Akshata Murty, Jill Biden and the First Lady style formula for a vote-winning outfit

“Behind every man, there is a great woman,” or so the saying goes. When it comes to modern politics, however, the “great woman” is increasingly centre stage – and never more so than in an election year, when the savviest male politicians appear to be realising that their biggest vote-winner may not, in fact, be their fiscal policies, but the style credentials of their wives.

The phrase “politician’s wife” has always felt somewhat dismissive, suggestive of a second-class status that didn’t behove women such as Cherie Blair, a respected human rights lawyer, or Samantha Cameron, a successful businesswoman.

Accomplished in their own right, today’s political spouses warrant the more flattering descriptor “first lady” – an Americanism, yes, but one which befits these women’s increasingly important role and status.

With elections looming in the UK, France and the US, all eyes are increasingly trained on the campaign trail clothing choices of respective First Ladies Akshata Murty, Brigitte Macron and Jill Biden. All three have never looked more polished.

Accompanying her husband to a diplomatic dinner in Normandy to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Dr Jill Biden was every inch the diplomatic dresser in a deep blue velvet Schiaparelli gown.

Founded in Paris by Elsa Schiaparelli – an Italian – in 1927, the label is revered in France for its Surrealist designs. That its current creative director, Daniel Roseberry, is American, made the gown a patriotic choice that simultaneously honoured French fashion.

Bonus points that its hue echoed the colour of the Democrat Party. Brigitte Macron, meanwhile, flew the flag for French fashion in a white Louis Vuitton gown embellished with statement buttons.

When it comes to arriving at a style formula, diplomatic dressing is increasingly front of mind for today’s first ladies. While many countries would probably lay claim to having pioneered the concept, the UK has certainly played a large part.

During her reign, Queen Elizabeth II was a diplomatic dresser extraordinaire, frequently nodding to the colours, prints and cultures of her host country via her wardrobe.

With greater freedom to wear designer labels than the Queen, the Princess of Wales finessed the concept, frequently choosing to wear designers who hailed from the country she was visiting, as well as patriotically showcasing British labels abroad.

It’s hardly surprising that first ladies have borrowed a few tricks from the royal playbook. After all, no-one is more accustomed to global public scrutiny than royalty. Most modern first ladies would agree that, while not without its sartorial challenges, the international stage represents a glorious opportunity to promote homegrown fashion brands.

But the idea that any first lady can simply fling an armful of clothes into a suitcase and go is fanciful. When your every choice is scrutinized, discreet – very discreet – professional help is required. Brigitte Macron is rumoured to work with Mathieu Barthelat Colin, while Jill Biden enlists the services of stylist Bailey Moon.

During her six years as special adviser to Samantha Cameron, the image consultant Isabel Spearman did much to promote smaller British brands internationally, helping boost sales.

While reports that Spearman is currently advising Akshata Murty in a similar capacity remain unconfirmed, there is nothing in Murty’s current style formula to contradict them.

Like Mrs Cameron, the wife of Prime Minister Sunak knows exactly when to flex her fashion muscles, and also when to dial them down.

Case in point: the Forties-inspired cream boucle suit she wore to the D-Day commemoration in Normandy, designed by Shropshire-based Claire Mischevani.

“Elegance is key, as is dressing in a respectful way,” says Mischevani of the style template that she adhered to when designing Murty’s D-Day suit. “Colours and styles must be chosen with utmost consideration, so that the outfit makes our client feel her absolute best on a world stage.”

While her suit’s four-figure price tag will do nothing to endear Murty to voters on a minimum wage, her previous outfit, a blush pink jacket by London high street label Aligne, was carefully priced at a more accessible £165.

This financial form of fashion diplomacy was very much pioneered by Michelle Obama, who throughout her husband’s presidency (2009-2017) was a skilled practitioner of high/low dressing, always careful to offset expensive designer labels with more affordable purchases from the US high street.

While she did much to champion independent US designers such as Jason Wu and Prabal Gurung, it’s significant that one of garments for which she is still most remembered is a simple cardigan from the US high street retailer J Crew.

With the help of her stylist, Meredith Koop, Mrs Obama’s carefully curated mix of prestige and mass market brands always made her seem glamorous, but relatable. It’s a blueprint that seems to have inspired Samantha Cameron, Carrie Johnson and Akshata Murty, to name but three.

As the wives of Conservative Prime Ministers, perhaps it’s no accident that these first ladies are careful not to dress in a way that could further amplify the idea that the Tory party is out of touch with the average Brit.

So staunch a fan of dress hire agencies is Carrie Johnson that when she married Boris Johnson in 2021, she even rented her wedding dress.

Its £45 price tag was worth its weight in PR gold. Akshata Murty, meanwhile, carefully teams her Gucci with midmarket labels such as Boden and Me + Em.

In France, there are no such concerns about fitting in with the electorate. Brigitte Macron’s wardrobe of chic, understated Louis Vuitton is worn entirely without apology, as was her predecessor, Carla Bruni’s.

At 71, Macron’s penchant for neat little suits and judiciously chosen couture gowns have made her something of a style icon among older women. No matter that France is going through its own cost of living crisis: regardless of price tag, the view is that French fashion should be celebrated at all costs.

When it comes to nailing modern first lady style, it helps if the women in question already have their own. When Akshata Murty was spotted off-duty in a £570 pair of slippers by London Fashion Week designer JW Anderson, it played out as an organic choice, rather than one curated by a stylist.

These and other eclectic picks suggest that Murty enjoys fashion, and is confident in her own ability to mix and match. The same goes for Samantha Cameron, whose job as creative director of Smythson meant that she counted designers such as Erdem and Roksanda as personal friends long before her husband became Prime Minister.

When he was elected in 2010, understandably, she turned to these and other British designers for her wardrobe. Her love of bright colours and bold prints ushered in a new era of first lady dressing that was more experimental than had previously been seen in the UK.

Mischevani believes that social media has further upped the ante. “Looks are constantly scrutinised due to various social media platforms around the world. There is definitely more pressure placed upon the designers, stylists and their clients to ensure that they are wearing pieces that are flattering, stylish and appropriate for the occasion.”

But even without the added pressure of social media, commenting on first ladies’ wardrobe choices has become something of an international sport.

“Like it or not, when you are in politics, or any public-facing role, you are on show, and women in particular will be scrutinised,” says one former newspaper editor.

“What women wear is definitely still of greater interest and variety than the cut of a president or Prime Minister’s invariably dark navy suit. Coverage may be becoming less overtly sexist, but whatever your gender, the optics matter more than ever.”

In 1995, Hillary Clinton quipped: “If I want to knock a story off the front page, I just change my hairstyle”.

Almost 30 years later, her point has never felt more relevant.

The most successful first ladies function as diplomats and distractions, patriots and hostesses, fashion ambassadors and vote-winners. Politics would be far duller without them.