Bill Clinton Isn’t Immune From Fashion Shaming

The biggest debate of the 2016 election won’t be over immigration, the economy, or healthcare, rather it’ll focus on what to call Bill Clinton if his wife, Hillary Clinton, wins. First ladies — and those in the running for the position — have to dress for the spotlight, with every outfit a potential talking point for pundits and fashion police. Melania Trump has mastered the modern Jackie O look, Heidi Cruz has a closet full of sheaths from her time as a Goldman Sachs executive, and every other candidate’s spouse has a stock of red, white, and blue pieces for stops on the campaign trail. Wouldn’t it only be fair, because of feminism, if Mr. Clinton was held to the same sartorial standards?

Speaking at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, on Thursday, the former POTUS donned his most patriotic knit. Stumping for his wife, the politician-turned-philanthropist spoke to a crowd of supporters in a navy blue crewneck sweater with a United States flag and racing stripes down the sleeves. A patch on the bicep with the Olympic rings reveals that the piece was produced for the recent winter games in Sochi as part of the Ralph Lauren 2014 Team USA Collection and sold for $295.

While the dated yet on-theme sweater might not have been the most fashionable choice (come on Bill, everyone knows you’ve got plenty of bespoke suits to choose from), his accessorizing was definitely on point. He pinned a “Hillary for President” brooch from the candidate’s millennial-bait shop to the center of his neckline. On the site, the Logo Lapel Pin is being sold for $15 and described as “something beautiful and meaningful you can wear everyday, everywhere.”

As it turns out, he’s a living, breathing advertisement of the pin’s market copy, wearing the token on stops across the country, placed on lapels, collars of button downs, and breast pockets. Look out for its appearance on parkas, T-shirts, and tuxedos — there are still months to go in this campaign.

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