It wouldn’t be wrong to say that even as a politician, specifically as a president, the style and fashion sense matter a lot. The type of clothes – either a cardigan, pair of jeans, or a pantsuit – a leader wears tell a lot about their personality. Not just that, whatever message a leader gives off through their dressing indicates the political ideology as well.
From a president’s shoes to his headwear, everything matters, and people are always curious about every detail. So, let’s see who had that fashion sense that made them the most fashionable presidents of America.
1. John F. Kennedy
The handsome 35th president of America, John Fitzgerald, stands on the top of this list. He wasn’t only good-looking but also had perfect hair along with the ability to wear a suit well. He is also known as the first US president who adopted the two-button coat and didn’t wear a hat. Kennedy was very clear about his style and eschewed the old standard style, i.e., a hat and the three-button coat.
Not just John F. Kennedy but also his wife and the former first lady of the US was an embodiment of the word “class.” It seems like the couple had a thing for looking classy in public, and we cannot deny that they really succeed in doing so.
2. Chester A. Arthur
Chester Alan Arthur, also known as the “Elegant Arthur,” was the 21st president of the US and undoubtedly had a strong fashion sense. In the times where beard was everything for male fashion, Arthur proved to be the dandy of Manhattan. You must have heard about the president with 80 pairs of pants; yes, that was Chester A. Arthur.
According to one of his close friends, Arthur used to keep 80 pairs of pants in his wardrobe and changed pants several times a day. While describing Chester A. Arthur, Gore Vidal said, “the most fastidious and fashionable president.”
3. Franklin D. Roosevelt
Mostly referred to as FDR, Roosevelt served as the 32nd president of the US and also left a mark for his calm and classy charisma. Franklin D. Roosevelt didn’t just have good taste in yachts and mansions but also in fashion and style. Roosevelt being a handsome man and the distinguished position of a president, looked just perfect whenever he held that cigarette holder.
Even when FDR wore heavy metal braces under his classy clothes, he never failed in making it clear that he indeed was a good-looking man with a calm charisma.
4. Abraham Lincoln
Who knew the 16th president of the US, Abraham Lincoln, would also be one of the most fashionable presidents of the US. Lincoln was a tall guy with a height of 6 feet and 4 inches among a population whose average height was 5’8″. There will be very few yet daring people who would send a letter to the president and criticize him for not having a beard.
However, this is precisely why Lincoln grew his famous beard when an eleven-year-old girl wrote, “all the ladies like whiskers” in a letter to him. Lincoln knew how to take fashion advice and accurately played the western image with his famously known long coat and classy style.
5. Warren G. Harding
Warren Gamaliel Harding, the 29th president of the US, was the visual representation of the word “Dashing” during the 1920s. Along with being dashing, Harding knew how to flirt too. We wouldn’t go into detail, but here is a piece of poetry he wrote for his mistress, “I love your poise of perfect thighs. When they hold me in paradise, I love the rose your garden grows. Love seashell pink. That over it glows….” We wonder if he really wanted to be the president and not a poet.
6. Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the US, was someone whom the general public would call a fierce man with style. He was a true example of how power can change a person’s style and fashion, and he was the embodiment of the magic of a make-over.
From a cowboy to a president, Theodore Roosevelt changed and altered his personality and style a lot, which made him one of the most fashionable presidents of the US. Even as a president, he had that arrogant style and attitude of a cowboy, which shows why he became a lion hunter later after leaving the president’s seat.
7. Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson, the 7th president of the US, looked and dressed nothing less than a marvel hero. He was tall, lean, and there was a sword scar on his temple while a bullet scar on his shoulder. Along with such physical features, he knew how to dress too. He wore dark and slim clothes, a wild mane, and flowing capes which shows he knew what made him look like a superhero, and he kept the style perfectly.
8. William Henry Harrison
The 9th president of the US, William Henry Harrison, was the first-ever political person to inspire American History’s first retro craze. In 1840, he pretended to be a backwoods frontiersman when he had to run for president. This campaign became the reason behind the retro trend, and a major part of the American population started wearing moccasins and fringed leather hunting shirts.
Although Harrison died right after a month of being the president, we can say that he did one good thing, and that was bringing the fringe leather shirts back.
9. Barack Obama
The 44th and maybe the most popular president of the US, Barack Obama, is nothing less than anyone on this list when it comes to fashion. Obama is one of those people who just don’t care about the old fashion trends and do whatever they like for themselves. He would wear dad jeans, grey or blue suits, leather jackets, or just walk around in a tracksuit and still look good. That’s to his attitude and style that he is on this list.
Conclusion
America has had almost every kind of president, and that includes fashionable ones and terrible dressers too. Fashion is not something that everyone can understand, and it is okay until you break the rules of fashion completely. The presidents listed above didn’t only know how to dress, but most importantly, they understood ‘how to dress up for the personality and figure they had.’
On the other hand, if we start making a list of the least fashionable and boring presidents in American History, the list may go a little longer than you think.