John Edwards, a Fashion Icon?

John Edwards has come under a lot of scrutiny for his appearance on the cover of Men’s Vouge magazine, a publication that definitively runs counter to what he states he stands for. But if he can have a sense of humor about it we figure we can also take it on a lighter note, and thought it would be fun to check him out over time to see just how well this man makes the clothes.

When John Edwards spoke out about issues surrounding poverty at his “Call to Service” lecture at Mount Union college he wore the classic presidential uniform; a red tie on a blue shirt underneath a blue suit.

When Edwards was about to announce his run for presidency for ‘08, he was seen on MSNBC’s Hardball in a more serious tone; sporting a black suit with a white shirt and a light blue tie. The tie was a nice diversion from the seriousness of the white on black approach exhibited by this outfit.

We found this great picture of Edwards on Donklephant, a political blog. He appears to be giving an impassioned speech to supporters sporting what appears to be a blue oxford shirt with his sleeves rolled up conveying the message that he is ready to get his hands dirty and get down to work.

Here is Edwards showing Gnomedex attendees that he is hip to the latest publishing technologies and eventually put his money where his mouth is by bringing some of the blogosphere’s more controversial voices on the campaign trail.

Okay, while it is obviously apparent that Edwards clearly emphasizes substance over style, seeing him on the cover of Men’s Vouge in a classic pose wearing Carhart with his great “Breck Girl” looks there is something rather fashionable about his anti-fashion in a way we hadn’t seen since Ralph Lauren actually posed for print advertisements back in the eighties. Perhaps in a different time and place Edwards may have sold shampoo; if nothing else the democrats have someone other than Barack Obama with a clean look, which in a weird way returns us to a different time when the worlds of politics and fashion were not as estranged as they had have obviously become.

- Chris Kendalls