# Why do all politicians wear suits and ties? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 12, 2014, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-all-politicians-wear-suits-and-ties/695390 "2014-08-12T19:27:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-all-politicians-wear-suits-and-ties/695390/41 "2014-08-13T14:51:58Z")
No. Female ones do not. And you win the award for the most sexist and outdated thread title. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-all-politicians-wear-suits-and-ties/695390/42 "2014-08-13T15:00:12Z")
> [@bardos](#): > > The thing is, I am weird. When I see someone in a suit and tie, I do not trust them. It’s the same with people phoning me and telling me I have won a free gift or something similar. Exactly. Anyone in a suit and/or tie, I expect to lie. i am rarely disappointed. However, it should be noted that although formalism increased with the century, mid-Victorians tended a lot to letting people wear what they preferred ( from the canon of permitted apparel: wearing a kaftan to the office, prolly no — although the 18th century would have just shrugged it’s shoulders and thought about something more important ), and moustaches, beards waistcoats etc. etc. were up to the wearer. Later, young men became more uniform, each with a little moustache and a black & tan terrier by 1900. Study British military group photographs, and you can see a lot of lackadaisical lounging about, some on the floor, and clothes chosen at random fancy during, say, the Indian Mutiny. By 1919 they are generally sitting upright and all a piece. And glaring a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-all-politicians-wear-suits-and-ties/695390/43 "2014-08-13T15:14:27Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > No. Female ones do not. And you win the award for the most sexist and outdated thread title. You win the award for biggest overreaction. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-all-politicians-wear-suits-and-ties/695390/44 "2014-08-13T15:30:01Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > The other change you have to factor in is, who is wearing these suits? For the sake of comparison, let’s just consider upper management of a relatively conservative business, such as banking or manufacturing. Aside for minor fashion changes such as lapel width, pants leg width, or tie width, this “uniform” has remained remarkably stable for 50 to 70 years or more. Watching _Mad Men_, set 50 years ago, Don Draper wouldn’t look too out of place in a modern office (with the exception of his fedora). In contrast, suits worn in _Boardwalk Empire_, set 35 years before _Mad Men_, look much more different. But even so, aside from changes to shirt collars and neckwear, the basic business suit isn’t terribly different all the way back to 1850-1860. I recognize that there is greater informality in other contexts today, and even in upper management of less conservative fields like technology someone like Steve Jobs can affect a turtleneck. Many office environments are less dressy than they used to be, as are other environments. (Sixty years ago lots of men used to go the the baseball game in a suit, tie, and hat.) However, it seems to me that at the upper levels business dress has changed very little in more than half a century. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-all-politicians-wear-suits-and-ties/695390/45 "2014-08-13T15:33:09Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > No. Female ones do not. And you win the award for the most sexist and outdated thread title. > [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > You win the award for biggest overreaction. **Moderator Note** Let’s keep personal jabs out of General Questions. If you have an issue with another poster, take it to the Pit. No warning issued. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-all-politicians-wear-suits-and-ties/695390/46 "2014-08-13T15:35:38Z")
_Mea culpa_. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-all-politicians-wear-suits-and-ties/695390/47 "2014-08-13T16:11:19Z")
I think all Canadian Prime Ministers should be clothed by Don Cherrys’ tailor. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-all-politicians-wear-suits-and-ties/695390/48 "2014-08-13T16:34:25Z")
Men wear ties to show that they can continue to function while part of their oxygen supply is cut off. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-all-politicians-wear-suits-and-ties/695390/49 "2014-08-13T16:41:44Z")
> [@JohnGalt](#): > > Is it the same reason that Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert and Jay Leno (!) etc. wear a suit and tie, along with your local news anchor and weatherman? They are SERIOUS people! Then explain car salesmen to me. 😛 Our present governor wears jeans almost all the time, even when wearing a coat and tie. The thing I hated most about the transition from military to private sector was having to wear one of those hateful things. I don’t even like a T-shirt with a snug collar, let alone intentionally cinching up something that restricts blood flow, so I almost always wore the tie loose, and the collar button undone, which I’m sure annoyed some bosses. Back to politicians. The suit is bad enough, but when combined with a fucking bow tie, it just makes me start looking for the floppy shoes and the clown car. ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-all-politicians-wear-suits-and-ties/695390/50 "2014-08-13T16:58:24Z")
Because if they wore red suspenders, they’d be firemen. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-all-politicians-wear-suits-and-ties/695390/51 "2014-08-13T17:12:03Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Then explain car salesmen to me. 😛 Around here they mostly wear khakis and polos. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-all-politicians-wear-suits-and-ties/695390/52 "2014-08-13T17:15:29Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Back to politicians. The suit is bad enough, but when combined with a fucking bow tie, it just makes me start looking for the floppy shoes and the clown car. I dislike ‘normal’ neckties well enough, but bow ties just seem like little cries for help. ---
**Author:** ![DingoelGringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@DingoelGringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DingoelGringo)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-all-politicians-wear-suits-and-ties/695390/53 "2014-08-13T17:56:34Z")
> [@bardos](#): > > Even from 2nd and 3rd world countries where no one wears this uniform, but wear traditional dress. I think only the leaders of the gulf states and a few African states use traditional garb, maybe some others. But all business people and heads of state, etc. always wear them. When did this begin? > > It looks so stale and sterile. Will anyone ever break this mold? Isn’t it the president of Ecuador who refuses to put on a tie? ---
**Author:** ![DingoelGringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@DingoelGringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DingoelGringo)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-all-politicians-wear-suits-and-ties/695390/54 "2014-08-13T17:57:51Z")
> [@bardos](#): > > I do live in Spain. > > My question: I was just watching Al Jazeera news and I saw that Egyptian president Sisi had arrived in Moscow. He and Putin were both shown in suits and ties. Something snapped in my head… it looked so stupid. > > Who are they trying to fool? They were born naked and both shower naked. You been showering with either or both? ---
**Author:** ![DingoelGringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@DingoelGringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DingoelGringo)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-all-politicians-wear-suits-and-ties/695390/55 "2014-08-13T18:00:58Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > Some posters have hinted at the answer, but nobody yet has managed to give even a half-way full answer. > > The reason that all Western politicians and most businessmen, lawyers, etc., wear suits is because of tradition. The tradition has declined in strength over the last several decades. > > Example: > Buddy Holly. Here is a rock musician–a ROCK MUSICIAN!!–wearing a very conservative suit and tie. > [File:Buddy Holly cropped.JPG - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Buddy_Holly_cropped.JPG) > > As you can see, it used to be so strong a tradition that even “rebels against society” followed it. > > It was even stronger back in Victorian times. A gentleman was considered undressed if he were in shirtsleeves, rather than wearing a coat, in the presence of a lady. A suit, or at least something strongly resembling a suit, was quite literally everyday attire. And was required when one dressed for dinner. Even Tom Sawyer was forced to wear one at times. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-all-politicians-wear-suits-and-ties/695390/56 "2014-08-13T18:28:26Z")
> [@DingoelGringo](#): > > Isn’t it the president of Ecuador who refuses to put on a tie? Rafael Correa sometimes [wears a tie,](http://www.hispanidad.com/imagenes/rafael_correa_16ago12.jpg) and [sometimes doesn’t.](http://selvavidasinfronteras.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/1168874973_12.jpg) Correa is another leftist. However, I don’t think he’s as consistent about not wearing a tie as Mujica or Morales. Nicholas Maduro of Venezuela, although a leftist, seems to [wear a tie](http://www.abc.net.au/news/image/4563658-3x2-940x627.jpg) more often than not. ---
**Author:** ![bardos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bardos/32/1069_2.png) [@bardos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bardos)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-all-politicians-wear-suits-and-ties/695390/57 "2014-08-13T18:54:06Z")
> [@DingoelGringo](#): > > You been showering with either or both? The photos have gotten out? ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2014, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-all-politicians-wear-suits-and-ties/695390/58 "2014-08-14T19:11:41Z")
> [@bardos](#): > > The thing is, I am weird. When I see someone in a suit and tie, I do not trust them. It’s the same with people phoning me and telling me I have won a free gift or something similar. You do understand that this says more about you than it does about people wearing suits? Men throughout much of the business world wear suits as it is the uniform of their profession, nothing more or less. ---
**Author:** ![bardos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bardos/32/1069_2.png) [@bardos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bardos)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2014, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-all-politicians-wear-suits-and-ties/695390/59 "2014-08-14T19:35:36Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > You do understand that this says more about you than it does about people wearing suits? Men throughout much of the business world wear suits as it is the uniform of their profession, nothing more or less. I quote myself: The thing is, I am weird. ---
**Author:** ![syncrolecyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@syncrolecyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syncrolecyne)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-all-politicians-wear-suits-and-ties/695390/60 "2014-08-15T01:56:52Z")
There are some regional variations, like Hawaiians in Hawaiian shirts, bolo ties in the west, Stetson hats in Texas, and seersucker suits in the south. In some areas with a strong Latin/Caribbean influence (South Florida?) a guayabera is “formal.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-all-politicians-wear-suits-and-ties/695390.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-all-politicians-wear-suits-and-ties/695390.md?page=4)