The Key Differences Between Male and Female Leaders' Clothes Style

Women dare to dress differently; can the same be said for men?

The wardrobe of a leader – male or female – may seem an arbitrary point of reference when all things are considered but, while you may not consciously register an outfit, your subconscious is noting it down for you. We collect information beyond our cognisance that helps inform our opinions of individuals, especially those in the public eye. For this reason, it’s important to note (whether we like to admit this fact or not) that a leader’s wardrobe is crucial.

It’s almost a given in our modern-day society that men and women in similar positions, whether that be as leaders of industry or political leaders, dress differently. They don’t have to but, for the most part, they do. It’s the age-old debate: nature vs nurture. Part of the argument is entrenched in gender stereotypes and the other is biological. A women’s tailored suit will be cut differently from a man’s tailored suit to accommodate for hips, a waist and breasts. She might be a female congresswoman in a house full of male representatives, but that doesn’t mean she has to dress like one! She should feel free to honour her gender, if for no other reason than to highlight her rarity in a male-dominated environment.  

This evolution in suit-wearing is not restricted to women’s clothing alone, meaning there has also been a turnaround in male power-dressing. Whilst powerful businessmen traditionally opted for classic monochrome suits, recent technological entrepreneurs who are at the forefront of the changing world have sometimes chosen to dress in more casual clothes. This seems to twist the power dynamic of suit-wearing on its head, but what it truly demonstrates is that wearing clothes that make you feel at ease and at the top of your game is really where being a powerful businessperson is rooted. The modern world and its business clothes offer more and more room for personal expression, something that powerful and successful women across the globe have really taken in their stride.  

While the cut and fit of women’s clothes will differ, choices in colours, textures and prints do not and yet, time and time again, women are picking more interesting choices than their male counterparts. Only occasionally are we graced with a flash of bright coral at a political rally or a bold print at a board meeting, even a tweed number at a presidential address or demure silk for a charity dinner.

Rania Al-Abdullah, Queen of Jordan, has been praised for her impeccable style on numerous occasions. She has bravely honoured her homeland with bold prints woven into the capes of tailored dresses, whilst on another occasion favouring a leather jacket over a blazer on occasion. On the other end of the spectrum, we have the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, who, despite clearly investing less time into clothes, still partakes in colour blocking to a point. Men, it seems, are confined to the traditionally sober suit and tie combination, while women are making the rules as they go.

Women in power are judged in much harsher terms on their outfit choices than men in similar positions – this is a fact. It implies that women in some way must make up for their ‘poor’ performance with impeccable outfits; that they must be nice to look at or people won’t listen to what they have to say; that a poorly executed trouser suit in some way relinquishes all command over a room. But is placing importance on a woman’s clothes always detrimental to her power? 

Yes, in many ways you could argue that it is detrimental; you could also argue, however, that dressing in a sharp or bold manner gives you the floor before you’ve even asked for it. That’s where power dressing comes into play.

What was once a prerequisite for the art of assimilation into the late 70s, the male-dominated environment has now become a style in its own right. With an origin founded upon mimicking the man, the basis of it now is approaching your outfit choice with a focus on how you wish others to treat you – regardless of whether that means choosing a figure-hugging dress or an androgynous suit.

Angela Merkel, for instance, is not a pencil skirt advocate, favouring the boxy, pantsuit look. She certainly hasn’t been lauded for her style, but she has a distinct look that, as mentioned previously, you subconsciously associate with her. Her perseverance in ignoring criticism over her style is a power all on its own. Her bright cardigan style blazer over neutral straight leg pants is now her signature style. 

The fundamentals of dressing as a man in power boil down to very little: the suit and tie. If we examine three male leaders – Donald Trump, Justin Trudeau, and Boris Johnson, for example – we see extraordinarily few variations. Commonalities lie in suit colour (always navy or black) and in shirt colour (always bright white). The only liberty they might take is a bright or patterned tie. Tump’s signature, for instance, is his navy suit and red tie, with a striped number making an occasional appearance.

The main variable that affects our subconscious image of a male leader is how he pulls a suit off. If we analyse Johnson and Trudeau’s approach to dressing, there is a distinct contrast in their presentation. Trudeau’s attention to styling is far slicker than Johnson’s – and Trump’s for that matter – with Johnson’s execution of the humble suit shabby, and Trump’s outdated.