Every State of the Union tie from this century

Presidents aren't ones for sartorial flamboyance. Dark blue or black suit, white shirt, tie, and you've got yourself a presidential outfit for every occasion. And from the looks of this century's State of the Union addresses, that lone accessory with potential for personality — the tie — goes predictably patriotic. Sure, there's the striped outlier or Bush's memorable baby blue option from 2007, but otherwise the choices appear limited.

But who knows. Maybe this year, President Obama will surprise us with a color not found on the American flag. However, if I were a betting woman, I'd say the odds are 2015 is red's year. Check out the State of the Union ties from 2000 to 2014. Click here and zoom to view a larger version. —Lauren Hansen

[Images: Reuters/CORBIS, Getty Images (14)]

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Lauren Hansen produces The Weekâ€™s podcasts and videos and edits the photo blog, Captured. She also manages the production of the magazine's iPad app. A graduate of Kenyon College and Northwestern University, she previously worked at the BBC and Frontline. She knows a thing or two about pretty pictures and cute puppies, both of which she tweets about @mylaurenhansen.