# 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:** 11\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-all-politicians-wear-suits-and-ties/695390/61 "2014-08-15T06:18:40Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > I always thought Iran’s Ahmedinejad was going for the college professor look with the shirt, no tie, and cheap sports coat. Certainly didn’t look like your average politician. Curiously enough, he holds a doctorate in civil engineering, and did work as a lecturer at the Iranian University of Science and Technology. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-all-politicians-wear-suits-and-ties/695390/62 "2014-08-15T06:19:58Z")
> [@Jim\_Bow](#): > > The three piece suit is a European creation in the first place. Perhaps the question should be, “Why do American male politicians wear European clothing?” As opposed to what? Buckskin? ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-all-politicians-wear-suits-and-ties/695390/63 "2014-08-15T08:35:50Z")
> [@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. Not particularly helpful since the entire premise of this thread is questioning _why_ this peculiar thing exists, _not_ disputing that it does. People every day do base and ugly things as a matter of custom; tradition and expectations can be vital, they can also be stupid and oppressive. Abandoning the suit/tie as normal demanded wear will be as great a leap, and as liberating, as the change from individual cesspits to modern sanitation. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-all-politicians-wear-suits-and-ties/695390/64 "2014-08-15T08:43:17Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > Abandoning the suit/tie as normal demanded wear will be as great a leap, and as liberating, as the change from individual cesspits to modern sanitation. Why? Were people thus liberated when they abandoned three-peice suits for two-piece suits? When they abandoned black coats and striped trousers for lounge suits? When they abandoned tail coats for short coats, or frock coats for tail coats? Fashions change. This one will too. But it won’t matter greatly when it does. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-all-politicians-wear-suits-and-ties/695390/65 "2014-08-15T09:34:37Z")
Well knee-breeches were pretty silly. The sea-change resides not so much in the utter abandonment of use ( which may not be strictly desirable ) as in the spiritual alteration effected by ceasing prescription. I have less interest in whether elected politicians and businessmen continue to look idiots, as that formalism stops demanding that it is expected of other men. To take a parallel case, many American women wear Romper Suits. I find this curious and unattractive: maybe some Americans feel this way also; however, no-one anywhere is demanding romper suits be banned — but having romper suits as expected customary formal wear would be as oppressive as the demand that men wear suits/ties. Wear what you like, just don’t ever continue sumptuary laws for everyone else. In my own country, Quakers wore, and were expected to wear, 17th century clothing as late as the early 20th century. No harm in that if choice, but abandoning that dead convention was a great relief to those who were free to adopt clothing they preferred. ---
**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 15, 2014, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-all-politicians-wear-suits-and-ties/695390/66 "2014-08-15T19:28:45Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > Abandoning the suit/tie as normal demanded wear will be as great a leap, and as liberating, as the change from individual cesspits to modern sanitation. And I find that anti-establishment sentiments can be equally intolerant as establishment sentiments, as they are equally predicated on the notion that “my way is better”. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-all-politicians-wear-suits-and-ties/695390/67 "2014-08-15T19:44:05Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > Abandoning the suit/tie as normal demanded wear will be as great a leap, and as liberating, as the change from individual cesspits to modern sanitation. The abandonment of cesspits did indeed liberate people from cholera, typhoid, hepatitis, and similar diseases. Perhaps the abandonment of suits would stifle the spread of some diseases, but I’ll be damned if I know what bacteria are spread through the oral-wool, rather than the oral-fecal, route. ---
**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 15, 2014, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-all-politicians-wear-suits-and-ties/695390/68 "2014-08-15T19:49:43Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > Abandoning the suit/tie as normal demanded wear will be as great a leap, and as liberating, as the change from individual cesspits to modern sanitation. > [@UDS](#): > > Why? Were people thus liberated when they abandoned three-peice suits for two-piece suits? When they abandoned black coats and striped trousers for lounge suits? When they abandoned tail coats for short coats, or frock coats for tail coats? > > Fashions change. This one will too. But it won’t matter greatly when it does. > [@Claverhouse](#): > > The sea-change resides not so much in the utter abandonment of use ( which may not be strictly desirable ) as in the spiritual alteration effected by ceasing prescription. > I have less interest in whether elected politicians and businessmen continue to look idiots, as that formalism stops demanding that it is expected of other men. > [@Icarus](#): > > And I find that anti-establishment sentiments can be equally intolerant as establishment sentiments, as they are equally predicated on the notion that “my way is better”. **Moderator Note** I don’t think the “spiritual alteration” caused by not wearing suits, or the intolerance of other poster’s views, are really subjects suitable for General Questions. If you want to get into a discussion of the moral values connected with suit-wearing, please open a new thread in Great Debates. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-all-politicians-wear-suits-and-ties/695390/69 "2014-08-15T19:53:19Z")
[QUOTE=Icarus] And I find that anti-establishment sentiments can be equally intolerant as establishment sentiments, as they are equally predicated on the notion that “my way is better”. [/QUOTE] Perhaps, but it is the establishment side that enforces compulsory conformity, certainly in this case. They are the ones saying that men should wear suits/ties as a matter of ‘respect’ The other side is saying, ‘_Sure, wear suits and ties if you want, Forever and Ever in the Name of the Father, the Son & the Holy Ghost, World Unending, with Eternal Joy, Amen: just don’t demand it of others_.’ And I’m as profound a cultural conservative as it gets. Not that I would want to give the suggestion Jesus would be associated with unthinking conformists. As a long-haired beardie dressed in robes He would be run out on a rail by any god-fearing, short back and sides, all-american congregation. And on the third day, He would return, and kick the shit out of any business-suited prosperity tele-evangelists hanging about. ---
**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 15, 2014, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-all-politicians-wear-suits-and-ties/695390/70 "2014-08-15T20:17:34Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > Perhaps, but it is the establishment side that enforces compulsory conformity, certainly in this case. They are the ones saying that men should wear suits/ties as a matter of ‘respect’ > > The other side is saying, ‘_Sure, wear suits and ties if you want, Forever and Ever in the Name of the Father, the Son & the Holy Ghost, World Unending, with Eternal Joy, Amen: just don’t demand it of others_.’ > And I’m as profound a cultural conservative as it gets. > > Not that I would want to give the suggestion Jesus would be associated with unthinking conformists. As a long-haired beardie dressed in robes He would be run out on a rail by any god-fearing, short back and sides, all-american congregation. > > And on the third day, He would return, and kick the shit out of any business-suited prosperity tele-evangelists hanging about. **Moderator Note** **Claverhouse** , I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you posted this before seeing my instructions. However, further posts along these lines will be subject to a warning. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-all-politicians-wear-suits-and-ties/695390/71 "2014-08-15T21:26:34Z")
Indeed, when mine came up yours was there. And, under those constrictions, I leave the thread. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-all-politicians-wear-suits-and-ties/695390.md?page=3)