Notes

Entrepreneurs, diamond traders, hotel tycoons… I consider myself lucky to be able to work with such successful and versatile clients. Recently, I got to add another name to my list: Alexander De Croo, Prime Minister of Belgium.

 
Years ago, I started working for Vincent Van Quickenborne, the Belgian Minister of Justice. Whenever he has an important meeting or is expected to attend a fancy event, I’m there to make sure he is dressed his best. Five years ago Vincent introduced me to Alexander De Croo, as Alexander noticed Vincent’s style and wondered who was dressing him. Being recommended like that is a huge compliment to me and frankly, it’s how I get new clients these days: word-of-mouth marketing is the best marketing in my eyes.

Fifty shades of blue

At that time, Alexander was still Minister of Foreign Affairs, but recently he became Prime Minister. Dressing someone who holds such a responsible position, is a huge honor. We meet up about twice a year; together we put together an entire wardrobe consisting of suits, coats and shirts. As a politician, you have to give off a reliable, trustworthy impression. Color wise, blue does just that. With Alexander, we opted for a ‘fifty shades of blue’ type of color palette, so there’s still plenty of variety even with this one color. As for suits, I think ‘fit to the bone’ with soft shoulders looks best on him; this fit strikes the perfect balance between ‘nonchalant’ and ‘power dressing’.

Waterproof cashmere coat

Of course, a politician has to look sharp, but with all the marathon meetings, comfort is just as important. Therefore, I recommended Alexander shirts made out of ‘natural stretch’ cotton. This fabric is very light and flexible, so you will never have the feeling that your shirt is keeping you hostage. Another thing to keep in mind when dressing a politician: weather! Alexander has plenty of outdoor obligations. He’s also a fan of cashmere coats. These two usually don’t go that well together, but we applied a special coating onto the fabric, which makes the coat not only waterproof, but also able to resist -15 degrees Celsius.

Individuality beats profession

In the end, someone’s profession isn’t that important for me as a tailor. More than anything, I look at someone’s physique: what do we have to emphasize/ play down to reach balance? Everyone wants to simply ‘look good’, it doesn’t matter if they’re a lawyer, an architect or… a politician.

Until next time,
Your tailor