Japan's prime minister undone by the world's ugliest shirt?
A radical fashion choice by Japan's leader has caused voters to question his judgment. Was his multi-color retro plaid shirt really such a crime?
Japan's leader is facing a minor political crisis after committing a high-profile fashion faux pas. At a recent photo-op lunch with ordinary voters, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama made the mistake of donning a flamboyant 1980s-style plaid shirt — inciting an influential fashion writer to opine that the garment was proof that Hatoyama's "ideas and philosophy are old." The critique caught on, and the prime minister's already-dismal approval ratings plunged nine points — to 24 percent — in the media scrutiny that followed. Apparently "the Japanese take their fashion pretty seriously," says Megan Baldwin in Styleite. Then again, we subject Obama to the same scrutiny, says Sadie Stein in Jezebel. Whenever the president makes the mistake of donning a pair shapeless "dad-jeans," it always sparks a "firestorm" of jeering commentary in the blogoshere. See Hatoyama's controversial shirt in this CNN report:
-
The allegations of Christian genocide in Nigeria
The Explainer West African nation has denied claims from US senator and broadcaster
-
The best sherries to try this autumn
The Week Recommends The warming tipple from sunny Spain is an underrated cold-weather staple
-
London’s best breakfasts and brunches
The Week Recommends However you like your eggs in the morning, these memorable restaurants have you covered