Suited for the Job?

In Bolivia, socialist president Evo Morales has stubbornly refused to abandon his casual striped sweater in favor of the pricey suits more commonly seen on world leaders. But in doing so he has inspired a fashion craze: the comfy sweater is flying off the racks, even inspiring its own line of "Evo fashion." Here in the States it's probably safe to assume (or at least hope) that nobody's running out for John McCain's customary Mr. Rogers sweater vest, or the vast array of Easter-egg-colored Hillary Clinton blazers. But it would be naive to dismiss the importance of those style choices in this campaign—and the role of fashion in any.

Whether we like it or not, the way we dress conveys a message about who we are, and though advisers may hate to admit it, clothes, throughout history, have always been a huge part of the political message. John F. Kennedy wasn't considered the innovator of modern presidential style for nothing: he chose a two-button, tailored suit at a time when the male uniform was a shapeless three-button sack. Lyndon Johnson brought regional style to the Oval Office with his brand of Texan: he often wore cowboy boots and hats, or suits with a stitched yoke across the jacket front. And Jimmy Carter, always the people's president, wore polyester-blend suits, carried his own garment bag and maintained his celebrated cardigan sweater in an effort to come off as a regular wage earner.

In this campaign, it's Democrat Hillary Clinton, the only female in the race, who gets the most fashion flak—often to an arguably unfair degree. (When, in July, she showed a very little cleavage while talking about higher education on the Senate floor, the media jumped all over the former First Lady's new "sexy" look, eliciting thousands of angry letters, e-mails and comments from the public.) But looking good ain't easy—and it's definitely not a challenge reserved for just the female candidate. Style guru Tim Gunn, the creative director for Liz Claiborne, a veteran of Bravo's "Project Runway" and now host of "Tim Gunn's Guide to Style," spoke about the harsh worlds of fashion and politics with NEWSWEEK's Jessica Bennett. Excerpts:

NEWSWEEK: How important is image to a political campaign?
Tim Gunn: I can't imagine marginalizing image; it's critical. The clothes we wear send a message about how we want to be perceived, and about how we want to present ourselves to the world. I would think that there should be just as many image consultants involved in these campaigns as there are speechwriters.

What is it about politicians in particular—do you have to have bad taste to be one?
Well, all of these people come from Capitol Hill, and that place is another planet when it comes to fashion. I was on the Hill just this time last year, and I had all of these elected officials literally running from me saying, "I'm not a fashion person! Don't look at me!" In the beginning I thought it was kind of sweet, but the more I thought about it, I began to find it appalling. You're an elected official. How many people see you and make judgments about you before they ever even know your point of view? I have to do something for these people.

I assume the people running from you were women. Do female politicians have it harder?
I'm deeply respectful of gender and of gender differences, and I like someone who acknowledges what his or her gender happens to be. I mean, are we ready for a male cross-dresser in the White House? No. But frankly speaking, there are times when I wonder about Hillary.