Fashion has always been a tool for political expression. Style choices hold power, and often function as a mirror of our times. It’s something Keir Starmer – who will now become the UK’s new Labour prime minister, taking over from his Conservative predecessor Rishi Sunak following the election landslide – will have tapped into to help convey messages to the public and build the desired image he wants to present as a politician.

“We often spend time focussing on how female politicians dress, but there’s good reason to look at the men just as much. There’s a long history of politicians using clothing to make a point,” says Dr Tim Ellis-Dale, senior lecturer in history and political masculinity at Teesside University . “Togas indicated what rank you held in ancient Rome , and late European kings dressed in exuberant colours up to the 18th century to convey their wealth and power.

“Men’s clothing gets a bit duller and more standardised in the 19th century, but even then, it’s a subtle way of making a point about who you are and what you represent,” Ellis-Dale adds. “In the 20th century, more left-wing politicians sometimes eschewed formal dress to make an egalitarian gesture, while fascist politicians often wore political uniforms to make a point about power and authority.” So, what does Starmer’s fashion reveal about the UK’s new leader? A sense of stability Ellis-Dale believes Starmer’s main goal in this election was to convey a sense of stab.