Does President Trump need a better tailor? Twitter sneers at ‘ill-fitting’ tux

Queen Elizabeth II and President Donald Trump arrive through the East Gallery ahead of the State Banquet at Buckingham Palace on June 3, 2019. (Photo: Victoria Jones/ AP)

So far, President Trump’s engagement with the British royals has gone well, without a major protocol faux pas. His white-tie getup? Not so much, especially on Twitter where his many critics have added fashion sneering to their arsenal.

Why did it seem so ill-fitting, wondered Twitter users. Why was the waistcoat so long? Were the pants too wide, the tail coat too short? Some critics took similar pokes at his sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump.

Buckingham Palace… an incredible experience with Her Majesty The Queen. Truly unforgettable. ?????????? pic.twitter.com/g1zgp90kg5

The president, who has been mocked for his baggy fashion sense ever since his inauguration (remember that too-long red tie?), did not look entirely comfortable in his white-tie outfit for Monday night’s state banquet at Buckingham Palace hosted by Queen Elizabeth II.

By contrast, the British guests at the glittery dinner in the palace ballroom looked as if they had just wandered off the set of “Downtown Abbey.”

President Donald Trump, Queen Elizabeth II, first lady Melania Trump, Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla Duchess of Cornwall, pose before a state banquet at Buckingham Palace on June 3, 2019. (Photo: Jeff Gilbert/WPA Pool/ Getty Images)

The sartorially-adept royal men, such as Prince Charles, Prince Andrew and Prince William, have regularly worn white-tie over the decades – they know what they’re doing, and more to the point, so do their tailors.

So Trump’s fashion foes on Twitter, already loaded for bear about him anyway, let loose.

“I have never seen anyone make a white tie & tailcoat look so sloppy,” sniffed RiotWomenn.

Trump

Jacket sleeves & pants, too long. Who knows the shirt sleeve length, since we can't see the cuff. No pocket square.

The bellowing "pantaloons" that drape over the shoes.

The bizarrely long waistcoat.

I have never seen anyone make a white tie & tailcoat look so sloppy pic.twitter.com/O4OSImQx9f

Trump was compared to a cartoon character and even Frankenstein. 

“OK, I was gonna make a joke about how Trump looks like the bit from Young Frankenstein, but, honestly, that’s unfair to how well tailored the Monster’s tux is,” tweeted David J Bradley. 

OK, I was gonna make a joke about how Trump looks like the bit from Young Frankenstein, but, honestly, that's unfair to how well tailored the Monster's tux is. pic.twitter.com/fNP0AheaFH

Maybe white-tie trends have changed? But no, wrote Jonathan Evans, the digital style director for the men’s magazine Esquire. He says Trump’s version was just wrong, most obviously in that the white waistcoat hung below his tailcoat.

“Donald Trump’s outfit. It just isn’t right…right? It’s not easy to put your finger on the exact cause of the problem, but you don’t need to know the ins and outs of white tie to know that something is not right with this situation,” Evans wrote.

“Trump’s ties are way too damn long, reaching well past his waist. You can’t do that with a bow tie. But you can make a vest that’s too long, and probably for the same reason as the ties: vanity, and the mistaken belief that a longer-than-average element around the belly distracts from Trump’s girth.”

As a comparison, check out Steven Mnuchin, the U.S. Treasury secretary, who accompanied Duchess Kate of Cambridge into the banquet (she was in a diamond tiara and a white Alexander McQueen gown of cascading ruffles). Mnuchin’s tux looked perfect – or at least familiar.

Kate, Duchess of Cambridge and U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin walked into the state banquet through the East Gallery at Buckingham Palace on June 3, 2019. She wore a gown by Alexander McQueen and the Lover's Knot tiara. (Photo: Victoria Jones/AP)

Trump’s sons’ tuxes looked better than Dad’s but they still came in for some mocking. One user posted a picture of the younger Trumps (Donald Jr., Eric Trump and his wife, Lara, Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner, and Tiffany Trump) even wondered if there was something wrong with Eric Trump’s leg.

“They look awful,” commented 3ChicsPolitico.

They look awful. What's wrong with Eric Trump's leg? pic.twitter.com/qJiSUnIgbi

One mocker used the tuxedo issue to take a shot at Trump’s much-derided claims of being a billionaire – claims that have been put in doubt by a recent report about his taxes showing his businesses lost more than $1 billion over a decade. 

“The fact that Trump doesn’t own a tailored tuxedo is the ultimate proof that he’s nowhere near as rich as he claims,” tweeted pajama_patty. 

The fact that Trump doesn't own a tailored tuxedo is the ultimate proof that he's nowhere near as rich as he claims. https://t.co/v7OftqTMDV

On the other hand, Trump admirers sneered back. 

“I find it funny that the same people who think this getup is stylish and appropriate are criticizing President Trump’s tuxedo in the UK,” tweeted Tom Bostedt over a picture of man in a stylish, close-fitting British-style striped suit.

I find it funny that the same people who think this getup is stylish and appropriate are criticizing President Trump’s tuxedo in the UK. pic.twitter.com/yF55ZoPGhC

Meanwhile, first lady Melania Trump, a statuesque former fashion model, looked as impeccable as ever, whether in dresses designed to pay tribute to her hosts or in her Dior Haute Couture ivory silk crepe gown with silk tulle detail that she wore to the banquet.

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