Watch what people do and say because action comes before opinion.
People write “President Trump” three times as much as they write “President Clinton.” For every one person who writes “President Trump” in a column, blog, tweet, or Facebook post, hundreds of thousands more say or think “President Trump” every day.
That’s how I predicted Trump winning by a landslide. I watched what people say and do.
A lot of people who subconsciously think “President Trump” will touch the screen or check the box or pull the lever for Trump when they step inside the voting booth. Their opinion will align with their actions. It’s just the way we’re wired.
Now I’m predicting a big change for men because of Donald Trump: fashion. Very soon now, men will start wearing traditional suits and ties more often. Some companies that relaxed their dressing standards will start requiring ties and jackets on men. No one will say Trump inspires this change in clothes, but Trump will be the reason.
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Donald Trump always dresses well. He wears a dark, traditionally cut suit and a solid tie in gold or red most of the time. And a white shirt. Sometimes he wears a jacket and no tie at outdoor rallies. He looks like a guy in charge of something. That look is about to make a comeback: white shirt, conservative tie, traditionally cut suit. And it’s happened before.
Ronald Reagan dressed a lot like Trump does. He wore traditional, conservative suits and ties. In 1980, that look (called “preppy”) replaced the neon polyester leisure suit of the 1970s. Bell bottoms were out, Levi’s 501 straight, slim jeans were in. No one said “it’s because of Reagan,” but it was because of Reagan.
Bill Clinton wore big, baggy suits cut to hide his weight problem. And in the spring of 1993, men’s fashion shifted. The baggy suit was in. No one said Clinton changed fashion, but Clinton did.
George W. Bush wore blue ties. And, then, so did everybody else.
Barack Obama wore a slim suit to office. Everybody else followed. Sure, people thought Mad Men inspired the change, but that’s not it. It was Obama.
Donald J. Trump dresses like a businessman from the 1980s or the 1950s, and everybody will soon enough. The skinny suit era is almost 10 years old, so the fashion industry has an incentive to change things up. And it will, this fall. Expect traditionally cut suits will make a comeback. Along with solid power ties in red or gold.
With the fashion change, expect a dress policy change at work, too. Because business executives imitate success, and Trump is universally considered successful. Everybody knows that. You’ll see more and more men wearing suits and ties or jackets and ties to work soon. The policy changes will probably take a few years, but you’ll know it’s started when some major company abandons its “wear whatever” policy and makes its employees dress up again. It’ll be in the news.
If you work in an office kind of place, you might want to set aside some of your clothing budget for this change. Your HR department won’t credit Trump, but you’ll know why you’re wearing suits again.
Here’s some more of Trump’s strengths.