Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi revealed on X that she struggled with what to wear for her debut at the Group of 20 summit, admitting that choosing her outfits took far more time than expected as she packed the day before departing Japan.
Eventually, Japan’s first female prime minister chose from the clothes she already had, but ended her post with a grumble, saying she might “have to buy clothes that would let me gain an upper hand in diplomatic negotiations, even if I have to overextend myself.”
Takaichi’s attire drew attention in parliament, where Hiroshi Ando, secretary general of the populist opposition Sanseito party, on Nov 14 urged her to conduct diplomacy in clothes made from “Japan’s finest fabrics and those crafted by its top artisans.”
On X, Takaichi wrote that she does not own such clothes, and that Ando’s point “seemed to make some sense,” adding she spent several hours choosing “clothes that don’t look cheap” and “clothes that won’t make me be taken lightly.”
The conservative lawmaker, who took office on Oct 21, often chooses blue to project strength, a habit linked to her admiration for the late British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who was known for her signature blue outfits.
