It's not impossible, British fashion consultants tell Sphere. But first he has to digest the withering verdict of the British edition of GQ magazine, which this week named the U.K. leader its worst-dressed man of the year. The men's monthly savaged Brown -- who has worn a succession of crumpled suits and dull ties since taking office two years ago -- as "anything but a prime example of British style." The magazine deemed his fashion crimes even more heinous than those committed by North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il, famed for his extensive pantsuit collection, who appears at No. 8 on the list.
Perhaps more worrisome for Brown: His main political rival, Conservative Party leader David Cameron, popped up at No. 8 on the magazine's best-dressed poll. ("Twilight" actor Robert Pattinson topped that list). Cameron, a suave and always snappily attired ex-PR man, is widely tipped to beat Brown at the next British general election, which must be held by May.
Peter Macdiarmid, Getty Images
GQ Magazine's stern sartorial judgment of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, pictured here last month, suggests that that simple tie-straightening is not enough.
But the British PM could still make a fashionable comeback, claim U.K. style gurus, if he listens to their advice. The first step, says Nick Ede, co-founder of London image consultancy I Hate My Look, is hiring a new suit maker. "He needs to be tailored more," says Ede, who has previously worked with Serena Williams and ex-Destiny's Child singer Kelly Rowland. "He has a bit of a stomach, which he covers up by buttoning his suit. That pulls his suit forwards, making his shoulders look hunched up. So it really is a case of finding a tailor who can improve his posture and look."
His reputation as a dour, stern Scot -- Brown was raised by a Calvinist preacher on the outskirts of Glasgow -- could also be lightened with some brighter tones. "Brown has quite a sallow Scottish complexion, and wearing very dark colors can make him look very pale," Ede says. "He could look at having a light blue, green or brown shirt, and not always wearing the schoolboy outfit of a white shirt and a rather plain tie."
Brown's fashion unconsciousness wasn't always seen as a bad thing. When he took office in 2007, the British press hailed Brown's shabby appearance as a sign that he believed in substance rather than style, unlike his smooth-dressing predecessor, Tony Blair. Even GQ then praised his no-nonsense look. "He doesn't want any attention to be drawn to what he's wearing," said deputy editor Bill Prince. "I don't think he wants people to alight on anything other than his message. ... I think, fundamentally, he's getting it right."
That look backfired because the public almost always disapproves of unkempt leaders, suggests Lisa Bathurst, head of men-only style consultancy Urbanity London, whose clients include chief executives of some of Britain's largest firms. "Whether right or wrong, first impressions depend heavily on someone's image," she says. "And if Brown looks scruffy, voters will inevitably start to think, 'Is he good at his job? Are his policies as he is in his appearance?' They might make also assumptions over how trustworthy he is." With Brown's Labour party trailing Cameron's Conservatives by 10 points in the latest polls, the prime minister simply can't afford to make those simple fashion errors.
Unfortunately, says Veronique Henderson, author of "Image Matters for Men: How to Dress for Success" and creative director of U.K. image consultants Colour Me Beautiful, it might be too late for Brown to fix his fashion faux pas. "You're not going to change a 58-year-old man, who believes that intellect is the only thing and image is not important," she says.
But if he does lose the upcoming election, she adds, Brown could take up a job more suited to his apparel. "He could definitely carry off a more relaxed, floppy Brooks Brothers suit," Henderson says. "As a professor, he would look just fine."
