“Behind every man there is a great woman,” the saying goes. When it comes to modern politics, however, the ‘big woman’ is increasingly taking center stage – and never more so than in an election year, when the smartest male politicians seem to realize that their biggest vote-winner may in fact not only be their fiscal policy, but also the style references of their women.
The phrase “politician’s wife” has always felt a bit dismissive, connoting a second-class status that didn’t suit women like Cherie Blair, a respected human rights lawyer, or Samantha Cameron, a successful businesswoman.
Today’s political husbands are successful in their own right and deserve the more flattering description “first lady” – an Americanism, yes, but one that fits the increasingly important role and status of these women.
With elections looming in the UK, France and the US, all eyes are increasingly focused on the clothing choices of the respective First Ladies Akshata Murty, Brigitte Macron and Jill Biden. All three have never looked so polished.
As she accompanied her husband to a diplomatic dinner in Normandy to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Dr. Jill Biden was the diplomatic dresser in a deep blue velvet Schiaparelli dress.
The label was founded in Paris in 1927 by Elsa Schiaparelli – an Italian – and is revered in France for its surreal designs. The fact that the current creative director, Daniel Roseberry, is American made the dress a patriotic choice that at the same time honored French fashion.
Bonus points that the hue echoed the color of the Democratic Party. Brigitte Macron, meanwhile, flew the flag for French fashion in a white Louis Vuitton dress adorned with statement buttons.
When it comes to finding a style formula, diplomatic dressing is increasingly a priority for today’s first ladies. While many countries probably claim to have developed the concept, Britain certainly played a major role.
During her reign, Queen Elizabeth II was an extremely diplomatic dresser, often nodding to the colors, prints and cultures of her host country through her wardrobe.
With greater freedom to wear designer labels than the Queen, the Princess of Wales refined the concept, often choosing designers from the country she was visiting, as well as patriotically showcasing British labels abroad.
It’s not surprising that first ladies have borrowed a few tricks from the royal playbook. After all, no one is more accustomed to global public scrutiny than royalty. Most modern first ladies agree that the international stage, while not without sartorial challenges, offers a wonderful opportunity to promote homegrown fashion brands.
But the idea that any first lady can simply throw an armful of clothes in a suitcase and go is fanciful. When all your choices are under scrutiny, discreet – very discreet – professional help is required. Rumor has it that Brigitte Macron will team up with Mathieu Barthelat Colin, while Jill Biden will enlist the help of stylist Bailey Moon.
During her six years as special advisor to Samantha Cameron, image consultant Isabel Spearman did much to promote smaller British brands internationally, boosting sales.
While reports that Spearman is currently advising Akshata Murty in a similar capacity remain unconfirmed, there is nothing in Murty’s current style formula that contradicts it.
Like Mrs Cameron, Prime Minister Sunak’s wife knows exactly when to flex her fashion muscles, and when to flex them.
Case in point: the 1940s-inspired cream bouclé suit she wore to the D-Day commemoration in Normandy, designed by Claire Mischevani from Shropshire.
“Elegance is the key word, as is dressing respectfully,” says Mischevani of the style template she used when designing Murty’s D-Day suit. “Colors and styles must be chosen with great care so that the outfit makes our customer feel her best on the world stage.”
While her suit’s four-figure price tag won’t endear Murty to minimum-wage voters, her previous outfit, a soft pink jacket from London high street label Aligne, was thoughtfully priced at a more accessible £165.
This financial form of fashion diplomacy was heavily developed by Michelle Obama, who during her husband’s presidency (2009-2017) was a skilled practitioner of high/low dressing, always careful to offset expensive designer labels with more affordable purchases from the American high street. .
Although she has done a lot for independent American designers such as Jason Wu and Prabal Gurung, it is significant that one of the garments for which she is still most remembered is a simple cardigan from American retailer J Crew.
With the help of her stylist Meredith Koop, Mrs. Obama’s carefully curated mix of prestige and mass-market brands always made her look glamorous, yet recognizable. It’s a blueprint that seems to have inspired Samantha Cameron, Carrie Johnson and Akshata Murty, to name just three.
As the wives of Conservative Prime Ministers, it is perhaps no coincidence that these first ladies are careful not to dress in a way that could further reinforce the idea that the Tory party is out of touch with the average Briton.
Carrie Johnson is such an avid fan of dress rental companies that when she married Boris Johnson in 2021, she even rented her wedding dress.
The £45 price tag was worth its weight in PR gold. Akshata Murty, meanwhile, carefully combines her Gucci with medium-sized labels such as Boden and Me + Em.
In France there are no concerns about connecting with the electorate. Brigitte Macron’s wardrobe of chic, understated Louis Vuitton is worn entirely without apology, just like that of her predecessor, Carla Bruni.
At 71, Macron’s penchant for smart suits and judiciously chosen couture dresses has made her a style icon among older women. Never mind that France is going through its own cost of living crisis: regardless of the price tag, the view is that French fashion should be celebrated at all costs.
When it comes to capturing modern first lady style, it helps if the women in question already have their own style. When Akshata Murty was spotted off-duty in a £570 pair of slippers by London Fashion Week designer JW Anderson, it turned out to be an organic choice, rather than one curated by a stylist.
These and other eclectic choices suggest that Murty loves fashion and is confident in her own ability to mix and match. The same goes for Samantha Cameron, whose job as creative director of Smythson led her to consider designers such as Erdem and Roksanda as personal friends long before her husband became prime minister.
When he was elected in 2010, she understandably turned to these and other British designers for her wardrobe. Her love of bright colors and bold prints ushered in a new era of first lady dressing, which was more experimental than before in Britain.
Mischevani believes that social media has raised the bar even higher. “Appearance is constantly under scrutiny thanks to various social media platforms around the world. There is definitely more pressure on designers, stylists and their clients to ensure they are wearing pieces that are flattering, stylish and appropriate for the occasion.”
But even without the added pressure of social media, commenting on first ladies’ clothing choices has become something of an international sport.
“Whether you like it or not, if you are in politics, or in any public role, you will be in the spotlight, and women in particular will be scrutinized,” says a former newspaper editor.
“What women wear is certainly still more important and varied than the cut of a president or the always dark blue suit of the prime minister. The reporting may become less overtly sexist, but whatever your gender, the optics are more important than ever.”
In 1995, Hillary Clinton joked, “If I want to get a story off the front page, I just change my haircut.”
Nearly thirty years later, her point has never felt more relevant.
The most successful first ladies serve as diplomats and diverters, patriots and hostesses, fashion ambassadors and vote-getters. Without them, politics would be much more boring.