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Barack Obama’s tan suit sparks #YesWeTan craze

BARACK Obama held an important press conference today, but nobody listened, because everyone was distracted by his tantastic outfit.

Sam ClenchSam Clench
@SamClench
2 min read
August 29, 2014 - 9:08AM
Obama's tan suit trends on Twitter

US PRESIDENT Barack Obama held an important press conference at the White House today, where he discussed extremely serious topics such as the crimes of ISIS and Russia’s recalcitrant actions in Ukraine.

Nobody listened, because everyone was distracted by Mr Obama’s suit.

Whoa, that is ... really tan.
Whoa, that is ... really tan.
He appears to be talking, but all I hear is “tan tan tan tan tan”.
He appears to be talking, but all I hear is “tan tan tan tan tan”.

We could reel off a long list of prominent American women whose fashion choices are constantly critiqued — former Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and Condoleezza Rice, First Lady Michelle Obama and former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, to name a few — so perhaps it’s nice for one of the boys to get a taste.

In any case, Mr Obama’s suit has divided opinion, much like his presidency. Some viewers of the press conference thought it was absolutely tantastic, while others were clearly not fans of the tan.

Mr Obama traditionally wears blue and grey suits, presumably because they suit him, although during an interview with Vanity Fair in 2012, the president said he had other reasons to avoid unusual colours.

“You’ll see I wear only grey or blue suits. I’m trying to pare down decisions,” he said.

“I don’t want to make decisions about what I’m eating or wearing. Because I have too many other decisions to make.”

Is that a troll face, Mr Obama?
Is that a troll face, Mr Obama?

Of course, social media practically exploded upon the first glimpse of Mr Obama’s outfit. The hashtag #YesWeTan has been trending ever since.

As far as we know, Mr Obama has worn a tan suit just once before during his time in the White House. Perhaps once was enough.

But he isn’t the first president to have tried his hand as a fashion trailblazer.

Nor is he the only American politician to have worn such a suit recently. Texas Governor Rick Perry and Michigan Congressman John Dingell have also been known to dabble in tan.

As we mentioned earlier, Mr Obama was actually discussing several extremely important subjects, such as the crisis in Ukraine.

“Russia has deliberately and repeatedly violated the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and the new images of Russian forces inside Ukraine make that plain for the world to see,” he said.

“This ongoing Russian incursion into Ukraine will only bring more costs and consequences for Russia.”

MORE: Russian forces are in Ukraine

Mr Obama speaks about the situation in Russia.
Mr Obama speaks about the situation in Russia.

Mr Obama also spoke about the deteriorating situation in the Middle East, admitting the US “doesn’t have a strategy yet” for eliminating the extremist group ISIS.

“I think what I’ve seen in some of the news reports suggests that folks are getting a little further ahead of where we are at than we currently are,” the president said.

“I don’t want to put the cart before the horse,” Mr Obama said. “There’s no point in me asking for action on the part of Congress before I know exactly what it is that is going to be required for us to get the job done.”

MORE: Obama on Syria

He seems a little puzzled about the tan suit.
He seems a little puzzled about the tan suit.

In the end, however, Mr Obama's suit resonated more than his words. To paraphrase The Twelfth Man, Billy Birmingham: “Doyen Barack Obama in the cream (or is it the bone, the white, the off-white, the ivory or the beige?) jacket.”

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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/fashion/celebrity/barack-obamas-tan-suit-sparks-yeswetan-craze/news-story/542b07734735dd46bb680239881abbe0