The meaning behind Trump’s ill-fitting suits

The codas, curiosities and scaffolding that goes into making Trump “Trump” is a mysterious world of trickery. Image-making for politicians is a strange, nefarious business at the best of times. 

But the former (and hopeful future) president has based his look on creating a mirage of what he thinks denotes success and health; the orange fake tan that cuts off at the jawline, the yellow hair, the rumours that spread in February 2024 that he wears a girdle to keep that 6ft 3in frame upright.

But as the Republican party candidate continues his campaign, some new elements of Trump’s look – and that of his running mate JD Vance – have come to light. 

As the fashion commentator Derek Guy (@dieworkwear) highlighted on X on Monday night, there’s something very odd about the way Trump wears suits.

A picture taken during Trump’s interview with Elon Musk shows the ex-president hunched over a desk, blindingly bling cufflinks aimed at the camera and enormous shoulder pads gathered up to his ears. Guy goes on to note how Trump’s body shape requires some padding around the shoulder area to balance out his torso, but the result is that when a suit jacket rides up it exposes the illusion he’s trying to create.