Welcome to the world of Australian politics, where cosplay isn’t reserved for Comic-Con enthusiasts but has become a staple extravaganza for the nation’s Prime Ministers. “Clothes maketh the man” is the mantra guiding them as they parade their finery like peacocks on display. Yet, in this world of tailored illusions, it’s less about policy and more about projecting the perfect image to charm the masses.
Well, almost every prime minister, that is, except for a certain Paul Keating, who preferred Zegna suits, and Julia Gillard, who, being a woman, couldn’t be tailored in Anthony Squires. But alas, not all follow suit with the precise precision of Squires’ scissors. Despite strutting through at least two fashion shoots, our current PM has a taste that leans more toward the ideologically charged.
This was a man who, in the 80s, fancied cosying up to the good old Marxist-Leninist crowd and their comrades from the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front. But what does it truly take to dress like a leader of this sunburnt country? Forget the boardroom; it’s all about hard hats and high-visibility jackets if you want to shine at a press call. Scott Morrison and Tony Abbott were often spotted in the classic hi-vis orange, while Anthony Albanese recently sported a high-vis with the Rio Tinto logo—a fashion faux pas that did not go unnoticed.
Scott Morrison, meanwhile, would swagger into the stands clad in the blue and black of the Cronulla Sharks, his jersey as much.
