Tan-Gate: 9 Years After Barack Obama's Tan Suit Incident Many Are STILL In Shock At The Uproar

It's been nine years since Barack Obama's infamous tan suit incident, and people still can't wrap their heads around how exaggerated the uproar that ensued was.

Notably, Obama's decision to wear the tan suit was influenced by his routine of choosing gray or blue suits to simplify decisions. This departure from the norm led to a flurry of puns and fashion criticisms by many.

Keep on reading to learn more.

It's not uncommon for US Presidents to don a tan suit. In fact, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush are examples of presidents who wore tan suits during their time in office.

However, on August 28, 2014, when President Barack Obama appeared at a White House news conference wearing a beige suit, the choice of attire became a topic of national debate.

According to the Washington Post, the beige suit led to Rep. Peter T. King (R-N.Y.) criticizing the president for a perceived "lack of seriousness." 

Media outlets hosted discussions, fashion experts and consultants provided insights, and reporters sought the public's opinions in Northeast Ohio on the controversial ensemble with the public consensus at the time being that "they don't care."

In response to a resurfaced video clip shared by "The Daily Show," where political commentators fussed over Obama's infamous tan suit, fans are sharing their perspectives nine years later.

One user humorously contrasted the uproar over the suit with the acceptance of an "orange" president, referring to former president Donald Trump. They wrote, "We've had a whole a** orange president, but a tan suit? nah that's too far."

Another comment read, "They were flabbergasted. Now we've got insurrections, sex scandals and RICO, and they're like, 'oh that's nothing.'"

"I miss the days when this was big news. The world has gone wrong," a fourth commented said.

Other users took the opportunity to talk about how good Obama looked in the tan suit, with one person claiming that "No president has ever looked so sexy," along with a heart-eye emoji.

Reiterating his criticism of Obama's attire, King expressed his discontent on Newsmax TV, stating, "There's no way I don't think any of us can excuse what the president did yesterday."

The New York Congressman was particularly upset with Obama's reluctance to commit to increased military operations in Syria. 

Adding to his frustration was the fact that the president appeared in a "light tan suit" while delivering this message, which appeared as a metaphor for his perceived lack of seriousness.

King emphasized that groups like "ISIS are watching." He explained, "If you were the head of ISIS, if you were Baghdadi, if you were anyone in the ISIS, would you come away from yesterday afraid of the United States? Would you be afraid that the United States was going to use all its power to crush ISIS? Or would you think here's a person who's going to go out and do a few fundraisers over the Labor Day weekend?"

In a subsequent CNN interview, King further intensified his critique, likening Obama's appearance to someone on "his way to a party at the Hamptons." 

He concluded, "I thought the suit was a metaphor for his lack of seriousness."

After the widespread commotion, Time magazine offered an insightful explanation for the intense attention directed at Obama's tan suit, which Georges de Paris, a renowned Washington tailor with a history of dressing presidents, had meticulously tailored.

As explained by the publication, in the initial years of his presidency, Obama streamlined his daily routine by limiting his wardrobe choices, opting for gray or blue suits to reduce decision-making.

This assertion comes from a 2012 Vanity Fair Michael Lewis interview when Obama revealed he wore "only gray or blue suits." He explained, "I'm trying to pare down decisions. I don't want to make decisions about what I'm eating or wearing. Because I have too many other decisions to make."

Consequently, over nearly six years, Americans had grown accustomed to seeing the president in navy or charcoal suits, with rare exceptions like Easter services.

Therefore, his appearance in the beige suit seemed akin to a "performer out of costume," as the publication noted.