‘Minimal look, maximal politics’: why the black T-shirt signals modern power

The look – worn by Abdul El-Sayed, Andy Burnham and Volodymyr Zelenskyy – radiates authority and no-nonsense masculinity, say fashion experts

For years the black T-shirt was consigned to the clothing category of plain basics. A hidden layer rather than the main event. But modern politics has pushed it to the frontlines as a sartorial shortcut to signal power.

The progressive Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, who this week became the first Muslim elected to the US Senate in history, made a tight black T-shirt his signature look throughout his year-long campaign. Styling it with jeans and friendship bracelets made by his children, El-Sayed described his attire as “minimal look, maximal politics”.

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