President Donald Trump repeatedly made his case for America during Tuesday night’s State of the Union address before the joint session of Congress, but he did so wearing an Italian-made tie.
POTUS delivered his 140-minute speech wearing a red and blue tie that is a new style from Italo Ferretti’s “Presidential” collection. While some politicians used their clothing to signal in their opposition to some of the president’s policies, Trump stuck with standard business attire — a dark suit, white buttoned-down shirt and the European-made tie, which was the same one that he sported for his second inaugural swearing-in ceremony in January. First Lady Melania Trump also chose a European label Tuesday night, wearing a gray Dior suit to the U.S. Capitol.
The accessory may have been perceived as out of sync with the theme of Trump’s address, “The Renewal of the American Dream.” At the moment, Italy is not a target for Trump’s tariffs program, although the European Union is expected to be come early April. (Italian companies do pay tariffs of varying levels on their apparel exports to the U.S. already, however.) Tariffs were a recurring topic in Trump’s speech, which also addressed the war in Ukraine, immigration, the Israel-Hamas war, the economy and LGBTQIA+ issues among other issues.
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Declining a phone interview, Italo Ferretti’s chief executive officer Carlo Ferretti said via email Wednesday, “I had the pleasure of showing him our collection, during his first election campaign. And since then, I have had the pleasure of him buying our ties every season thanks to the particularity of the product and its uniqueness.”
Silvia Di Liso, who oversees the company’s online business, described Trump “as a loyal customer of Italo Ferretti ties” who appreciates the uniqueness and craftsmanship of the products. The $227 handmade luxury silk tie that Trump wore Tuesday has a “refined red dotted pattern on a navy blue background.” “We have indeed noticed an increase in interest for this particular tie, after it was shown on the news internationally,” Di Liso said.
While the pandemic shutdown and companies’ extended WFH policies dented the men’s necktie business in a major way, Trump has consistently favored the corporate look even on the campaign trail. A source, who requested anonymity, said that in addition to Italo Ferretti, he is known to own ties from Ralph Lauren and Brooks Brothers. The president also has purchased shirts and ordered suits from Brooks Brothers in the past, including the one he was wearing last July when he was shot during a campaign rally in Ohio. That particular suit can no longer be worn, according to the source. Brooks Brothers has a long history with U.S. presidents having suited up many including Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant and Theodore Roosevelt, among others.
Seldom photographed not wearing a necktie, Trump sells his own signature styles as part of the Trump Store’s online collection in solid red or blue for $125 each.
