The clothes of the representatives of the Storting are in disrepair, according to some representatives, who want to be forced to wear ties. Unfortunately, debates about clothing often become frivolous and stilted. Norwegian politicians believe that clothes are just a necessity to cover up, or a fun thing someone chooses to play with. Clothes are seen as unimportant and irrelevant. But formal attire is important for politicians. Firstly, dressing formally is the same as acting professionally and showing that you take yourself and your work seriously. A study from 2015 also shows that our ability to think and make decisions improves when we are formally dressed. Secondly, clothing can signal who or what we represent – such as the Storting as an institution. Through formal clothing, a representative of the Storting shows that he or she respects the power he or she is appointed to administer, and through informal clothing the opposite. Thirdly, formal clothing tells something about us to the outside world. Poorly dressed elected officials on international missions can ultimately worsen how other countries view Norwegians. A minimum should therefore be to see how elected officials in other countries dress, and not dress less formally than them. A terrifying example is US Senator John Fetterman, who spoke in the Senate wearing a hoodie and training shorts. This created a debate reminiscent of the one I am participating in now. No Norwegian representative has, as far as I know, stood on the floor of the Storting in a hoodie. Still. In contrast, there are many examples of sneakers, jeans and T-shirts. Even our otherwise well-dressed Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, has spoken before Parliament in sneakers. If we don’t tighten up now, it can quickly become a “slippery slope” right into the hoodie. We cannot expect all politicians to have the same interest in their own clothing, but sneakers, jeans and T-shirts should definitely be avoided. When I help people find their clothing style, I like to ask not who they are as a person, but who they want to be. I do this to be able to understand how they, as individuals, want to be perceived. Precisely this must be the core of the discussion for our representatives in the Storting. They have a special responsibility for how they dress out of respect for themselves, their voters, the institution and how other countries see us. Britain’s top politicians are aware of this. Both Rishi Sunak, current Prime Minister, and David Cameron, former Prime Minister and current Foreign Secretary, probably have many tailored suits – or at least enough money to buy them. But both deliberately choose to wear ready-made, shop-bought suits so as not to appear excessively rich to either voters or the outside world. This supports my argument that clothes signal who one wants to be or appear to be. However, it is a cross of thought that Britain’s top politicians dress down to the level that our elected representatives dress up to. So how should our elected officials dress? A suit with a shirt and tie still stands alone as the formal work attire for men. This should therefore be the first choice in the parliament. The suit should be dark blue or grey, while a black suit is reserved for funerals or very solemn occasions, such as the opening of the Storting. The shirt should be white or light blue and plain, or with an almost invisible pattern. The tie’s job is to tighten up the outfit, so that it becomes complete, and automatically eliminates a collar on snow or a deep, unbuttoned shirt. A bonus is of course that it adds color to the outfit and just the right amount of personality. Chronicle writer Andreas Feet, also known from “Symesterskapet” on news. Photo: PRIVATE For women, this corresponds to a suit, with a jacket, trousers or skirt and a suitable blouse/shirt. Or a formal dress. Here, more colors are socially accepted than for men. Pastel appears carefully, while strong colors are dominant. A blazer and wool trousers are a close combination, with an almost equally high degree of formality, and can be a good alternative for activities outside the parliament hall. The same goes for outfits consisting of a shirt, jumper and woolen trousers, which are generally well suited to a closed office. A nice pair of black leather Oxford shoes, polished and well cared for, will always be a good choice. Last but not least, knee socks so that no bare legs are visible – we’re not at the beach after all. If the Storting’s rules of procedure should need an updated dress code, I would be happy to help. In the meantime, a properly tied tie is a good start.
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Dress guide for politicians – Speech
