Raju Korti
Having seen Prime Minister Narendra Modi from close enough quarters even before he had made it to national consciousness, it came to me as no surprise at all. For someone who wears his name like a factory label on his sleeve, very few got the fine print when he wore that pompous coat with his name monogrammed all over as pin-stripes.
Modi's sartorial sense was never in question although he mentioned very casually once that whatever he wore, fit him well enough. To me, the key element in this "coat episode" was President Barrack Obama subtly hinting that he would not mind adding a few Modi kurtas to his wardrobe. The long sighs all over the country, however, said it all: How could the prime minister of a country put the state exchequer in the hole for Rs 10 lakh to wear an outrageous and self-glorifying attire. But in India controversies happen out of non-issues as well. The late Egypt President Hosni Mubarak had achieved that feat much before in 2009 when he wore a suit with his name inscribed into the pin-stripes. But the military and political leader could manage only murmurs as against Modi's uproar. In his country, Mubarak was the self-anointed head of state while Modi assumed power through public mandate. Mubarak was an officially acknowledged dictator, Modi the unofficial one.
This is no comparison between Modi and Mubarak. The interesting issue to me here is what makes for an ideal dress sense if you happen to be in public life and more so as a leader of masses. The Washington Post has summed up the predicament of former President Bill Clinton on what to wear when he is no longer the centre of attraction. But Clinton, who came to be almost impeached in 1998, needn't worry too much about it. His sexual escapades with a 21-year-old White House intern and then bluffing his countrymen about it are still good enough to keep him in limelight. The present presidential contender Donald Trump seems to have made an integral part of his campaign to provide refreshers on Clinton's sexual misadventures and taunting wife Hillary. The former First Lady, the true Methodist she is, seems to be taking it in her stride with a poise that has managed to stand by her so far. It is immaterial how much bearing Trump's trumpeting of Clinton's misdemeanants will have on the presidential elections but the former president, is at the moment more bogged down by his predicament on what it means to wear a uniform of power but not possess it.
Although Clinton is preparing for the role of a backstage performer with all the skills acquired from those post-presidential orations, there are many Americans who believe that his dress sense will have an influential role to play when he reels out those applause lines in support of his once wronged wife. A sizeable section of the population keenly watching the presidential election drama unfold, are keen to know whether Clinton wears something American or some fancy European import.
It is generally believed that if Clinton's campaign works for his wife, his clothes will assume a great significance because his clothes would reveal the true him. The contention behind this logic is if he doesn't stick to protocol and tradition, he wouldn't be delivering an address at the swearing-in or a toast at a state dinner. So what Clinton wears will depend much on what his stylists design for him.
Based on a survey of his photographs, the Washington Post found that President Obama used mostly two tuxedos while in office. But that that was a non issue. Clinton has been wearing a mix between the casual and informal while canvassing for his wife, ostensibly to gain public sympathy -- a perceptible effort to atone for a wrong that cost him his office.
The paper's parting shot says it all: "He (Clinton) wears a Hillary-for-president pin during his campaign trail. Sometimes it is a tasteful little H. Sometimes it's a medallion of the size of a saucer. This time, he is not selling America on itself. He is selling the country on his wife."
Now draw parallels with Modi and sketch the picture of your choice.
 |
| Club of four suits: Carter, Clinton, Obama and Bush (whitehouse.gov) |
Modi's sartorial sense was never in question although he mentioned very casually once that whatever he wore, fit him well enough. To me, the key element in this "coat episode" was President Barrack Obama subtly hinting that he would not mind adding a few Modi kurtas to his wardrobe. The long sighs all over the country, however, said it all: How could the prime minister of a country put the state exchequer in the hole for Rs 10 lakh to wear an outrageous and self-glorifying attire. But in India controversies happen out of non-issues as well. The late Egypt President Hosni Mubarak had achieved that feat much before in 2009 when he wore a suit with his name inscribed into the pin-stripes. But the military and political leader could manage only murmurs as against Modi's uproar. In his country, Mubarak was the self-anointed head of state while Modi assumed power through public mandate. Mubarak was an officially acknowledged dictator, Modi the unofficial one.
This is no comparison between Modi and Mubarak. The interesting issue to me here is what makes for an ideal dress sense if you happen to be in public life and more so as a leader of masses. The Washington Post has summed up the predicament of former President Bill Clinton on what to wear when he is no longer the centre of attraction. But Clinton, who came to be almost impeached in 1998, needn't worry too much about it. His sexual escapades with a 21-year-old White House intern and then bluffing his countrymen about it are still good enough to keep him in limelight. The present presidential contender Donald Trump seems to have made an integral part of his campaign to provide refreshers on Clinton's sexual misadventures and taunting wife Hillary. The former First Lady, the true Methodist she is, seems to be taking it in her stride with a poise that has managed to stand by her so far. It is immaterial how much bearing Trump's trumpeting of Clinton's misdemeanants will have on the presidential elections but the former president, is at the moment more bogged down by his predicament on what it means to wear a uniform of power but not possess it.
Although Clinton is preparing for the role of a backstage performer with all the skills acquired from those post-presidential orations, there are many Americans who believe that his dress sense will have an influential role to play when he reels out those applause lines in support of his once wronged wife. A sizeable section of the population keenly watching the presidential election drama unfold, are keen to know whether Clinton wears something American or some fancy European import.
It is generally believed that if Clinton's campaign works for his wife, his clothes will assume a great significance because his clothes would reveal the true him. The contention behind this logic is if he doesn't stick to protocol and tradition, he wouldn't be delivering an address at the swearing-in or a toast at a state dinner. So what Clinton wears will depend much on what his stylists design for him.
Based on a survey of his photographs, the Washington Post found that President Obama used mostly two tuxedos while in office. But that that was a non issue. Clinton has been wearing a mix between the casual and informal while canvassing for his wife, ostensibly to gain public sympathy -- a perceptible effort to atone for a wrong that cost him his office.
The paper's parting shot says it all: "He (Clinton) wears a Hillary-for-president pin during his campaign trail. Sometimes it is a tasteful little H. Sometimes it's a medallion of the size of a saucer. This time, he is not selling America on itself. He is selling the country on his wife."
Now draw parallels with Modi and sketch the picture of your choice.
No comments:
Post a Comment