Tipsheet

Fetterman's Trademark Hoodies and Shorts Are Here to Stay After Senate Makes Dress Code Changes

The United States Senate dress code will correspond with the downhill road the country is heading under President Joe Biden. 

On Sunday, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced that there would no longer be a dress code for upper house members elected by those they serve, allowing them to wear whatever they want, whether it be workout clothes or a bathing suit. 

"Senators can choose what they wear on the Senate floor. I will continue to wear a suit," Schumer said to Axios.

However, others entering the chamber must comply with the dress code. Men must still wear coats and ties, while women must wear business attire. 

The new initiative will allow Democratic Sen. John Fetterman (D-P.A.) to wear his trademark hoodies and gym shorts while representing America.

Fetterman has been known for wearing Carhartt hoodies while conducting official business for his state. He has previously been praised for "turning heads" and "redefining fashion in the stuffy Senate" after being released from his six-week stay at a medical center where he was treated for "clinical depression" following his stroke. 

The Democrat has refused to dress professionally for every occasion, even when voting on issues. 

Fetterman found a "workaround" to the Senate's dress code rules by voting from the doorway of the Democratic cloakroom or the side entrance, making sure his "yay" or "nay" is recorded before leaving. 

Senators can dodge the dress code by voting from the edge of the Senate floor, with one foot still in the cloakroom if they choose. They can hold their thumb up or down to indicate their vote and then step back out of the chamber. 

According to Axios, the rule is more of an informal custom that will be enforced by the Sergeant at Arms.

Over the years, several politicians opposed a relaxed dress code. 

In 2015, then-House Speaker Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) said, "Members should wear appropriate attire during all sittings of the House, however brief their appearances on the floor may be. You know who you are."