President Barack Obama sported a tan suit Thursday at a press conference devoted to foreign policy challenges, and scores of self-appointed fashion police and Twitter analysts took note.
The comparatively summery shade marked an unusual style choice for the president, usually clad in sober navy and shades of gray, and instantly sparked a flood of comments on Twitter, as well as its own Twitter account, @Tan_Suit.
.@HillaryClinton I can be refitted for 2016. #justsaying #tansuit — Tan Suit (@Tan_Suit) August 28, 2014
@bfinstock Nothing says #FearMe like a #TanSuit. — Mix It Up (@AMFMPMTOO) August 28, 2014
What the world inferred from Obama's recent statement about #Ukraine issue - He is wearing #tansuit �� — Saravanan (@kpsaravan) August 28, 2014
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Obama wore a #tansuit to today's press conference and Twitter is opinionated about the choice http://t.co/ZH2xGFA3yU — Los Angeles Times (@latimes) August 28, 2014
.@BarackObama looks like his own press secretary http://t.co/rlPZDd68V3 #tansuit pic.twitter.com/VWLINSvhSb — Lance Ulanoff (@LanceUlanoff) August 28, 2014
Obama may have had his reasons. Labor Day is fast approaching, as one Twitter user noted, and along with it some old-fashioned rules of fashion.
Obama: "I selected this suit because it's my last opportunity to sport a casual look before Labor Day" #tansuit — Charlotte Alter (@CharlotteAlter) August 28, 2014
Some people were quick to point out that the tan suit was not exactly unprecedented among presidents.
Bill Clinton in #tansuit pic.twitter.com/001AT966MD — Domenico Montanaro (@DomenicoPBS) August 28, 2014
http://t.co/tcPFJsU2ps Ronald Reagan Doll comes in a tan suit #tansuit — katie (@uhalrightmaybe) August 28, 2014
Obama had busted out the dapper look back in the spring, too.
Barack Obama previously in #tansuit for Easter pic.twitter.com/rFoA4mrFOu — Domenico Montanaro (@DomenicoPBS) August 28, 2014
And one user noted that the kind of scrutiny Obama's attire was being subjected to was just a daily reality for many women in the public eye.
I wonder if President Obama feels the way female politicians must feel when people obsess over appearances rather than substance? #tansuit — Joseph Ferraro (@JosephFerraroTV) August 28, 2014