There is something about clothes and politics that is both trivial and profound. <\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, you’ve seen the standard male uniform: the crisp white button-down, neatly tailored dark suit, red or blue tie in a Double Windsor knot, and flag lapel pin. <\/span><\/p>\n

This is the uniform of every male politician in the Western world, a modern marvel of sartorial science that beams reassurances of competence and conformity into the brainpan of every person in the room. <\/span><\/p>\n

Ever seen a G-20 group photo? It’s two women, the King of Saudi Arabia and 17 guys wearing the standard stiff stuff. <\/span><\/p>\n

Too much deviation from the norm \u2014 think Rick Santorum’s sweater vests, Barack Obama’s mom jeans and Bill Clinton’s short shorts \u2014 and an inspirational leader risks becoming an object of ridicule. <\/span><\/p>\n

However, we are increasingly seeing our politicians in more casual clothes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Clothes in the Spotlight<\/h3>\n

They have to dress for different occasions, like Summits or parades or touch football games. <\/span><\/p>\n

Their wardrobe must be <\/span>occasional <\/span><\/i>and consciously designed to communicate to a demographic group. <\/span><\/p>\n

This means that candidates have to know the subtle social cues of all the classes in our so-called classless society. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Or, they have to have somebody to tell them what to wear, a Special Assistant to the President: Demographic Wardrobe Selection.<\/span><\/p>\n

On Feb. 2, 1977 Jimmy Carter delivered a fireside chat from his West Wing study. What caught the attention of viewers that night wasn’t necessarily what Carter said, but what he wore: an unbuttoned beige wool cardigan, to stay warm after turning down the heat to conserve energy. <\/span><\/p>\n

That month, TIME wrote that the cardigan “may prove to be the most memorable symbol of an Administration that promises to make steady use of symbolism.”<\/span><\/p>\n

In the world of politics, and in our own daily effort to send a message about who we are, clothing is often symbolic. In Carter\u2019s case, he was sending a message that he was not the \u201cRoyal Reagan.\u201d Rather, he was the humble peanut farmer from Plains, Georgia.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the other hand, Trump will forever be known for his long red tie. You will never see him in anything but a suit, unless you capture a glimpse of him on the golf course.<\/span><\/p>\n