Obama Relaxes Weekend Dress Code At White House

Much fuss was made over Obama's jacket removal on his first day in the Oval Office because he was breaking a rule of the Bush administration: wear a coat and tie at all times. (David Axelrod later explained it was because the president likes to crank up the thermostat.)

But the Bush dress code remained in place on weekends, whereas his successor has implemented an even more informal weekend style.

From The New York Times:

Over the weekend, Mr. Obama's first in office, his aides did not quite know how to dress. Some showed up in jeans (another no-no under Mr. Bush), some in coats and ties.

So the president issued an informal edict for "business casual" on weekends -- and set his own example. He showed up Saturday for a briefing with his chief economic adviser, Lawrence H. Summers, dressed in slacks and a gray sweater over a white buttoned-down shirt. Veterans of the Bush White House are shocked.

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Comments

[LemonFreshScent]

gasp! Will his purse not match his shoes... WHAT IF MICHELLE WEARS WHITE AFTER LABOR DAY.

This 2009. Its ok to be business casual now. We all are.

[Gladys1963]

I still can't wear white after Labor Day (Patricia Hearst in "Serial Mom" did me in on that one)! But truthfully, I look better in ivory so I own very little white.
.

[jackson1015]

If he can fix our ailing economy, I wouldn't care if he wore boxer shorts and rubber flip flops in the Oval Office.

[ellawensmom]

So true! Work those flip flips, President Obama! ha ha

[dogmamma]

When your president is actually a real grown up, it's realized that you can dress down and still do a good job. When you have Jethro in the White House, you don't focus on the real issues and never do any real work, but you have to dress the part because it's all about appearances.
(Can you say Sarah Palin???)

[LADY2CNTX]

Sarah Palin! $180,000.0­0 worth of clothes and still couldn't string together two coherent sentences.

[preatorius]

New prez, new rules!

[rbspickles]

I figure it's his house, his rules. What's the problem?

[JMalone3]

Could you let BUSH rest PLEASE. Did you forget who the President is or what. Find something else to write about please.

[Konnie]

who zactly is left to be shocked?
could it be the old drooling media
boot their whiney asses to the curb.

[stormynite03]

WHY do they keep saying "bush's rules" like they should still be in effect? I'm sure BUSH didn't follow all of CLINTON'S rules, because guess what? once a NEW person hits the office it is THEIR rules that count.

When I moved into my new house, I didn't call the old owners to ask "by the way, how did you like to clean? Did you keep the thermostat on a certain level? Did you have pets, are they allowed?" It's now MY house, MY rules. Is that so hard?

[aweissnet]

Fitting comparison. And you gave me a good laugh. Thanks.

[2008FedUP]

ANYTHING is better that Bush's ANYTHING!! This is what real Americans do on the weekend. Dress for comfort, to increase productivity. Maybe George's tie was too tight.

[ReadHead322]

Whoa- hanging down to the left is that..... no never mind.

[preatorius]

That was not president Johnson your talking about.

[preatorius]

No wonder he chose such a talllll wife.

[preatorius]

just a shadow

[moda31]

i wouldn't care if they showed up in their PJs, so long as they're doing their jobs.

[LynnW49]

Ditto.

[picard922]

Cool. Who cares what Bush veterans think? Trash heap of history and all that.

[scorpioleidy]

Why all this deference to Bush?! Out with the old and in with the new! Our current prez can do whatever the h3// he wants!

[rockingbeat]

Chill out, this is in the Style section, not Politics

[janmarie]

He cranks up the thermostat but walk around outside without a heavy coat? What gives?