Obama's fashion influence draws national attention

A few months ago, I suggested that Barack Obama's success could bring about a welcome change in the fashions of African-American boys and young men. Instead of the "gangsta" style, the droopy pants, the oversized T-shirts and hoodies, the gold chains and all the rest popularized by rap singers, young black men might start emulating Obama's sophisticated, Ivy League style. At least one reader accused me of racism for this suggestion.

But on Monday, NPR's "Talk of the Nation" addressed the issue, interviewing Marjorie Valbrun, author of "The New Black Manhood," about the Obama influence she has seen among young blacks, especially boys. Their sense of pride and admiration over the election of this charismatic new president has given them a new role model, one who dresses in traditional suits, wears his hair neatly cropped and exults over his love for his wife and children.

I'm glad to see this issue getting the attention it does. Presidents do influence fashions. President Kennedy's dislike of hats ended the era of hats being a required part of a man's wardrobe. Ronald Reagan's outdoorsy, Western style also influenced fashions. Jimmy Carter's populist, down-home style brought plaid flannel out of the closet. It seems likely that Obama, widely and enthusiastically admired in the black community, will influence fashions, in part because his sophisticated look is such a contrast to the hip-hop/rapper look.

He might also influence another area. Has anybody heard much about ebonics lately? Ebonics advocates claimed that the dialect heard in black urban areas was a separate language that should be recognized as such. Some proposed bilingual education for urban black children, teaching them in ebonics instead of standard English. Obama, whose rhetorical skills helped him win the presidency, is about as far removed from ebonics as anyone can be. He disproves the contention of some ebonics advocates that people of African ancestry (and his family ties to Africa are closer than most American blacks') don't deal well with European languages such as English.

We're not going to see urban street corners suddenly populated by well-groomed young black men in business suits speaking in rhetorical flourishes. A role model's influence is more subtle. If Obama's presidency succeeds, we are likely to see a gradual shift in attitudes as young people embrace this new kind of black hero.

Will president-elect influence fashions?

We have entered the Age of Speculation, that time between the election of a new president and the inauguration. The news media are full of speculation — and some actual news on the matter. What will the Obama administration do about the economy, Iraq, Iran, Detroit, etc.? What kind of White House puppy will be Obama girls get? What impact will Michelle Obama have on policy, parenting and fashion?

Here's another speculative question: What impact might the new president have on fashion? The question is more significant than the then-revolutionary preference of John F. Kennedy to go hatless. Kennedy's dislike of hats was the death knell of the fedora, pork-pie, bowler, top hat and all the rest that were a standard part of the male wardrobe until the 1960s.

I'm eager to see what impact Obama will have on the fashion tastes of African-American boys and young men. Obama's fashion sense is 180 degrees from the gangsta-influenced saggy pants, gold chains, backward caps and oversized T-shirts of the rappers, pimps and drug dealers who have led African-American fashions for the past generation. Obama's style is the epitome of conservative, Ivy League, business professional. His dark, two-button suits, white dress shirts and neat ties proclaim successful, confident, respectful, traditional, modern. His neatly trimmed hair and his trim, athletic body also make a statement about his priorities. It is impossible to imagine Obama dressed in saggy pants with the waistline below his buttocks, showing off his boxer shorts, a cockeyed cap on his head, and a baggy dark hooded sweatshirt adorned with gold chains.

This fashion style originated by musicians and emulated by many professional athletes (but not, notably, Tiger Woods) has dominated black fashions, likely because many young black males saw rappers and basketball stars as their only successful role models. But his election Nov. 4 makes Barack Obama by far the most successful black role model in the country, perhaps in the world. And he is, by any definition, a role model, succeeding against the odds to earn an Ivy League degree and a Harvard Law diploma. His astoundingly rapid political rise culminated in an election that many see as revolutionary. If young black men — or young white men, for that matter — want a role model and mentor, Obama should be the one.

The first indicator of how successful Obama will be in turning the "angry black male" attitude into "yes we can" confidence might lie in how quickly, if at all, young blacks eschew the rapper/pimp style for presidential fashions.