The President's new clothes: 'SBY' redefines his image

The President's new clothes: 'SBY' redefines his image

Agni Amorita, Contributor, Jakarta

What is the most significant metamorphosis that Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono has undergone since taking up the presidency? He
changed his wardrobe. Go to any search engine on the Internet to
look for his pictures and the stark contrast between the image of
President Susilo and minister Susilo will fast become apparent.
During his tenure as a minister -- both for president Abdurrahman
Wahid and president Megawati Soekarnoputri -- Susilo frequently
wore baju safari, the "uniform" he gave up the day after he
became president.

Baju safari was a popular outfit for those in power under
Soeharto's regime. Baju safari is a local term for a safari suit
that consists of a hip-length short-sleeved jacket and matching
trousers. Unlike the well-known safari jacket that has four
pleated expansible pockets with a big belt and buckle, the baju
safari jacket has no belt and only two patch pockets. It is easy
to wear and apparently suited to this climate. Former president
Soeharto loved this suit as did his men. Many people still
associate baju safari with Soeharto's semi-military regime.

Baju safari is thus regarded as a symbol of the military.

Susilo himself is a retired Army general. His military
background was considered his biggest handicap in the
presidential election last year given the fact that one of the
goals of the 1998 reform movement that brought down Soeharto's
regime was to end the military's supremacy.

In addition, many questioned Susilo's contribution to the
reform movement. He was far less popular than the four icons of
the movement: Amien Rais, Abdurrahman Wahid, Megawati
Soekarnoputri and Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X.

Luckily, Susilo had a good campaign team. It seems that well
before he publicly announced he would run in the election his
team was working hard to boost his profile. In the twinkling of
an eye Susilo won public rapport.

After the election, his campaign team continued to work on his
image. They carefully erased all memories of him as a military
man that would tarnish the image of "reform-minded" Susilo,
including his baju safari collection. Well done!

As a substitute for his favorite suits, Susilo looked to the
west. He wore western-style suits almost all the time in the
first 100 days of his presidency. He no longer wore short-sleeved
jackets and rarely showed up without a tie as Vice President
Jusuf Kalla often does. The suit is the perfect choice for an
international meeting but not always suitable for an appearance
at home.

While former South African leader Nelson Mandela wears batik
with great aplomb, Susilo went the other way. He chose to wear
dark suits with a white shirt and tie. Much to my amazement, he
even showed up at mosques in a suit. During his first 100 days as
President, he went to Istiqlal Mosque for two different
ceremonies and wore a suit for prayers.

During his first 100 days he did wear batik at Ancol beach.
Although, his choice was a long-sleeved batik shirt, which is a
popular choice for formal occasions here. Most Indonesians go for
a short-sleeved batik or even a T-shirt for a trip to the
seaside. Well, he is a president, that is true, but does he have
to dress up that much? He did not even roll up his shirt sleeves
during his trip to the tsunami-devastated Aceh province.

In comparison, Chinese leaders for many years continued to
wear a simple blue shirt known as the Mao suit, which was
introduced by Dr. Sun Yat Sen in 1912. Just like Indonesia, China
is a struggling nation with a rich tradition. Chinese leaders
could always go for their traditional silk suits but their choice
of the Mao shirt reflected their modest way of life, their
solidarity with their people.

In view of Susilo's penchant for western suits, a friend of
mine cynically blamed Susilo's media advisors for watching too
many episodes of West Wing. A joke maybe, but given that Susilo's
"very close" relationship with the U.S. government has often
sparked criticism, his choice of a western outfit could be seen
as a validation for such criticism.

A man in a uniform is "a man at his best", and Susilo may be
under the impression that he is at his best in a black suit and
tie.

In fact, dress sense could bring him closer to his people,
many of whom are suffering economic hardships. To me, his choice
of clothes during the first 100 days of his presidency isolated
him so that rather than "we", it is "you" the people and "me" the
President. It was ironic, given that his campaign slogan was
"Bersama kita bisa" (Together, we can do it).

Did Susilo's military training leave him unaware of the
power of fashion?

The President has looked different over the past month. The
suits he loved to wear in the first 100 days of his presidency
are rarely seen. He now shows up more frequently in batik. Has
someone told him about the power of fashion? Is he trying to grab
the attention of the public with his new clothes?