Trump's Affordable Suit

President Donald Trump drew attention at a Nebraska rally on Monday when he paused onstage, held his jacket open, and let cameras capture the label inside: Jos. A. Bank, a budget menswear chain. Jacob Gallagher, a fashion reporter for The New York Times, told NPR's Mary Louise Kelly that the brand is found in malls across the country and typically sells suits at a median price of around $500. The jacket seemed to come from its Traveler line, priced at roughly $500 to $600.

That marks a departure from the past, when Trump's spokespeople said he wore Brioni, an Italian label costing about ten times as much, or clothes made by the Brooklyn tailor Martin Greenfield. Gallagher noted there was little proof of that, since Trump never displayed those labels. He compared Brioni to a two-Michelin-star dinner and Jos. A. Bank to fast food, though he stressed the suit is not bad.

Gallagher said affordability concerns among voters could be a factor, but he doubted it was a bid to seem like an everyday man, since few rally-goers wear suits.

Summarized by PolitiKool from NPR’s reporting. Read the full story at NPR →