Presidential fashion

Allegedly previous presidents  (from Kennedy onwards) wore Southwick suits and Johnston and Murphy shoes. I have no idea who Colin Powell is dressed by. Bush jun. looks very good in his Oxxford suits and the navy overcoat he wore at his inaugaration, but has the most appalling taste in wishy-washy ties. But then, I presume the word is out at the White House: "No Zegna ties."

Do you really want to hear Dubya try to pronounce "Zegna"?

President Clinton had some Zegnas as well towards the end. Not a bad evolution from someone who started buying his suits off the rack at Dillard's. And Carter, I don't think he ever put too much thought into what he wore, to be honest. In a lot of pictures, he's wearing the exact same blue suit. As for other world leaders who often look excellent, UN Sec-Gen Kofi Annan is a Chester Barrie, KFS, and Kiton devotee, and Nelson Mandela often wears Brioni. Peace, JG

Speaking of Clinton, I just read where he recently ordered something like 24 suits and 50-some shirts from some high-end tailor to the stars in Hong Kong. Seems the Elvis president has taken a liking to the good life.

When you're in your fifties and intent on seducing women in their twenties, dressing well sure helps.

I deliberately used "allegedly" when I said that Kennedy introduced Southwick's two button suits into the White House and that the firm continued to supply the president of the day. (I read it once in some promotional literature by the company). It is like a Royal Warrant, a certain manufacturer will take the measurements of the president or the celebrity and supply a number of items per season. Whether or not the person in question actually wears it is another matter. Once you are a celebrity of any sort, even a minor one, you never have to buy your own gear: Manufacturers and designers will fall over themselves backwards to supply with their stuff. Elton John used to do sales in London to clear his cast-offs and to benefit his AIDS charity. How many of these items did he actually buy in the first place? Very few I presume.

Bush 43 puts it together pretty well. Some of his ties are pretty awful, but he's got a few baby blue ones that I think work nicely. As far as world leaders go, I'm kind of going way back here, but the Shah of Iran was pretty stylish back in the seventies.