Stick a pin in Russia talking nukes and the growing crisis in Syria. We must pause to ask another urgent question: Why can’t anyone in the Trump administration dress themselves?
OK, that’s harsh. And technically inaccurate. So: Why is almost every single senior person in the Trump administration unable to make wardrobe choices that aren’t just blatantly … just no?
Politicians aren’t known for their sartorial savvy. But never has a presidential administration had so many top staffers without basic wardrobing abilities. We’re not talking about staying up-to-the-minute on tie widths or being unable to coordinate a magical ensemble — this is a flagrant flouting of the basic rules of putting things on your body. Two button-down shirts worn on top of each other. Ties that hang to the groin. A blazer as a layering piece for body armor. A nutcracker costume on the most important day of your life.
As a blizzard of ethics scandals engulfs the Trump cabinet, it is said the tone has been set from the top. And so it is with White House style. It started with those too-long ties. Then we learned they were held together with scotch tape. Then we learned it was possible to outgrow a watch. And like everything else Trump has said or done since he announced his presidential run, you have to wonder: Does he just not care? Is it performance art? Is he too busy watching Fox News to notice?
There are other, more pedestrian, just-plain-poor choices. But boy, are they doozies. Out of context, certain outfits can look well put together. And then you remember that Melania had chosen those towering stiletto heels … to walk across a grass lawn … on the way to a tour of hurricane destruction. This is history.
Here’s a full range of those fashion moments. In a terribly uncertain world, one thing is for sure: It will be continually updated.
