Candidates share one characteristic: Bland fashion
- It's Romney's preppy-conservative look versus Obama's more casual, relaxed style
- One wore high-waisted "dad jeans," while the other was teased for his "skinny jeans"
- The vice presidential candidates have their own set of fashion faux pas
Another presidential election, another year of men dressing blandly. Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney, who meet for their first debate tonight, share nothing in common except their reluctance to step outside the safe-and-forgettable box in their apparel and appearance, say men's fashion experts.
Not that they look bad. The just don't stand out. On purpose, says Tyler Thoreson, vice president of creative and editorial for Gilt Man, the flash-sale website. "It's not fair to hold these guys accountable for having fashion sense because dressing too well sends the wrong messages," he says. "Everything has to be in the middle ground where it's just bland enough not to draw attention to itself."
Most men, not just candidates, live in fear of making fashion mistakes, says David Zinczenko, editor-in-chief of Men's Health. "They don't care about being uninteresting, they care about looking foolish," he says. "If I were opening a clothing store for guys, I would call it 'You Won't Look Foolish.' Guys like rules, and so a handful of clothing rules are what most men follow."
The vice-presidential candidates have their own style issues: Republican Paul Ryan, a fitness fiend, for some reason favors suits and shirts way too big for him, while Democrat Joe Biden dresses like the French-cuffed, custom-tailored, blow-dried U.S. senator he used to be.
But most attention is on the two guys at the top of the tickets. So far neither has made any egregious mistakes (Gucci loafers at the state fair, $400 haircuts), most likely due to good advice from behind-the-scenes style consultants. Style-wise, what stands out about Obama is his slim build, which make his suits look more fitted than they really are. What stands out for Romney is that his conservative dress reflects what he is, a CEO in a quality suit.