Justin Trudeau's kitschy socks Doug Ford's ugly shoes

Social media's fashion Guy ranks Canadian politicians' style

- ANDY TAKAGI

How did some prominent Canadian politicians fare in the crosshairs of a men's fashion critic?

You might not know his name, but if you’ve scrolled through social media at all, you’ve probably seen Derek Guy’s scathing takes on menswear and fashion.

Guy, who goes by the handle @dieworkwear, regularly takes to X, formerly Twitter, with sprawling threads full of critiques of menswear, often taking aim at politicians and public figures.

“Sometimes people ask me, do I think clothes make a difference in politics? I don’t think anyone should be judged on clothes in terms of their inner character,” Guy, a U.S.-based fashion blogger, told the Star. “I don’t think you should ever think that someone is stupid or immoral or lazy or something based on their clothes.”

But for politicians, clothes can end up distracting from what they are trying to say, or when they want to lay low, draw more attention to them, Guy said.

Here are five male Canadian politicians, ranked by Guy on their fashion sense:

1. Justin Trudeau: ‘Just stop wearing the socks’

Even though the prime minister tops out Guy’s list for best dressed, part of Trudeau’s wardrobe draws Guy’s ire.

It’s the socks.

He, throughout various points in talking to the Star, called them: “kitschy,” “ugly,” and “ridiculous-looking.”

It wasn’t that long ago that Trudeau was knighted “the most stylish politician” by GQ and named in Vanity Fair’s list of best-dressed men. But, as in his polling numbers, Trudeau has fallen from grace.

The socks started off as a playful way for the newly elected prime minster to signal that he was different from past politicians. His “sock diplomacy” (as labelled by the Guardian) would make headlines, like his pride-themed “Eid Mubarak” socks or Star Wars-themed socks for May 4.