THE STATE OF DRESS
Things get a little political as we discuss the sartorial choices of the nation's governing body
But first… let’s go shopping! Here are the things in my cart, in my possession, or simply on my mind!
I linked one of these last week, but I was reminded of the Judith Leiber metal comb after reading Kerry Pieri’s recent letter on getting The Row look! She mentioned this comb necklace from The Row that retails for over 1k. I am not a huge crafter, but I imagine you could DIY this with one of the Judith Leiber combs and a leather string (or possibly velvet!?!)
On the topic of accessories, I think Dries Van Noten has some of the best accessories that are often overlooked. Something like this or this is probably DIY-able as well, but I only have time for one craft! Look at these pieces here($259) and here as well!
The other day I busted out this Sebline shirt, and was reminded of how great this shirting brand is (Hamish Bowles is also a fan, I believe)! This ($355), this($186), and especially this ($405) are in my cart (if you are familiar with a previous letter you know that I love a good caftan!)
I recently worked on a video that should be out soon, and I cannot get the outfit I styled out of my head: Who Decides War shorts that remind you of summers on the boardwalk or the show Jersey Shore, Ralph Lauren Purple Label Dinner Jacket (I just love all the silly names for jackets!), gold Alaia heels, and SHIRTLESS!!! UGHUGHGH how good!!!! (Here is an alternative for the jacket ($192.50) and the shoes($495).)
I wore the above outfit to commute in, people liked it, and I promised I would provide links! Jacket: J. Crew Barn Coat ($59.99); Shirt: Lacoste Polo($99.50); Skirt: Wales Bonner ($559.92) [here is a top ($456) and crochet piece ($238) from the same collection ,I believe]; Shoes: Birkenstock Bostons [If you want something with more pizzazz look to JW Anderson here and here]; Sunglasses: The Row x Oliver Peoples ($157); Scarf & Watch: Hermes; Bags: [Front] VTG Top Handle Bag [Back] JW Anderson [I could not find my particular bag find alternatives here($48), here, and here.].
Now onto the meat and potatoes….
This may sound rather odd, but President Jimmy Carter has been on my mind recently. As you all may recall from last week’s letter, I did briefly mention the supposed comparisons between him and Biden. However, I have been thinking less about the achievements and failures of the Carter Administration. I have been thinking about his JEANS!
As reported by the New York Times in 1977, Carter’s choice to don the everyday man’s blue jeans was his way, “to strip some of what he has called the “imperial” trappings from the Presidency,". The blue jean was very much a part of his DNA, but at the same time, the jeans were suppose to symbolism a changing of the guard and to further separate him from his predecessors. The American people could trust Carter because he was just like them. It is quite fascinating that the person to follow Carter did everything in his power to show that he was not like the everyday man. As Robin Givhan states in a 2015 article for the Washington Post, “Folks undoubtedly recall the attention the public paid to Nancy Reagan’s attire and her devotion to the great American designer James Galanos. But Ronald Reagan was also interested in style. He was a man who took care with his appearance, not out of grudging duty but, reportedly, with a sense of pleasure.” With Reagan, the clothes were an extension of who he was, which probably had a lot to do with his previous life as an actor. One could reason that the role of president was probably one of his more success parts, partially due to the wardrobe. (There was this one photo that started circulating around of Reagan all prepped out with a Gucci belt that had such a chokehold on the hype beasts!)
The wardrobes of the President and the First Lady have always been analyzed because not only does the couple’s clothing express the mission of the administration, but they also set the tone for how the rest of the political sect dresses. (There is even this wonderful article from the Washington Post entitled “A Matter of Taste: The White House Often Sets the Style.”) With all that in mind, you must know that I began to think about T****, and his influence on the politicos. Yet, as I began to think about that man and his bad tan and equally bad suits, the more I realized that the people controlling the American government are bad dressers.
(A quick aside: dear reader I must admit a few things before we dive into the bad dressers of Washington D.C. The last time I was in D.C. was two years ago, and though I was gawking at all the little interns and political honchos gallivanting about, I was not truly looking at them. For if I was truly looking at them, I would remember what they were wearing! I do feel I have a vague memory of horribly loud patterned socks. Oftentimes, when it comes to politics and fashion, the discussion usually revolves around the wardrobe choices of the women. Routinely, the fashion of the women of politics has been dissected for us to extract the symbolism in the colors they wear, the way they coif their hair, or if they are choosing to wear heels or not. So much symbolism is derived from these sartorial choices; however, I would say that there is just as much symbolism in the men’s wardrobe as there is in the women’s. Though my analysis of the clothing of these men does not necessarily speak for the whole population of D.C., I do think the way they dress represent the general mood of the country.)
In a 1976 New York Times called '“All the candidates' clothes,” it states, “The important thing when you run,” he said. “is to wear what you've always worn. If you try to dress up, people will say you're puttin’ on the dog; if you dress down, they'll say you're pretending to be humble.” Though this line makes sense, I would say that this rule was thrown out the door with the rest of the rulebook following the 2016 election. It is not rather novel to discuss how peculiar that election was; we all have heard the various pundits discuss the matter. What I am far more interested in is the way that T**** defied this idea of dressing appropriately for the job you have. I actually had a conversation with a few people a few weeks ago, and I think we all generally have forgone the idea of what it means to dress in an appropriate fashion. I am not saying that you have to war gloves and a hat and whatever, I am talking about the decay of decorum. I think we generally refer to this more as the casualization of the wardrobe. I hate to sound rather snobbish, but I do believe that it is important to dress up simply because I think life is far too precious to wear bad clothes.
I am not trying to say that T**** ushered in this grand casualization in the way we dress; people had started going to the theatre in shorts and flip flops far before he stepped into office. What I think he introduced into the political fashionscape, much like his taste in interiors, was a caricature of what it means to be rich. His suits were ill fitting and his ties were simply too long. Not only were they long, they oftentimes were in an audacious red color (and sometimes scotched-taped). Perhaps his penchant for bad tailoring has to do with his maniacal nature, which (for lack of a better word) trumps any pursuits in vanity when it comes to clothing. (He wears Brioni suits, but he proves the age old lesson. Labels can only get you so far This particular article from British GQ suggests that “the world’s most awful men have such universally atrocious taste in trousers.”) However, it is not just T****, it is also Representative Matt Gaetz and his clownish plaid suits, it’s Representative Jim Jordan and his yellow tie, and it is House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in his godforsaken cognac sneaker sole dress shoes with THOSE PATTERNED SOCKS!
These men are not just peddling bad policies, they are peddling BAD FASHION!
As I am writing this, something else that came to mind was this article that Robin Givhan wrote during the 2015 Republican debate. The title of the article is “The Republican candidates idolize Reagan. But not one of them can match his style,” and in this article, she talks about how the then -Republicans vying for the 2016 nomination were trying to imitate Reagan’s style. They all ultimately fail to mimic him because, as I discussed above, Reagan’s style is not only an extension of him but also his past as an actor. The funny thing is, all the people vying for power now are not trying to copy the swagger of Reagan; it seems like they are trying to match T*****, if not in his rhetoric and gesticulation, then in the way he dresses.
And though Biden is a far better dresser than T****, if you were to ask me to recall one of his best looks I would come up empty-handed. (To be honest, I could recall an outfit of Obama’s quicker than I can recall one of Biden. ) Yet, is it good that I cannot recall a stunning look from Biden? Is it a bad thing when we are distracted by our leaders wardrobe? These are questions that I leave you all with, and I too will ponder them in the weeks to come. However, the first thought that comes to mind is , yes, the wardrobe of our leaders should not be a distraction, but at the same time, is it too much to ask for a well-fitting suit?
I hope you have been enjoying the newsletter thus far! I am going to take a brief hiatus to collect my thoughts, and figure out future topics to discuss, if you have any suggestions, please let me know! The next newsletter will be my monthly roundup of the looks I loved wearing. See you all then!
I may earn some commission if you make a purchase through one of the links above. If you liked this post make sure to check out last week’s as well!
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