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?