Well-adjusted ties, well-ironed suits, a very straight posture, not a deputy out of place.
The new elected members of the National Rally entered the National Assembly this Wednesday, June 22.
The watchword of Marine Le Pen, their leader, was to “
behave impeccably
”.
Behind her choice to send back a serious image, the leader of the group wants to appear as a perfect negative of Nupes.
She had warned: “
the “package of noodles” and “soccer t-shirt” culture, no thank you!
I will leave that to (François) Ruffin and other zadistes of the LFI
”.
Read alsoThese Nupes figures who want to shake the National Assembly
For Marine Le Pen, political representatives must wear so-called "
formal
" clothes: suit, tie, satchel... "
That means that she wants to put on form, that she conforms to a rule or convention that a type of clothing
,” explains Benjamin Simmenauer, professor at the Institut Français de la Mode.
Since 2017, deputies are no longer legally obliged to wear a suit and tie in the hemicycle.
This change was driven by Jean-Luc Mélenchon and the elected officials of La France Insoumise who claimed their status as "
sans-cravate
", in reference to the "
sans-culottes
" of the French Revolution.
The tie, too formal?
In terms of appearance, the devil is in the details: haircut, shoes... or shirt collar.
“
For RN deputies, wearing a tie certainly means that they are looking for respectability.
While the Insoumis give the opposite message by getting rid of a classic dress code
, ”says Benjamin Simmenauer.
“
The notion of collective identity is established through a certain way of dressing
,” says fashion sociologist Frédéric Godart.
“
This group effect shows their presence, and that they are historically more important in the Assembly
,” he adds.
According to the professor at the Institut Français de la Mode, the tie has “
a doubly conservative connotation: both in terms of the relationship to society, and in terms of gender
”.
Moreover, it can have an outdated image as indicated by the sociologist who assures us that the tie is experiencing “
a rapid loss of momentum.
Companies from various sectors are gradually abandoning it, like Silicon Valley.
Jeff Bezos does not wear a tie for example
”.
media scandals
Present or absent, the wearing of the tie is constantly discussed.
“
Emmanuel Macron wears the tie all the time, which he is accused of.
But as soon as he wears another, it is also commented on
, ”says Frédéric Godart, before
continuing:
“
Remember the photograph where he was wearing a sweatshirt, he was told that he looked like Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
”.
Read alsoAre the deputies of the National Rally “ghost” deputies?
Beyond this accessory, the clothing of men - and women - politicians have often been the subject of media scandals.
In 2012, MP Cécile Duflot, then Minister of Housing, was hissed and booed in the hemicycle for wearing a flowered dress.
The latter was subsequently presented as part of an exhibition entitled "
Correct attire required, when the garment is scandalous
", in 2016 in Paris.
“
Women have gained freedom in recent years, in particular thanks to this episode
,” explains the sociologist.
“
The deputies have changed their attitude
,” he adds.
Politicians like to convey messages through their clothes.
“
Angela Merkel played a lot with colors.
The meanings are not easy to interpret, but they are real
”, says Frédéric Godart.
A political weapon that can sometimes turn against its owner.
"
The François Fillon costume affair in 2017 proves that the symbolism attached to a garment can bring down a politician
", he recalls.