which are used to convey power and authority as well as stability, patriotism and safety. Some are better at pulling it off than others
When North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met Chinese President Xi Jinping in May this year, Kim raised eyebrows with the bold pinstripe fabric on his wide-cut, “updated” buttoned-up suit, with its echoes of 1990s Wall Street.
Xi wore a traditional Western suit-and-tie combination, but his garments were Chinese, made by the Dayang Group.
Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, head of Hong Kong’s administration, has a style that references her city’s cultural mix, often wearing Chinese cheongsams paired with Western-style jackets.
According to fashion scholar Dr Anne Peirson-Smith from the City University of Hong Kong, what politicians, presidents and popes wear are “visible expressions of power and the power relations being played out – both playfully and seriously, on a globally mediated stage”.
It’s not so much about brands, but style and symbolism: think US President Donald Trump’s big red tie and trucker cap, Hillary Clinton’s pantsuits, British Prime Minister Theresa May’s fancy footwear, President Barack Obama’s easy blue suits and downtime “dad” jeans, and Nelson Mandela’s colourful shirts. Sometimes even popes make fashion headlines.
