Donald Trump Speech a Makeover?

President Donald Trump’s speech before Congress on Tuesday, Feb. 28, was vastly different than the inaugural address he gave five weeks prior in tone and tailoring. Perhaps Trump’s inner circle recognized that a do-over on that speech was not possible, but a makeover now clearly was.

There have been two years of Trump’s campaign stump and inaugural foreboding tones and the newer “America First” slogan evoking shades of Hitler sympathizers. His Congressional appearance now, however, used a warmer, more optimistic tone. Gone were the snarky asides and off-topic comments in favor of a more polished presentation. The tonal improvement made 70-year-old Trump sound presidential and the visual makeover actually make him look the part too.

Trump appeared like the rich New York businessman (now politician) people would have expected. The tweaks to his wardrobe (and overall appearance) were not subtle; they were monumentally noticeable from the onset.

The Look

The Donald 2.0 was not so noticeably orange, but the biggest changes were from the neck down. A man’s tie should fall to the middle of his waistband or belt. The cartoonish red ties he chose for his inauguration and several other high-profile events were ridiculous long. Trump’s ties typically fall at least four inches before that point. John Stewart parodied the red ties on television the week after the inauguration with a look sure to be copied on Halloween – a bold red tie so long it dragged on the floor. For the Capitol Hill speech, the president opted for a classic navy-striped tie.

The tie was not the only clownish part of his sartorial optics that underwent a makeover for the speech. Gone were the embarrassingly baggy suits with sleeves too long (totally covering up his shirt cuffs) and ill-fitted back. Did he want everyone to believe he was too busy preparing for the inauguration to bother getting his clothes fitted? Or that he bought them off the rack at Macy’s like his blue-collar followers might have (when they still sold them at Macy’s)?

Instead, for the speech this week, the president wore a well-tailored suit with sleeves and overall length hitting him just right. He even buttoned the jacket and actually looked sharp.

The Effect?

The importance of looking the part should not be minimized. Trump needed to reset the ill-fitting look and tone of his presidency. In the play “Vicuña,” which ran last year at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City, Calif., the Trump-like candidate wanted a new suit to look presidential. He sought out a great presidential tailor to make a powerful suit from vicuña (hence the name), because “clothing conveys credibility.”

Trump’s appearance Tuesday night won praise his more measured tones. While the new more-mellow man in the White House has not even ranted on Twitter for several days, the transformation could be short-lived. Let us hope it is a true attempt to restart his Presidency a month late with a more professional, more conciliatory demeanor. Maybe, he will even develop a less adversarial tone with the major media outlets!

There are several maxims that seem appropriate here, like “The suit makes the man.” Hopefully the Donald Trump sartorial makeover for the speech will not be a one-time thing or prove to be modern reenactment of the “emperor’s new clothes.” Maybe dressing like a president and giving a formal speech like one will be baby steps toward acting like one.

By Dyanne Weiss

Sources:
Viewing Speech Feb. 28
Viewing Inauguration Jan. 20
Boston Globe: Everything that happened in Donald Trump’s address to Congress
Bloomberg: Is Donald Trump Finally Dressing Like a President?
GQ: The right tie length

DoD inauguration photo by U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Cristian L. Ricardo (Public Domain)