Given the general ridicule surrounding his latest choice of coach, it’s almost possible to feel sorry for our super-rich Prime Minister. For anyone wondering whether the much-hyped, much-worn Adidas Samba had reached its peak, that quick shot of the Conservative Party leader in his white-and-black tracksuit gave a knowing nod: Yep, it’s over. The man even apologized.
Just months ago, Vogue’s new head girl, Chioma Nnadi, was hailed as “The Devil Wears Sambas”; His choice of shoes underlined that he was Condé Nast’s new and cool collar. No fashion cycle has ever been this brutally sharp. When asked diplomatically about her sneaker preference, which she shared with the Prime Minister on Women’s Hour, Nnadi said: “It’s not about who wears it, it’s about how you wear it. Sambas are a classic, I don’t think it’s over yet.”
Altar is in fine form when it comes to unwittingly diving into once-trendy waters. From city boy cropped trousers and Prada loafers to outrageous Palm Angels slippers, not forgetting the pandemic-era gray cashmere hoodie (over a shirt and tie), the kryptonite touch of trend certainly has a wide range. Sambas aren’t even the first sneakers he’s put the kibosh on. The £335 Joint Projects trainers, along with colleagues Liz Truss (in Reiss) and Matt Hancock (in Vejas, shudder), were a veritable trio of disasters for the white trainer, a simple triumph for the style set.
Levels of viral hate are perhaps a useful insight into levels of popularity. Keir Starmer is also an adidas fan, although he hasn’t been seen in the Samba yet he’s never been as terrified as Sunak when he stepped out in the Samba. SW1 is really where the cool goes for some serious lounging.
Dressing for Downing Street is a thankless task constrained by Little Britain’s attitude towards fashion, where spending on style is seen as a moral failing. Remember the hysteria over the £995 Amanda Wakeley leather trousers Theresa May wore in a magazine spread, which caused Nicky Morgan to take sisterly shots? The former education secretary joked: “How do I explain this in Loughborough market?” and was promptly banned from No10. Karma came to Morgan with her own (£950) Mulberry Bayswater, which was used as a replacement when she was withdrawn from I’ve Got News for You. In keeping with Thatcher tradition, this was a real carry-on bag.
May has always had an enthusiastic style. During his tenure he was a constant point of reference for those of us at the forefront of the fashion world. There was a certain period when it was impossible to talk about leopard print without at least a cursory suggestive remark towards kitten heels; or indeed his obsession with the power necklace. We left these for layered single chain stacks, of course.
David Cameron took particular comfort in wearing off-duty dad clothes, and Orlebar Brown’s £225 flashy printed swimsuits (also worn by Tony Blair) and Converse All Stars helped fans mock the middle class. Jeremy Corbyn’s retro Wilson shell suit may have made an impact at Kingsland Road, but his advisers forbade him from wearing it in public. All attempts to keep up with the trend cycle seem to elude them. Are you still triggered by William Hague’s eponymous baseball cap? Does irony make a sound when it dies?
Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband thought they would be congratulated for wearing Elle magazine’s This Looks Like a Feminist slogan t-shirt, but unfortunately when claims emerged that female factory workers were being paid 62p an hour to produce the tops (which was denied by the charity behind them), it was obvious they seemed somehow out of tune. Gillian Keegan, who told teachers to be realistic about their pay demands, was also seen wearing a Rolex worth £10,000. Let them wear Swatch!
While American politicians tend to sport brighter looks, at Donald Trump’s inauguration, Kellyanne Conway threatened to derail Alessandro Michele’s flamboyant get-up by wearing a coat from Gucci’s British-themed collection, which was unveiled at a show at Westminster Abbey. Likewise, I’m not sure any of us will ever look at a bow-tie blouse the same way again after Melania wore a hot pink iteration to her “grab-her-pussy” door following her husband’s second presidential debate.
On the other side of the political aisle, Barack Obama’s denim choices were recently used as a barometer of what’s uncool in a New York Times article on the width of trousers — if Obama says skinny legs, trendsetters go wide, and vice versa. Is your political fashion being brought home? They may make the rules, but they never stay within the red lines of their style.