As Merkel bid farewell to the German Chancellery, when asked whether the suit jackets she wore during her tenure would be displayed in museums, the once-astonished stateswoman replied lightly: No, they will only be gradually sent to second-hand stores.
According to a number of media reports, on the 26th local time, German President Steinmeier submitted a notice of the end of his term to Merkel at the resignation ceremony of Merkel's government, and Merkel officially stepped down as chancellor. Merkel will reportedly continue her role as chancellor until the next prime minister is appointed.
↑ On October 26, 2021 local time, Merkel officially stepped down as Chancellor of Germany. Image source: Oriental IC
Merkel not only left a strong mark on German political history, but also left a good story in her own style of dress.
A loyal fan of colorful suits
Merkel's obsession with colorful suits has long been an open secret.
In her 16 years as prime minister, the image of her wearing a waist-high suit top and tapered dark trousers has become deeply rooted in the hearts of the people and has become a landmark style, whether it is receiving foreign guests, state visits, attending government affairs events or making a televised speech, you can see this "ever-changing" suit shape.
↑ "Iron Hit" Merkel, "Ever-Changing" suit. Image source: Network
So much so that in 2012, a Dutch graphic designer sorted out her past photos of her appearances in a suit top, which jumped on the paper like a chromatography encyclopedia, and he named the puzzle "International Standard Color Kamerkel".
↑ Mersch "color card". Image source: Network
In a media interview in 2015, Merkel confessed that even she couldn't tell how many suits and tops and how many colors there were at home. She would not have imagined that she had once sparked a wave of popularity in Europe for loose blazers. But why she has a soft spot for this style of dress is still a mystery.
↑Merkel's style of dress can be called "man does not rely on clothes to dress the horse and does not rely on the saddle". Image source: Network
In an interview before leaving office, asked if she linked the color of her blazer to the political message she wanted to convey, Merke said with some suspense: "Occasionally."
↑ Merkel's iconic suit plus iconic gestures.
It has been noted that when she visited Greece, she wore a green suit jacket that echoed the color of the Greek flag, and I wondered whether the meaning of "occasional" was this.
Functional dress styles reduce "looking at people"
From the outside world' point of view, Merkel has been in charge of German politics for 16 years, and the votes she won have nothing to do with her appearance and dress. She has subtly developed a "functional" personal style of dress that fits her image as one of the most influential female politicians in the world without letting others ignore her actions by paying too much attention to her appearance.
"She created a kind of overalls that made people think it didn't matter what she was wearing," a Süddeutsche Zeitung reporter said. "She has been consistent with this style, making herself a 'trademark.'"
↑ Merkel's "Bose same style" suit, there are still differences in detail. Image source: Xinhua Net
Although the style is uniform, it is not monotonous. In addition to the different colors of Merkel's suit tops, there are many design considerations in the subtleties, such as the number and position of buttons and the direction of the waistline. Accessories are also carefully selected, just right, mainly necklaces and pouches, simple and neat, plain and dignified.
↑Merkel's suit top has a lot of design considerations in the subtleties. Image source: Oriental IC
Compared to other influential female political leaders in the world, Merkel's fashion is unique, receiving little attention and rarely causing controversy. German fashion circles have pointed out that in German politics, chasing fashion in terms of clothing will not be regarded as a good thing, and will cause people to have a sense of distrust. But for women leaders, the public has another layer of expectations and judgments.
Merkel said in a media interview in 2019 that if a male leader wears a suit for several months in a row, it will not attract attention, and if a female leader is the same, I am afraid that it will attract public complaints, so it is also necessary to learn to establish their prestige by dressing.
↑On July 6, 2014, Merkel learned the practice of Sichuan cuisine palace bao chicken in Chengdu.
In this way, Merkel has formed this style of dress: both stability and predictability, but also no lack of highlights and changes, without too much fashion expression, but can make her image proposition deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, soft and rigid, relaxed, and why not have some similarities with her governing style.
A thrilling moment beyond the suit top
Of course, in Merkel's chancellorial career, there are still highlight moments when she takes off her suit and puts on her dress, and she has also made a bold attempt at color, so that the "Iron Lady" in German politics has also left a lot of magnificent shadows.
↑ Merkel in a suit other than. Image source: Network
Stepping down from the chancellorship, she may no longer appear in the public eye as often as before, but Merkel's iconic "people do not rely on clothes and horses do not rely on saddles" style of dress and her colorful blazer image will remain in people's minds for a long time, just as her rational, pragmatic and calm governing style has become a unique landscape in the history of German politics.
Red Star News special correspondent Li Zhi
Edited by Zhang Xun
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