What Saddam Hussein and Arnold Schwarzenegger have in common? Favorite styles: white dress shirt, no tie, smart dark sports jacket... For a time, Saddam scrapped the suits to appear at his trial in a blue caftan (or dishdasha). So far Saddam has voiced no discontent with his wardrobe. "I'm very sensitive about these matters," he reportedly told his former tailor, who also cuts suits for Pervez Musharraf and Nelson Mandela.
Saddam Hussein’s trial as a high profile Fashion Event
Even though fashion in the Muslim world cannot be directly compared with international fashion and style, millions of people watched – and any people admired – Saddam’s outfit. When Saddam first appeared in the court room more than a year ago, he sported a series of bespoke Turkish-wool suits that the fledgling Iraqi republic had purchased from his former ruler and tailor. ... For a time, Saddam scrapped the suits to appear at his trial in a blue caftan (or dishdasha.)
Saddam's outfit has been repeatedly compared to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s favorite style: white dress shirt, no tie, smart dark sports jacket...
For an old man, who was on the run for long, then was caught and lived in his worst enemy’s custody even longer, the former Iraqi president looks pretty good, stylish, and attractive. He doesn't look bad for his age either. Many men in their 40's look much worse. The weight loss seems to be the worst consequence of Saddam’s being on the run and in US custody.
Stylists recommend a series of measures to improve the appearance of the ousted leader of Iraq: botox on the deeply creased brow, a good shave, more slicked back hair... They surely want Saddam to look his best to defend himself. The suit may make the man, but can it do anything for a fallen dictator? I doubt…
Last December Robin Givhan of the Washington Post opined that Saddam's suits were a bid for global approval. By adhering to the dress code of international politics, Givhan argued, Saddam sent the message that he was still a world leader and not a local warlord. But the new caftan suggests that Saddam has other ideas in mind. It's hard to think of a better way for Saddam to signal solidarity with anti-Western Islamists than by standing trial in the traditional robe of the Arab nomad, Thomas Meaney noted at that time.
The caftan didn’t change the dictator’s strategy, however: Saddam has been delicately courting Islamists with his outfits all along. The first was Saddam's missing necktie at the earlier sessions of the trial, as Thomas Meaney comments. Before his capture, the despot favored bold silk ties with ornate patterns, tucked behind the occasional vest. It's true that prisoners are often forbidden ties for fear they'll use them to hang themselves, but they're usually granted permission to wear them in the courtroom, so Saddam's tielessness was probably intentional. And Saddam's unfettered collar could be a deliberate play for Islamist support.