Emmanuel Macron’s laid-back look gets people talking

Emmanuel Macron appeared in photos in casual and unshaven clothes, which is very unusual for the President of the French Republic. Is it to show that it is more accessible? Or that he works 24 hours a day? Experts speak out.

Olivia Levy
The Press

The look of the President of the Republic, unshaven, wearing a hoodie black and jeans, has generated many comments on social networks. The photos, taken on Sunday, were published on Monday on the Instagram account of its official photographer, Soazig de la Moissonnière. She writes: “End of the evening, golden salon, Élysée, Emmanuel Macron during international calls. »

For Mireille Lalancette, professor of political communication at the University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières, Emmanuel Macron appears there “like a president who works seven days a week. It’s the weekend, but we see that he doesn’t didn’t have time to shave, to comb her hair. He shows that he works tirelessly, ready to do anything to resolve conflicts and resolve the crisis in Ukraine, ”she analyzes.

She also notes the contrast between the gilding of the Elysée lounge and the casual attire of the head of state. “We see that he ate on the corner of the table, there are glasses of water, octopuses for conference calls. These are candid photos. Even official, they have a spontaneous side”, she underlines.

However, the photos also attract criticism. Some shout at the staging, and others criticize him for wanting to look like Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, still dressed in simple t-shirts and hoodiesand which has attracted favorable comments from public opinion around the world since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“But we cannot compare, they are really not in the same situation”, recalls Elizabeth Pineau, political journalist at Reuters and author of the book. The Politics Locker Room.

One hoodie military

And be careful, nothing was left to chance. Because the hoodie worn by President Emmanuel Macron is that of the French army. We see the acronym CPA 10, which is the parachute commando number 10, an elite unit located on an air base near Orleans.

“The clothing is not insignificant, it is that of the French army. The president is also the chief of the armies, and we are in time of war. Clothing is used as a communication tool, and we have a good example here, because in addition, we are in the electoral campaign in France, and Emmanuel Macron is a candidate, ”explains Elizabeth Pineau.

The French journalist sees several messages in these photos.

For Stéphane Le Duc, lecturer at the ESG UQAM Fashion School, the contrast is all the more striking because Emmanuel Macron has always had a very neat look.

“It is always impeccable, very elegant, classic in style. Well-cut dark suits. It embodies a certain perception that we have of France from a fashion point of view. »

However, he thinks that these images give him a real youthful look. “This sporty look rejuvenates him. We see him in action, the files under his arm, with a hoodie which is the quintessential garment of Generation Z. It breaks its fixed image and it suits it well”, thinks Stéphane Le Duc.

Elizabeth Pineau notes that between taking office in 2017 and 2022, the face of Emmanuel Macron has changed a lot. “At the start of his five-year term, Emmanuel Macron did not want to appear too young, because we could not take him seriously. We saw him very rarely in more casual clothes, only when he was on vacation. For five years, he has had wrinkles, white hair, he is marked by the weight of the function and the sleepless nights, and that serves him. These photos were taken very close, naturally. There is a desire to show it at work and with drawn features,” concludes journalist Elizabeth Pineau.