STYLE FILE
Theresa May is among the most senior politicians in Britain: one of the country’s longest-ever serving Home Secretaries and now about to take over from David Cameron as the second woman in British history to become Prime Minister. Despite this, little is known about the leading lady of British politics, aside from her Thatcher-esque steely determination and shrewdness
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A quick Google search of May brings up thumbnails of a woman with a clear appreciation for excellent tailoring and a statement necklace. Venturing into Google images brings up more photos of the former Home Secretary, with her signature sleek, low-lighted blonde bob, alongside suggested searches including her most notable outfits and a search dedicated solely to her shoes, which documents a penchant for vivacious footwear and knee-high leather boots.
Shoes, it appears, are to May – according to the internet – what that long tongue is to Miley Cyrus or what the beehive was to Amy Winehouse. Outlandish shoes are now expected of her. Her £215 Russell and Bromley jewel-encrusted brogues, worn at last year’s party conference and paired with a £1,190 green tartan Vivienne Westwood suit, sent the media into overdrive.
It all began in 2002 with a pair of presumably innocently intended leopard print high-heels at the Tory party conference. Nothing she said on stage that day was more precedent than what she strode out onto it wearing. How audacious of a middle-aged woman in politics to show a hint of interest in anything other than plain and drab attire!
Red patent wedges, zebra-print kitten heels and leopard print loafers all garnered a similar reaction. May has clearly become the Imelda Marcus of UK politics over the years.
Sitting in the upper echelons of British politics, amongst an assortment of faceless men, May could very well do what most women probably would. Blend in and act like “one of the guys”. However her appreciation for fashion is not swayed by the world in which she moves, May uses her sense of style to remain true to herself and powerhouse women across the UK.
it’s unusual to see a sober-minded female politician in the Conservative Party demonstrate such enthusiasm for fashion – as well as independent flair and exuberance in her garment choices.
A woman Prime Minister is a rare thing, but one who takes delight in what would be perceived as frivolus while still ensuring she is taken seriously and being heard, not just seen – is undoubtedly something to be highlighted.
