Canberra’s latest coalition has one policy: comfortable shoes
Trendsetters pacing the halls of power are dragging politics into the 21st century, and turning some MPs into influencers who are also bolstering the economy.
Sneakers in the House of Representatives. Open collars in the corridors of power. Band T-shirts in the press gallery and advisers’ boxes. Are we witnessing a lowering of standards on Capital Hill or are these fashion choices simply bringing the 47th parliament into the 21st century?
A year into the Albanese government and the personal style of all our politicians is emerging inside Parliament House. It has been 40 years since the official practices involving parliamentary dress standards have been altered, but the Speaker holds the ultimate discretion as official parliamentary fashion policeman. It is now, in 2023, one of the most intimidating aspects of the important job.
“Could you even imagine having to pull up someone as stylish and fashionable as Linda Burney?” a senior government MP asks Inquirer, given the Minister for Indigenous Australians’ penchant for bold prints, abstract silhouettes and bright colours.
“Business attire” is the general standard politicians have been held to since the 1980s. In 1983 Speaker Harry Jenkins Sr demanded “neatness, cleanliness and decency”, a code nearly every member since has understood in their own way. Recall the era of the Zegna-suit clad treasurer Paul Keating, or even “Doc Marten Democrat” Natasha Stott Despoja.
Protocol was slightly altered in 1999 when Speaker John Andrew was more definitive about the standard and called for “good trousers, a jacket, collar and tie for men and a similar standard of formality for women”.
A lot has changed in almost a quarter of a century, inside and outside of Canberra. Speaker Milton Dick and Senate president Sue Lines are now keen for Australian politicians to follow the lead of US congressmen and women and use fashion to make public life a little more chic, contemporary and collegiate. They also want those who walk the halls of power to be relatable to the people they represent.
Lines wears sneakers while in the president’s chair in the Senate. She is partial to pulling on a pair of Australian-designed Rollie Nation shoes ($239.95).
Unlike the lower house, the powerful second chamber does not have an official dress code. Odgers’ Australian Senate Practice simply states that while the president has the final word, “there are no rules laid down by the Senate concerning the dress of senators”.
“I expect everyone who has the honour of setting foot on the floor of the chamber to respect the institution of the Senate and dress appropriately,” Lines tells Inquirer. “If those feet on the floor happen to be inside a stylish sneaker, tastefully combined with debonair and businesslike attire, then I’m all for it.”
Amid tense debt ceiling negotiations in the US last month a Democrat congressman attempted to build a bipartisan bridge with sneakers to “promote social interaction with members of congress, their staff and visitors”. Florida’s Jared Moskowitz is the co-chair of the official Congressional Sneaker Caucus. The 42-year-old debutant politician is a fan of exclusive sneakers and was spotted wearing a pair of rare Nike Air Jordans to the most recent State of the Union address.
This coalition for comfort was established with his Republican counterpart and fellow sneakerhead, Lori Chavez-DeRemer from Oregon. The pair launched the group in April “after clocking a widespread preference for comfortable footwear in the halls of the Capitol”.
Budding bromance?
— Joe Khalil (@JoeKhalilTV) June 7, 2023
@SenMarkey “Hi Congressman. Look at those shoes! What are they?â€@JaredEMoskowitz “Jordans!â€
There was some bonding here after Rep. Moskowitz said he wears the Jordans everywhere. Sen. Markey responded he ran his entire first campaign in similar shoes pic.twitter.com/learSLobnW
The club made headlines when it officially endorsed dress sneakers being worn in the Oval Office when Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries wore casual shoes while meeting with President Joe Biden during a major fiscal showdown before the debt-ceiling deal was passed.
“The Congressional Sneaker Caucus unequivocally supports Speaker McCarthy’s and Leader Jeffries’ freedom to wear dress sneakers in the Oval Office. While debt ceiling negotiations have been contentious, we appreciate that both parties are putting their best foot forward and demonstrating that sneakers and statesmanship are compatible,” a press release read.
This received widespread praise, except from the Washington branch of the Young Republicans, who called it “an attack on our democracy”.
The Congressional Sneaker Caucus endorsing dress sneakers in the Oval Office is what I needed today. @RepLCD@JaredEMoskowitzpic.twitter.com/TfuEIVBd9M
— Katherine Faulders (@KFaulders) May 24, 2023
Dick watched this all play out and would welcome a similar “kicks conference” in Canberra. “Any opportunity for bipartisanship should be encouraged – even through the MPs who manage to combine both style and comfort in their footwear,” he tells Inquirer.
This relaxed approach and sartorial shake-up is raising the eyebrows of some political veterans. When he first took the chair last year, the Speaker was inundated with angry letters from some veteran Coalition MPs who expressed displeasure that some men were now allowed in the house with an open collar.
However, the shake-up of standards by these new officeholders is helping MPs elevate their personal brands in parliament and on social media platforms.
Women count for 51 per cent of the Australian population and since the election in May last year comprise a record 38 per cent of the lower house – the highest proportion on record – after 58 women were elected, including 19 new MPs.
The Senate reached and exceeded 50 per cent gender parity in the previous parliament. The proportion of women will increase again next week with the swearing-in of former NSW Liberal Party president Maria Kovacic, who was selected to replace the vacancy left by senator Jim Molan after his death in January.
During the last year men, such as Greens rising star Max Chandler-Mather, have followed veteran Liberal MP Warren Entsch’s lead and forgone ties.
Male advisers are opting to show off their ankles in loafers with no socks, rather than the usual uniform of dress boots.
Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen is partial to a paisley tie, while Peter Dutton has been spotted in question time this year teaming his usual RM Williams boots with colourful and striped socks.
Independent senator David Pocock was criticised by some conservative commentators when he fronted the cameras in the press gallery wearing a T-shirt paying homage to Perth psychedelic-pop act Tame Impala.
What do you think? Play on? 😂
— David Pocock (@DavidPocock) March 22, 2023
I'd come straight from an early morning game of tennis to celebrate 100 years of Tennis ACT and agreed to do a door stop (not a prearranged interview) in the hallway on the way out of the Press Gallery after a morning radio interview.
Great to… pic.twitter.com/GNzXkg1i4c
Female MPs and ministers, including Environment and Water Minister Tanya Plibersek, are teaming coloured suits with sneakers. Plibersek now wears sneakers more regularly than heels. So beloved are her $249 silver pair by Melbourne brand Elk, made from ethical goat leather, she almost has worn out the rubber soles and has taken to holding them together with superglue and bulldog clips. When travelling, she packs a pair of New Balance XC-72s ($180).
Coincidentally, after she was photographed wearing the electric purple shoes last month while making a strategic water announcement in Townsville and speaking about natural disaster response updates, New Balance XC-72s sold out online at various Australian retailers including Stylerunner. On her Instagram account Plibersek claims to be the unofficial chair of the “comfy shoe club”, with other members including Boothby MP Louise Miller-Frost.
Wentworth independent Allegra Spender – daughter of fashion designer Carla Zampatti – was in the front row of sister Bianca Spender’s fashion show at Australian Fashion Week last month and is “looking forward to wearing a few things in parliament”.
Goldstein’s Zoe Daniel carries a $2940 Louis Vuitton handbag and Labor’s Early Childhood Education and Youth Minister Anne Aly accessorises many of her handmade looks with an $800 Gucci belt.
These types of leather goods have been absent in recent sitting weeks due to scrutiny of how the governmentwill target the cost-of-living crisis. Luxury labels aren’t good for optics when ministers are getting around in gear that costs more than Chandler-Mather’s banged-up Yaris.
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BONESY UPDATE: Good news! Turns out it was just a broken starter motor and a dodgy engine. Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers! Bonesy's all fixed up and lives to fight another day. pic.twitter.com/BoBuLrduon
— Max Chandler-Mather (@MChandlerMather) August 24, 2022