The 10 Most Stylish US Presidents Of All Time
Against all odds, Donald Trump is leader of the free world. And despite promises of big Mexican walls and dodgy ‘locker room chat’, Lil’ Hillary was right in that we owe him “an open mind”. Which is fair, but no man should be forgiven for using scotch tape in lieu of a tie bar.
Thankfully, not all former presidents have been so sartorially challenged. To celebrate/despair (delete as appropriate) the 45th presidential inauguration, we look to the White House’s previous commanders-in-style.
Harry Truman
President Truman didn’t cut his teeth interning on Capitol Hill, rather at a haberdashery in Kansas City. That could go some way towards explaining his wardrobe prowess and his nickname – no not ‘Give ‘Em Hell Harry’, but the haberdasher.
Not only did Truman boss large lapels, he was well known for making the bow tie look good within stuffy conservative circles – a feat even Roosevelt struggled with.
JFK
John Fitzgerald ‘Jack’ Kennedy is the presidential benchmark in both temperament and style. Arguably the most iconic POTUS, the archive of memorable outfits we’re left with is still every bit as influential as the man himself.
The King of Camelot’s style points weren’t just earned on the campaign trail either. A Hamptons yacht trip was punctuated with cropped cream trousers and a pair of classic Wayfarers, while the knitted polo shirt became one of JFK’s signature pieces. I guess we know who to credit for all the inspiration 54 years on.
Abraham Lincoln
We’d rather see a resurgence of rubella than suffer a repeat of tophats and muttonchops (honestly, Abe). That said, not all of Lincoln’s wardrobe was bad.
His well-trimmed beard was lightyears ahead of the hipster trend and judging by this picture he also predicted the rise of relaxed tailoring about 150-years in advance.
Barack Obama
Obama’s wardrobe leaves a lot to be desired: ill-fitting denim that earned him the nickname ‘President Mom Jeans’, wraparound Oakleys and unflattering, boxy blazers. Plus, those problems are only compacted when your wife is nailing it on the world stage.
