‘those’ trousers

20^th December 2016

In November Theresa May gave an “at home” interview to the Sunday Times¹. As it happens, I enjoyed reading it, but this isn’t about the interview, it’s about ‘those’ trousers.

I’m interested in why they caused so much reaction but also their heritage and, further, Mrs May’s choice to wear them – are PMs known for their clothing choices? Have we often scrutinised their choices?

The interview quotes “she loves the finer things in life, slipping into a khaki cashmere sweater, brown leather trousers and Burberry trainers for the more downtime part of our interview” 1. So, we’re told the trainers are Burberry but nothing about the sweater or trousers. According to a partner-article in The Sun², the sweater and trousers are both by designer Amanda Wakeley and the trousers, reputedly, cost £995.

So, we know the trousers are from Amanda Wakeley³, what about the cost? I found a pair for sale on the US site Lyst.com4 for $1233 US and, yep, that’s around £995. No idea about the sweater, though. The Sun posted an article that they were selling out on the Amanda Wakeley site² so someone can afford the price tag.

Why did a pair of trousers cause such reaction, though? Is it simply the cost of them? It would be a factor for her opposition – recently the PM has been saying the Conservative party wants to do more for those families that are “just about managing”. Such a family will not be purchasing £1000 pairs of trousers! Also, they’re leather and that is going to offend some faiths and those whose conscience prevents them from the wearing of clothing made from animal skin. I’m not going to go into the whole Nicky Morgan spat as I’m not interested in her handbag, regardless of its age or cost⁵. Boosh – you’ve upset a percentage of the population already and they haven’t even read a word of what you have to say. Public outrage at the use of animal fat in the recently released £5 was enough to get the Bank of England to look at changing their recipe, so public opinion can change the minds of the establishment⁶. I am interested in to know whether a pair of leather trousers is more ethical than a PVC pair so might look into that.

Not a wise choice, then, even if the interview is about you and being at home as opposed to your day job. Why, then, pick them? In several interviews (refer to see link 1 and also, going back to November 2014 when the, then RH Theresa May, was on Desert Island Discs⁷, she mentions that she has ‘a shop <she> always goes to’ where they know what she likes. Turns out, it’s an independent boutique in Henley-on-Thames⁸. If that is the case then it could explain why she has been seen in Wakeley on a fair few occasions.

Figure 1 - credit PA

Wakeley was historically known for dresses and smart suits worn by Princess Diana, i.e this bottle green 2-piece drape jacket with black velvet collar, and pencil skirt, worn by Diana in 1995.

Wakeley has no formal training in tailoring or design and, yet, has a 25-year career in the industry. She is keen to emphasise that she always sewed – making extra money at her school (Cheltenham Ladies College) by making clothes for her fellow students³; I’m interested to know more about those clothes – what kind of clothing to students of an elitist boarding school want made for them? (they couldn’t have got their wealthy parents to buy clothes for them? Or, were the items a glimpse of the future Wakeley brand? Do any of them still exist?).

I’m also interested in how you rise in the fashion design industry, and stay there for 25 years, with no formal training but, again a question for a different day – is this Mrs Beckham’s inspiration?

Wakeley is a UK brand (is it? – the label received financial backing in 2012 from a, predominately, middle-eastern equity company named AGC Equity Partners, but is that unusual in this type of worldwide industry?) but, May could be seen as promoting a British designer.

Also, the brand is part of the establishment – as is Mrs May.

She has history of wearing the label, too – there was a blue and yellow coat she wore when she arrived at No.10. Wakeley, again. Although ‘borrowed’ but I couldn’t find from whom.

Figure 2 - credit PA

Figure 3 - credit PA

PRIDE OF Britain Awards – again, in Wakeley.

Anyway, back to the trousers… Looking at an image for them, from the Wakeley website

Is that a thigh gap? Is that normal for designer trousers?

The Wakeley brand has moved into more leisure-wear since the cash injection in 2012, and in the media is lately written as ‘the Wakeley brand’ as opposed to Amanda Wakeley the designer – to me, this implies she is no longer the main designer. Perhaps you disagree. Could that have been a stipulation of the cash injection? To get actual designers to design the clothing? <- this is only a question from me, I don’t know the answer!

Choosing these trousers, and a complimentary sweater, would be a “one-stop shop” for a busy woman, who is part of the establishment, about to accept the top job in politics, who wants to be seen as promoting British design. OK, I get that point of the choice – well, the point of why she was steered toward it. That also makes me think the fact that they are leather, and any offence that may cause, would not have been one of the reasons for choice. Perhaps we’ll never seen them again.

She obviously likes clothes and has said so⁵ and throughout her political career her shoes have been, frequently, mentioned – mostly fabulous, in my opinion; except the leopard-print ones, all of them (she has at least 3 separate pairs of leopard-print shoes, that I can tell), just not my ‘thing’.

From a few internet searches I found David Cameron was having his suits made in Saville Row, at around £2000 a time – I don’t know how many, seemingly near identical, suits Mr Cameron has but is the cost so dissimilar to that of Mrs May’s outfits? Probably not – especially if she has borrowed items. I just don’t imagine a stylist trying to blag a suit on behalf of a male, UK, prime minister1 am I wrong – if you know otherwise, please get in touch as I’d love to know more.

So, it is thinly-veiled sexism aimed at May – we weren’t interested in the outfits worn by Cameron even though they cost around the same.

I found it difficult to find information on the clothes of previous Prime Ministers – there were a few snippets on Thatcher but, again, if anyone know where I can find out more please get in touch!