Dressing for power: the politics behind Theresa May's trousers

The trouser is fast becoming the working uniform of the new ruling femocracy
Charlotte Ross3 October 2016

Theresa May aims to be the Tories’ great moderniser. But she could also be remembered as the woman who took great strides - in strides.

Yesterday she stepped on stage at the Conservative Party conference wearing a sharp pair of black trousers, cropped above the ankle and teamed with a belted tunic top and smart slippers. The whole look was stealthily directional, utilitarian but with her trademark details: statement accessories and talking-point shoes.

As we are coming to realise with the new PM, nothing is done by accident. So while she appears elegant and smart, she is also making small but radical adjustments to what is acceptable for women in power positions. Wearing trousers to address her party is quite a step change. Wearing them with flat shoes takes things to another level - this is a woman who will not don a shift dress and heels simply because that’s what tradition dictates. Can you imagine Margaret Thatcher in cigarette pants? Times have changed.

May has a record of experimenting with power perceptions. At last year’s conference she famously adopted the “manstanding” pose during her speech, a questionable approach also tried by George Osborne, which spawned a slew of skateboarding and John Wayne memes.

There was no power posing yesterday, rather a woman who has earned the right to recalibrate the style rules to suit herself.

Gone were the playful animal-print kitten heels. Instead we saw a confident leader with her feet planted firmly on the ground - in a comfortable pair of black suede shoes. In case anyone thought she was looking too relaxed, there was a hint of Rosa Klebb in the shiny steel-capped toes and heels. You don’t mess with someone who has segs on their shoes.

Theresa May's finest footwear - in pictures

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But May’s tunic and trousers combo, youthful yet serious, is the real message. Don’t think you can predict me, her outfit said. And in its move towards gender neutrality, there was a strong signal that our Prime Minister won’t be judged by her X chromosomes.

The trouser is fast becoming the working uniform of the new ruling femocracy, from Angela Merkel’s severe Mao suits to Hillary Clinton’s mono-coloured pant suits (see left). But May, who has a wardrobe bursting with breeches, has found a slicker way to work it, with her individual style and flair nodding more to chic IMF boss Christine Lagarde.

As the country’s most prominent female role model, what May wears matters. She’s saying to girls everywhere: ‘You can be the prime minister. And you can do it trousers’.

Follow Charlotte Ross on Twitter: @charloross

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