The politics behind Boris Johnson's bizarre image

LONDON – The Great British Resignation has arrived.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has resigned after two years and 348 days at 10 Downing Street. He served the same period in office as Neville Chamberlain, who was succeeded by Winston Churchill in 1940.

Johnson, who is also the leader of the Conservative Party, will be remembered for many things, including attending parties during the depths of the pandemic; enforce post-Brexit immigration rules; National Hiking Insurance from 12-13.25% in April 2022, and its signature sloppy aesthetic.

One of Johnson's greatest assets in the office is his image. He doesn't fit the mold of former prime ministers, who were always arid and stark in navy suits and striped ties.

"He has an anti-fashion image because he deliberately dresses casually, presumably to indicate he doesn't care, but that's an image in itself," said Alex Bilmes, editor of the British edition of Esquire magazine, adding that "if it seems accidental, it probably isn't".

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Johnson's tousled hair, creased white shirts and Hawaiian swim shorts are part of the endearing ensemble he's carefully curated since 2004 - and even before, when he was an 'ink-stained wretch' at the Times, The Daily Telegraph and The Spectator before becoming an MP.

It plays on the macho ideology that if you really care about their presentation, it will turn people off. And, for a Churchill-phile like Johnson, at first glance it must seem like it's always a matter of substance rather than style.

The nonchalant politician who undid his top button and occasionally threw off the tie emerged into the public eye in the mid-1990s under the leadership of New Labour. It was a movement fully backed by former Prime Minister Tony Blair – who was always perfectly styled and wrinkle-free in dark navy suits – that had slowly started with the likes of Michael Foot going against the grain in his earthy-hued suits and waxed field jackets. .

The editing style worked for Blair's reputation, even after the Iraq war, when his dealings with former President George Bush subsequently blackened his position. He will forever be immortalized as a handsome Prime Minister before being judged for his choices in power.

Rupert Murdoch's ex-wife, Wendi Deng, wrote notes about him, which Vanity Fair obtained in 2014: "Because he is so charming and his clothes are so beautiful. He has such a [has] a good body and he has really, really good legs.…And he's slim, tall and has great skin.

A dandy exterior is a promising sign of how long someone will stay in power. Emmanuel Macron spent 26,000 euros on make-up during his first three months as French president in 2017 and for his last re-election he took vanity to the chest as he showed his shaggy hair to the world (an unfortunate decision given that 'she could draw comparisons with Russian President Vladimir Putin, often photographed shirtless on horseback). Macron, along with his G7 counterparts, at last month's 48th summit let loose tie-killing and stood in a single row on a wooden board as if about to unveil a new blockbuster Hollywood at Comic-Con.

For a man of Johnson's elite upbringing, his privilege of staying in office longer than 20 other prime ministers stems from marrying his schlubbiness with his Eton and Oxford upbringing.

"He's an antidote to Blair - someone who dresses well, always wears a tie and looks presentable while brushing his hair and doesn't have dirty fingernails. He knows it plays on its image, which is, as we know, one of chaos rather than order,” Bilmes said.