World leaders believe that wearing jeans makes them look relaxed and in tune with the common man. Sadly, these photographs suggest that it’s not always that easy
Vladimir Putin
Politicians wear jeans to show that they are easygoing and ordinary, just like the people they are repressing. And here the Russian President-turned-prime-minister-turned-president very nearly pulls off the look. It only fails because of the shirt buttoned up to the neck, the mafiosi-style mirror shades, the thin, terrifying smile and the fresh imprint of Dmitry Medvedev’s tongue on his trainers.
George W. Bush
The jeans. The belt. The open necked shirt. The 10-gallon hat. The macho stance, as if he’s about to unholster his trusty six-shooter. George Bush looks more like a cowboy than the leader of the free world. Exactly what he intended.
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David Cameron
“Ah, so Mr President, when we got the memo on dress code we didn’t realise that ‘smart casual’ meant ‘no tie’ not ‘jeans and sweater’. I’m so sorry, I . . .” “Don’t worry, Dave. Your internship is safe.”
Tony Blair
The former Ambassador to the United States, Sir Christopher Meyer, once recalled Tony Blair turning up to meet President Bush at Camp David wearing “ball-crushingly tight” blue corduroys. Here his hands are rammed so hard into his pockets that he looks the complete opposite of relaxed; is Alastair Campbell standing behind the photographer growling “look sunny. Look chilled out. Look normal”?
Barack Obama
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This was the President’s pitch to beat Anton Du Beke to the coveted Rear of the Year award. He didn’t win, nor did he start a trend among baseball players to wear ass-clinging denim and pristine white trainers on the pitcher’s mound.