What we wear tells a story about who we are. It’s a tool that’s useful for all of us, one that we can manipulate in myriad ways depending on mood and circumstance. But knowing how to wield your sartorial weapon well – when to brandish it and how to maximise it – is a skill that benefits nobody quite as much as politicians. What better way to send a message without ever having to open your mouth?
This week, it is Andy Burnham’s wardrobe that’s under the microscope. The “will he, won’t he” discourse about whether he would ditch the “dad at the football” polo shirt and bomber for suit-and-tie Westminster seriousness reached fever pitch on Monday, when he was sworn in as an MP.
In fact, after his win last week in Makerfield rendered him the front runner to replace Keir Starmer, scrutinising his fashion chops has become something of a national sport. Was his attire a bit “my first suit”, or was it a nod to the modern dad, who wears Uniqlo for the everyday but can don the two-piece like a superhero’s cape when required? Could he be just the man to lead us out of political turmoil, one pair of Adidas Gazelles at a time?
Yes, yes, we should be focusing on important things: welfare, defence, what on earth he’d do about social care. But investigating a politician’s wardrobe is more worthwhile than you might think, because in this game, no one just throws something on. And even when they look like they have – we see you, Boris – these are conscious, careful decisions about clothing that have often aligned with their values, and have even come to define their legacy.
Remember Michael Foot and the infamous “donkey jacket” he was pictured wearing at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday in 1981? The Guardian referred to those photographs as a “defining image” of his ill-fated time as Labour leader.
Still don’t believe it? Let’s take a look at some of the most notable political fashion choices of our time.
Rishi Sunak’s trousers
Cast your mind back to the summer of 2023, approximately two prime ministers ago. The biggest topics of conversation were Lucy Letby, the Titan submarine, and, of course, the curiously cropped length of Rishi Sunak’s trousers. They became the Tory leader’s staple: smart, tailored, starched, and always hovering an inch or two above his ankle.
“Baffling to me how the wealthiest UK prime minister in history could live just steps away from Savile Row, the single greatest concentration of skilled bespoke tailors, and end up paying $2k for a MTM suit with sleeves and trousers 2-4in too short,” tweeted American menswear critic Derek Guy at the time.
Many speculated that the distinctive style was an effort to elongate the 5ft 6in prime minister’s legs; a tall man is, after all, a powerful man. But in all likelihood, it was the first hint of Rishi’s bad judgement, and who he really was. As Guy put it in a subsequent tweet: “Lots of conspiracy theories on why Sunak wears such short trousers … but my theory is simple … Sunak is a vaguely trend-aware guy, but just a little behind the times. I don’t think he has a grand theory for how short sleeves and pants make him look taller.”
In other words, this is a man telling us that he thinks he understands the world, but in actuality, he does not. Rishi Sunak was the man wearing the wrong trousers all along.
Theresa May’s leopard-print shoes
Theresa May was famous for her flamboyant footwear when she became Britain’s second ever female prime minister in 2016. Her penchant began slowly – a patent boot here, a turquoise pair of courts there – but soon, she was rocking leopard-print kitten heels, red python-print courts, and studded stilettos.
It became a thing, May’s way of signalling to the world that she was more interesting than that young girl whose idea of a wild time was to run through a field of wheat. She knew how to have fun, too. Hell, she even owned some leather trousers.
May wasn’t going to shy away from playful fashion choices because of her role. Yes, her vibe screamed head girl, but May wanted you to know that two things could be true. She was serious, but she had a softer side, too. Like most women, she was a hard worker, but an accomplished multi-tasker.
This woman might have the voice of a robot, but she could be a dancing queen if she wanted to be, because women should be allowed to do more than one thing. If that combination happens to be governing the country while wearing a pair of trendy kitten heels, so be it.
Harold Wilson’s pipe
Never underestimate the power of a strong accessory. For Harold Wilson, it was his pipe. Though on one hand it signalled his avuncular, benevolent side, the man who served as prime minister for two separate periods in the 1960s and 70s was known for using his pipe to evade specific lines of questioning, puffing away on it whenever he was asked a difficult question in interviews.
To this day, Wilson’s pipe is widely considered a PR masterclass. It was as much a “man of the people” device as it was a thing he could fiddle with and use as a distraction tool. It was all the more notable for the fact that Wilson only smoked his pipe in public. In private, he smoked cigars.
That was the claim made by Mid Norfolk MP George Freeman in a 2013 letter to The Daily Telegraph: “I know this because my first flat in Pimlico once belonged to Lord Wigg, who used to plot there with Wilson and Callaghan,” he wrote. “The man I bought it from told me that the living room used to be stacked with Hansards and ashtrays, which Wigg had explained were for Wilson’s cigars.”
Winston Churchill’s Cambridge bowler
Another key political accessory is the hat. Today, we have Donald Trump’s Maga trucker baseball hat; back then, we had Churchill’s bowler hat. Known as the Cambridge bowler, the hat became a staple of Churchill’s political career, mostly because it wasn’t a popular accessory at the time, and differed significantly from the classic bowler. The Cambridge was high-crowned, and subsequently attracted a little more attention – perfect for a political leader looking to stand out as a classic with a twist.
It became an iconic relic of Churchill’s reign, and the style was even worn by Oddjob in the 1964 Bond film Goldfinger. The hat was originally made by Lock & Co in St James’s, the world’s oldest hat shop, for the Duke of Cambridge in 1865, the idea being that it would combine the top hat with the classic bowler shape. Churchill bought his in 1919. Today, you can buy one from Lock & Co, but the price is on application, so prepare to part with a fair few pennies if you’re seeking to replicate Churchill’s signature look.
Boris Johnson’s workout gear
Nothing screams privilege quite like a posh person in scruffy clothing. It’s a cliché for a reason, one that Boris Johnson illustrated perfectly during his time as PM between 2019 and 2022 (do keep up!), most potently during his workout sessions. The messy aesthetic included red floral swimming trunks, Team GB fleeces, and colourful beanies that toppled so far above his head, it looked as if he might be smuggling something underneath them. Once, he went running in his socks and shoes.
“Why does he go out running every morning dressed like a harried man who’s just escaped a house fire at 3am and grabbed whatever clothes were nearest?” asked the Telegraph at the time. Indeed. It almost always looked like Johnson was running away from something, and that told us everything we needed to know about his character. It also hinted at a supreme snobbiness; dressing smartly – and appropriately – was somehow beneath the man who, as a child, wanted to be “world king”.
It was also a smart move. By looking silly, Johnson became a national laughing stock, a strategy that ultimately worked in his favour as he continued to climb the political ladder while keeping his more serious ambitions hidden, possibly underneath a beanie.
Margaret Thatcher’s blouses and bags
Margaret Thatcher was famous for her handbags, but her silk pussy-bow blouses, which she almost always paired with her signature skirt suit and pearls, revealed the most about the Iron Lady. The shirts became an integral part of Thatcher’s political identity throughout the 1980s, asserting both femininity (the pussy-bow neckline) and power (the structured tailoring).
Thatcher possessed a captivating duality, one that was perhaps best captured in a famous quote from French president François Mitterrand, who described her as having “the eyes of Caligula and the mouth of Marilyn Monroe”. Her wardrobe encapsulated this juxtaposition, embodying the ruthlessness of the Roman emperor coupled with the delicate sophistication of Hollywood’s most famous pin-up.
And yes, Thatcher’s handbags became so synonymous with her stern leadership that the term “handbagging” was used in reference to her reprimanding of members of her cabinet. Edwina Currie, who served in Thatcher’s government, once referred to Thatcher’s bags as “her weapon”, while others commented that it was her sartorial steal from the Queen herself that might explain their uniquely tense relationship.
