![]() ![]() Abraham Lincoln at Antietam, Maryland on October 3, 1862 Lincoln’s response - the source of much outrage at the time - was to remove his own hat and bow silently in return. The National Museum of American History recalls an occasion on which Lincoln was approached by an elderly African American man who removed his hat as he bowed before the president. He was known to store papers inside the crowns of his hats, humbly removing them when speaking to his constituents. Indeed, Lincoln’s hat was a garment whose use seemed to reveal much about him as a person. ![]() Top hats still imply a sense of status and authority - characteristics which might well be hoped for in a head of state - but on Honest Abe his hat’s famously crumpled appearance suggested these qualities were hard earned by a man of the people. It’s unclear exactly when Abraham Lincoln started wearing his signature hat, but today the top hat remains as inseparable from our image of America’s sixteenth president as his chin strap beard. The traditionally tailored suits that had marked Mandela as a man of style in his youth had become too heavy, so he opted for a lighter, more comfortable solution, and one that would demonstrate his characteristic thoughtfulness and flair.Ībraham Lincoln and the Top Hat Image credit: Mead Art Museum / Public domain As Sonwabile Ndamase, himself an accomplished Madiba shirt designer, suggests: ‘After years of breaking stones on Robben Island, the alkaline dust had taken its toll on his health’. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons / Public domain Ironically, given this chameleon quality, Madiba shirts also made him instantly recognizable, even at a distance - a great advantage for a man people were always desperate to catch a glimpse of. His shirts allowed Mandela to transition seamlessly between formal and casual contexts while putting anyone he met at ease, regardless of what they wore. As Mandela’s tailor Yusuf Surtee, points out: ‘He wanted to identify with his people, and the majority never wore suits.’ The southeast Asian origins of the fabric also allowed him to connect with South Africa’s Cape Malay community, while the cut recalled the baggy, long-sleeved khaki shirts worn by black South Africans during the 1940s and ’50s. The shirts were in batik, a textile print native to Indonesia, and Mandela liked them enough to adopt them as his signature garment.īut the choice went beyond simple preference. Mandela was first given some as a gift in 1990 by President Suharto of Indonesia. Madiba shirts are distinguished by their bold prints, light fabrics, and comfortable fit. Nelson Mandela and the Madiba Shirt Image credits: Library of the London School of Economics and Political Science / No known copyright restrictions Governor-General of Australia / CC BY 3.0 Eric Draper / Public domainĪs with any person discussed here, to focus on an item of clothing next to Nelson Mandela’s extraordinary humanity and political achievements seems trivial, but the shirt that’s come to be identified by Mandela’s moniker offers a window into his remarkable character. But if the last month’s worth of memes are anything to go by, Bernie and his mits might be en route to joining an illustrious list of political figures associated with a particular item of clothing. ![]() It’s too early to call whether the mitten and Bernie Sanders will become as indelibly linked as Imelda Marcos and her shoes or Che and the beret. Image credit: Library of Congress / No known restrictions ![]()
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