Republicans Are Losing Their Mind Over the Senate’s New Dress Code
Republicans are so pissed that Senator John Fetterman can keep wearing his shorts and hoodies. Meanwhile, the government hurtles toward shutdown.
DREW ANGERER/GETTY IMAGES
Senator John Fetterman (left) with an aide
THE NEW REPUBLIC
This weekend, Senator Chuck Schumer announced that the Senate will no longer enforce a formal dress code—and Republicans have been losing their mind ever since.
In particular, Republicans are mad that Senator John Fetterman’s casual fashion sense is officially acceptable. The Pennsylvania senator has become known for forgoing the suit and tie worn by his colleagues and wearing shorts and sweatshirts instead.
On Sunday, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to lambaste the change in the Senate’s dress code as a “disgraceful” attempt to “appease Fetterman.”
“Dress code is one of society’s standards that set etiquette and respect for our institutions,” Greene wrote. “Stop lowering the bar!”
In response, Fetterman reminded everyone that it was actually Greene who’d lowered the bar.
“Thankfully, the nation’s lower chamber lives by a higher code of conduct: displaying ding-a-ling-pics in a public hearing,” he wrote in a post on X, referring to MTG’s decision to hold up poster-size prints of Hunter Biden’s nude photos during a House Oversight Committee hearing this summer.
But Greene isn’t the only Republican making a stink.
On Monday morning, former Trump political adviser Stephen Miller took a break from his new career of filing lawsuits against Pop-Tarts and M&Ms to also criticize the new dress code.
Fox News has similarly been quick to pick up the supposed controversy. In an interview on Fox Business on Sunday, Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin was asked about the change in Senate dress code and called Fetterman’s outfits “completely disrespectful.”
“There’s a side of me that’s super excited about it because I hate wearing a tie, and I’d rather be in blue jeans and a pair of boots and a white T-shirt,” Mullin admitted in surprising detail. “But the fact is, that you do dress for the job. And we need to be respectful of the position we hold,” he added.
When asked if the change in dress code was Schumer’s attempt to appease Fetterman, Mullin replied, “Of course it is. Hundred percent.”
Last week, Representative Matt Gaetz also freaked out about Fetterman’s clothes. In an interview with Steve Bannon, Gaetz remarked, “That is the best-dressed we have ever seen John Fetterman.”
“His shirt had both buttons, and the entire pant was not elastic. There were elastic features, but it was not exclusively elastic,” Gaetz said.
Fetterman had this to say to Gaetz: “Instead of crying about how I dress, how about you get your shit together and do your job, bud?”
As the government hurtles toward another shutdown, it’s good to know that Republicans have more interest in fashion commentary than governing.
Republicans are so pissed that Senator John Fetterman can keep wearing his shorts and hoodies. Meanwhile, the government hurtles toward shutdown.
DREW ANGERER/GETTY IMAGES
Senator John Fetterman (left) with an aide
THE NEW REPUBLIC
This weekend, Senator Chuck Schumer announced that the Senate will no longer enforce a formal dress code—and Republicans have been losing their mind ever since.
In particular, Republicans are mad that Senator John Fetterman’s casual fashion sense is officially acceptable. The Pennsylvania senator has become known for forgoing the suit and tie worn by his colleagues and wearing shorts and sweatshirts instead.
On Sunday, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to lambaste the change in the Senate’s dress code as a “disgraceful” attempt to “appease Fetterman.”
“Dress code is one of society’s standards that set etiquette and respect for our institutions,” Greene wrote. “Stop lowering the bar!”
In response, Fetterman reminded everyone that it was actually Greene who’d lowered the bar.
“Thankfully, the nation’s lower chamber lives by a higher code of conduct: displaying ding-a-ling-pics in a public hearing,” he wrote in a post on X, referring to MTG’s decision to hold up poster-size prints of Hunter Biden’s nude photos during a House Oversight Committee hearing this summer.
But Greene isn’t the only Republican making a stink.
On Monday morning, former Trump political adviser Stephen Miller took a break from his new career of filing lawsuits against Pop-Tarts and M&Ms to also criticize the new dress code.
Fox News has similarly been quick to pick up the supposed controversy. In an interview on Fox Business on Sunday, Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin was asked about the change in Senate dress code and called Fetterman’s outfits “completely disrespectful.”
“There’s a side of me that’s super excited about it because I hate wearing a tie, and I’d rather be in blue jeans and a pair of boots and a white T-shirt,” Mullin admitted in surprising detail. “But the fact is, that you do dress for the job. And we need to be respectful of the position we hold,” he added.
When asked if the change in dress code was Schumer’s attempt to appease Fetterman, Mullin replied, “Of course it is. Hundred percent.”
Last week, Representative Matt Gaetz also freaked out about Fetterman’s clothes. In an interview with Steve Bannon, Gaetz remarked, “That is the best-dressed we have ever seen John Fetterman.”
“His shirt had both buttons, and the entire pant was not elastic. There were elastic features, but it was not exclusively elastic,” Gaetz said.
Fetterman had this to say to Gaetz: “Instead of crying about how I dress, how about you get your shit together and do your job, bud?”
As the government hurtles toward another shutdown, it’s good to know that Republicans have more interest in fashion commentary than governing.
Rightwingers are blaming the Pennsylvania Democrat for Senate’s dress code change
Alaina Demopoulos
Wed 20 Sep 2023
Are sweatsuits in Congress a sign of the country’s eroding morals?
Photograph: Jacquelyn Martin/AP
Does it matter what politicians wear? It’s an issue pundits have long debated – especially when the subjects are women. This time, though, the target is John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, whose wardrobe is drawing ire, as rightwingers seek to blame him for recent relaxation of the Senate dress code policy.
Fetterman is known for dressing in oversized hoodies, sweatsuits, and shorts. Rightwingers have been blaming him for Senator Chuck Schumer’s introduction of a new dress code last week: lawmakers no longer have to don formalwear before entering the chamber.
“The Senate no longer enforcing a dress code for Senators to appease Fetterman is disgraceful,” wrote Marjorie Taylor Greene on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Dress code is one of society’s standards that set etiquette and respect for our institutions. Stop lowering the bar!”
Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida used the news as a talking point on the campaign trail. “We need to be lifting our standards up in this country, not dumbing down,” he said. Senator Susan Collins of Maine joked that she would wear a bikini to the floor.
Fetterman dresses down critics of US Senate dress code reform
Political fashion has long followed a familiar formula – at least when it comes to men. It’s the bipartisan uniform: black suit, blue or red tie, American flag pin. Since he won his seat last year, Fetterman’s wardrobe has been the subject of praise from constituents who find it relatable, and scorn from those who wish he would try harder.
“I say this with tremendous respect: he looks like he might be an electrician,” says Tres Dean, a menswear editor whose work has appeared in GQ and New York magazine. “More politicians should look like that. It’s more accurate when you think about who he represents.”
The Senate’s new protocol comes at a time when workers in various sectors are rewriting the rules on what’s appropriate for the office. Since the height of the pandemic, many workers have continued to prioritize comfort over formality.
“Dress codes everywhere are relaxing,” Dean says. “It’s cool that if the people who represent us choose to take advantage of these new rules, it will potentially better reflect the people they represent.”
Does it matter what politicians wear? It’s an issue pundits have long debated – especially when the subjects are women. This time, though, the target is John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, whose wardrobe is drawing ire, as rightwingers seek to blame him for recent relaxation of the Senate dress code policy.
Fetterman is known for dressing in oversized hoodies, sweatsuits, and shorts. Rightwingers have been blaming him for Senator Chuck Schumer’s introduction of a new dress code last week: lawmakers no longer have to don formalwear before entering the chamber.
“The Senate no longer enforcing a dress code for Senators to appease Fetterman is disgraceful,” wrote Marjorie Taylor Greene on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Dress code is one of society’s standards that set etiquette and respect for our institutions. Stop lowering the bar!”
Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida used the news as a talking point on the campaign trail. “We need to be lifting our standards up in this country, not dumbing down,” he said. Senator Susan Collins of Maine joked that she would wear a bikini to the floor.
Fetterman dresses down critics of US Senate dress code reform
Political fashion has long followed a familiar formula – at least when it comes to men. It’s the bipartisan uniform: black suit, blue or red tie, American flag pin. Since he won his seat last year, Fetterman’s wardrobe has been the subject of praise from constituents who find it relatable, and scorn from those who wish he would try harder.
“I say this with tremendous respect: he looks like he might be an electrician,” says Tres Dean, a menswear editor whose work has appeared in GQ and New York magazine. “More politicians should look like that. It’s more accurate when you think about who he represents.”
The Senate’s new protocol comes at a time when workers in various sectors are rewriting the rules on what’s appropriate for the office. Since the height of the pandemic, many workers have continued to prioritize comfort over formality.
“Dress codes everywhere are relaxing,” Dean says. “It’s cool that if the people who represent us choose to take advantage of these new rules, it will potentially better reflect the people they represent.”
The Senate’s new protocol comes as workers in various sectors rewrite the rules on what’s office-appropriate. Photograph: Michael Reynolds/EPA
The discourse over suits squarely fits in with culture war narratives in the US that pit tradition-loving conservatives against progress-minded liberals. Are sweatsuits in Congress a sign of the country’s eroding morals?
“Forcing people into a very specific type of suit ties back into a greater story of privilege and classism,” says Noah Zagor, a fashion and culture consultant based in Chicago. “I think it’s important to dress for the environment you’re in, and that these boundaries help us function. But those boundaries are being debated right now, and we agree on so little as a country.”
Fetterman has been open about his battle with depression, receiving in-patient care at a hospital this spring. There is a sense of shelter in baggy, comfortable clothing, and voters may associate those visuals with Fetterman’s past struggles.
Fetterman understands the value of sartorial messaging. This is the same man who appeared in a Levi’s ad while serving as the mayor of Braddock, Pennsylvania, in 2010. The town was attempting to revitalize after years of economic decline, partnering with the denim company for a campaign that used residents instead of models. Billboards with taglines such as “ready to work” underscored the point.
For Erik Maza, executive style director of Town & Country, conservative outrage about Fetterman’s sweats feels performative and is reminiscent of the controversy that came with Obama wearing a tan suit at a White House press briefing. The former congressman Peter King, a New York Republican, said Obama’s outfit pointed to a “lack of seriousness”.
Almost 10 years later, the so-called scandal has become a punchline, a symbol of out-of-touch politicians clutching their pearls to distract from real problems.
It is in this spirit that Fetterman has fielded the recent accusations that his proclivity for hoodies has precipitated the downfall of American political fashion. He responded to Greene with a tweet about conservative hypocrisy, after the Republican displayed nude photos of Hunter Biden at a hearing this summer. “Thankfully, the nation’s lower chamber lives by a higher code of conduct: displaying ding-a-ling pics in public hearings,” he wrote. He issued a similar riposte to a Fox news story blaming him for dress code “fury”, tweeting: “I figure if I take up vaping and grabbing the hog during a live musical, they’ll make me a folk hero.”
“Washington DC is not exactly a sartorial mecca,” Maza says. “Voters care much more about the legislation lawmakers pass than if they wear shorts or sweats.”
The discourse over suits squarely fits in with culture war narratives in the US that pit tradition-loving conservatives against progress-minded liberals. Are sweatsuits in Congress a sign of the country’s eroding morals?
“Forcing people into a very specific type of suit ties back into a greater story of privilege and classism,” says Noah Zagor, a fashion and culture consultant based in Chicago. “I think it’s important to dress for the environment you’re in, and that these boundaries help us function. But those boundaries are being debated right now, and we agree on so little as a country.”
Fetterman has been open about his battle with depression, receiving in-patient care at a hospital this spring. There is a sense of shelter in baggy, comfortable clothing, and voters may associate those visuals with Fetterman’s past struggles.
Fetterman understands the value of sartorial messaging. This is the same man who appeared in a Levi’s ad while serving as the mayor of Braddock, Pennsylvania, in 2010. The town was attempting to revitalize after years of economic decline, partnering with the denim company for a campaign that used residents instead of models. Billboards with taglines such as “ready to work” underscored the point.
For Erik Maza, executive style director of Town & Country, conservative outrage about Fetterman’s sweats feels performative and is reminiscent of the controversy that came with Obama wearing a tan suit at a White House press briefing. The former congressman Peter King, a New York Republican, said Obama’s outfit pointed to a “lack of seriousness”.
Almost 10 years later, the so-called scandal has become a punchline, a symbol of out-of-touch politicians clutching their pearls to distract from real problems.
It is in this spirit that Fetterman has fielded the recent accusations that his proclivity for hoodies has precipitated the downfall of American political fashion. He responded to Greene with a tweet about conservative hypocrisy, after the Republican displayed nude photos of Hunter Biden at a hearing this summer. “Thankfully, the nation’s lower chamber lives by a higher code of conduct: displaying ding-a-ling pics in public hearings,” he wrote. He issued a similar riposte to a Fox news story blaming him for dress code “fury”, tweeting: “I figure if I take up vaping and grabbing the hog during a live musical, they’ll make me a folk hero.”
“Washington DC is not exactly a sartorial mecca,” Maza says. “Voters care much more about the legislation lawmakers pass than if they wear shorts or sweats.”
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