Theresa May once said her desert island item would be a subscription to Vogue, and caused a national stir when she wore a $1700 pair of pants for a shoot in a Sunday newspaper.
So what is it about the British Prime Minister's clothes that has the nation – and the fashion world at large – in a leather lather?
More World News Videos
- Video duration
- 01:49
Jeremy Corbyn's major radio gaffe
Jeremy Corbyn's major radio gaffe
The UK Labour leader has suffered his first big gaffe of the UK election campaign, stumbling during a prolonged and awkward BBC radio 4 interview.
Up Next
Trump denies obstruction, calls Comey 'a leaker'
- Video duration
- 01:27
- Video duration
- 01:27
Trump denies obstruction, calls Comey 'a ...
Trump denies obstruction, calls Comey 'a leaker'
US President Donald Trump went on the offensive against James Comey on Friday, deriding the former FBI director as a 'leaker' of government information after his damning testimony against the President.
Up Next
Tough break for Theresa May as top aides quit
- Video duration
- 01:28
- Video duration
- 01:28
Tough break for Theresa May as top aides ...
Tough break for Theresa May as top aides quit
British Prime Minister Theresa May faces more challenges after failing to win a majority in Thursday's election, as her two top advisors Fiona Hill and Nick Timothy quit.
Up Next
Incredible footage of Antarctica's tallest mountain
- Video duration
- 02:13
- Video duration
- 02:13
Incredible footage of Antarctica's ...
Incredible footage of Antarctica's tallest mountain
This astonishing drone footage was shot at the summit of Antarctica's tallest mountain by Melbourne-based adventurer Liam Suckling.
Up Next
I was given a chance: Chelsea Manning thanks Obama
- Video duration
- 00:50
- Video duration
- 00:50
I was given a chance: Chelsea Manning ...
I was given a chance: Chelsea Manning thanks Obama
Convicted intelligence leaker Chelsea Manning gives her first TV interview since leaving prison, thanking Obama for granting her clemency.
Up Next
Trump willing to respond under oath to Comey
- Video duration
- 01:17
- Video duration
- 01:17
Trump willing to respond under oath to ...
Trump willing to respond under oath to Comey
Trump says he is '100 percent' willing to give his version of events under oath regarding the dismissal of FBI Director James Comey.
Up Next
May: Conservatives will work with DUP
- Video duration
- 01:01
- Video duration
- 01:01
May: Conservatives will work with DUP
May: Conservatives will work with DUP
After the Conservatives failed to win a majority, Prime Minister Theresa May says she can rely on the support of the Democratic Unionist Party. Reuters
Up Next
Sterling stunned by UK election shock
- Video duration
- 01:31
- Video duration
- 01:31
Sterling stunned by UK election shock
Sterling stunned by UK election shock
Sterling spiralled lower on Friday as British elections left no single party with a clear claim to power.
Jeremy Corbyn's major radio gaffe
The UK Labour leader has suffered his first big gaffe of the UK election campaign, stumbling during a prolonged and awkward BBC radio 4 interview.
For starters, let's talk about the shoes. Often leopard print and kitten-heeled, May once wore over-the-knee boots to meet the Queen.
One of her preferred shoe designers, Beverly Feldman, told Fairfax Media she had spotted three of her styles on the British PM, who's also a serial "re-wearer", much like the Duchess of Cambridge.
Related Content
Me, a fashion icon? Theresa May's solid necklaces project an air of confidence and heft. Photo: Leon Neal
Since May was photographed in Feldman's designs, business has boomed, such is her influence on fashion and the modern definition of power dressing.
While we often associate "power dressing" with women's attempts to compete in a male-dominated workforce, plenty of male politicians have attracted notoriety for their fashion choices.
Former primer minister Paul Keating was fond of Ermenegildo Zegna suits, while former British prime minister David Cameron wore Saville Row suits that cost thousands of pounds.
The British PM has a fondness for kitten heels, often in leopard print. Photo: Sean Gallup
And while few would describe May as a fashion trailblazer, she has sent a positive-image message to women: don't dress like a man, dress like yourself.
"I am a woman, I like clothes," May told the Women in the World summit in 2015. "One of the challenges for women in politics, in business, in all areas of working life, is to be ourselves, and to say you can be clever and like clothes."
May has taken it one step further and showed she can be clever with her clothes. Solid, "battle ready" necklaces to stamp authority, leopard-print kitten heels to exude fun, and upturned collars to show positivity and a readiness for action.
Theresa May (meeting the Queen in 2015) has helped redefine power dressing with her willingness to openly discuss fashion. Photo: WPA Pool
Personal stylist Suzy Crittenden, who works with many top executives, said May had been a bright spark in a country where people tended to dress quite conservatively.
"May was a stand-out when she met the Queen wearing a red textured knee-length coat ... and over-the-knee black boots. She looked elegant, stylish and fashionable," she said.
Nadine Cameron, a wellbeing expert who has taught classes on "The Art of Getting Dressed" at The School of Life, said power dressing had evolved since the 1980s' notion of women dressing like men to blend in.
"A woman standing out by wearing an unconventional jacket [today] can lend her more power because she assumes an air of confidence ... and she is already assumed to be competent," Cameron said.
Upturned collars for action ... British Prime Minister Theresa May uses her clothing to convey strong messages. Photo: Bloomberg
While Angela Merkel, Michelle Obama and Australia's own queen of political style, Julie Bishop, each have their own brand of power dressing, May has been one of the few women political leaders to freely discuss her love of fashion.
But fashion and power are intertwined in a balancing act, Cameron says.
She said luxury fabrics and cuts could signal financial success but they could also invite accusations that someone is removed from reality; conservatism can be comforting in times of turmoil, or signify an unwillingness to embrace change.
However, most agre May's love of bold, frivolous footwear can only work in her favour.
Not so mellow yellow ... Theresa May meets the Queen upon forming government in July 2016. Photo: WPA Pool
Cameron said shoes were a "low stakes" conversation starter that could help May wield influence or convince people of her "humanness".
"This, in turn, can increase [her] likeability for them and, in turn, their amenability to what [she says]," Cameron said.
"Her eclectic mix of clothing is clever in so far as people tend to scrutinise others for similarities to themselves, and a diverse range of people would be able to find at least a small detail in what she wears that resonates with them."
0 comments
New User? Sign up