JFK STYLE: WHY HIS LEGACY LIVES ON
A new exhibition shines a light on this most American of fashion leaders, says Stephen Doig
The concept of presidential style may be somewhat redundant in today’s US administration (aren’t so many things?), led by a man whose scraggly Wotsit-hued mane looks highly flammable and whose off-duty attire looks like a Florida geriatric pontificating at the crazy golf course (which, in effect, he is). But time was when America’s leaders captivated the world with their presence and magisterial elegance – none more so than John F Kennedy. His recent depiction in The Crown might have put the focus on Jackie Kennedy’s
magnetic allure, but the main man himself was no wallflower, and that was helped in part by his sense of style. A new exhibition at Proud Galleries, entitled Life with the Kennedys,
features Life photographer Mark Shaw’s intimate portraits of the couple in their more relaxed moments at home, to mark the 55th anniversary of Kennedy’s assassination.
Which isn’t to say that JFK’S style was particularly attention grabbing or striking. Instead, like all the best-dressed men, his look was considered but unassuming, polished but never showy. Long before Ralph Lauren began repackaging the American dream in sartorial form and proposing a vision of collegiate East Coast preppiness and wholesome, sporty, youthful dynamism, JFK was its poster boy; he was the Commander in Chief, but his clothes said that wouldn’t stop him from beating you at a game of tennis. A lifelong fan of historical tailoring institution Brooks Brothers – for his inauguration, he opted to wear a Brooks Brothers morning suit instead of a business suit, to mark the gravity of the situation – his style was a balance of contemporary vim and classicism. Post-war America needed a young, vibrant leader, and that parlayed into how he presented himself; polo shirts while sailing off Nantucket, neat chinos, slim-fitting suits. When he did embrace serious tailoring, it was always streamlined and paredback – not the fusty, heavy duty, corporate suits of the Fifties – with narrow ties and ever-present Ray-ban Wayfarers.
And as spring tentatively begins, it’s worth adhering to some of the tenets of his Ivy League style. First, get the proportions right. There were none of the Eisenhower-era saggy suits; JFK’S trousers were almost always cropped above the ankle, which unless you’re of a shorter stature, serves to look a tad more dynamic and on-thego. Likewise, think about the proportions of your tie; a large, flabby affair adds bulk, whereas JFK’S were streamlined in club stripes. One even had the words “THINK” subtly woven throughout the pattern. And on that note, streamline everything; it was rare to see JFK with a pocket square when he wore a suit, while his off-duty style was clean and unfettered, with minimal extraneous fuss. Not a flapping, Brillo Pad hairpiece in sight.