In Rahul Gandhi’s wardrobe choice, a deliberate attempt to rebuild his image and more, say experts

It was the winter of 2023 — the kind of damp, clinging cold, which mocks the layers of woollens we pile on to protect ourselves from the chill. It was one of those days towards the end of his Bharat Jodo Yatra when we saw Rahul Gandhi on our TV screens marching across India, wearing only a white t-shirt and his trusty khaki trousers or cargo pants in the biting cold.

Amid debates over his choice to wear only t-shirts during the Bharat Jodo Yatra from September 7, 2022, to January 30, 2023, especially during the winter months, the Congress leader recounted the experience that led to his decision. “I started walking from Kerala. It was hot and humid. When we entered Madhya Pradesh, there was a slight chill. One day three poor girls in torn clothes came to me and wanted to get a picture clicked. When I hugged one of them, she was shivering. On that day, I decided that I would put on a sweater the day these children got one. Till the time I do not shiver, I will only wear a t-shirt,” Gandhi told The Indian Express in Ambala in January 2023.

Rahul Gandhi with former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, party leader Randeep Surjewala and others during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, in Nuh in 2022. (Express archive photo)

Hundreds of Indians die during winters when temperatures drop across Northern India affecting those who live out in the streets without adequate clothing. According to the 2022 report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) on “Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India,”, 720 people died of the cold during that year. The report also said an average of 810 deaths took place every year due to cold exposure between 2013 and 2022.

Addressing a public rally at the Red Fort in December 2022, during the Delhi leg of his Bharat Jodo Yatra, the Nehru-Gandhi scion even talked about the media asking him about his choice of clothes, and if he didn’t feel the cold. “Why don’t they ask (the same question) the farmers, labourers and poor children of India?”

On his 54th birthday last month, he once again addressed the question about the white t-shirts, which he continues to wear. “I am often asked why I always wear a ‘white T-shirt’ – this T-shirt symbolises transparency, solidity and simplicity for me,” he said in a post on X as he launched a white t-shirt campaign.

People Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti and her daughter Iltija Mufti joined Congress’ Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra. (Express archive photo)

A changed wardrobe

As a member of the Nehru-Gandhi family, Gandhi has long been in the public eye, with his political journey being scrutinised by supporters and critics alike. However, in the landscape of Indian politics, few leaders have experienced as great a change in public perception as Rahul Gandhi. The recent Lok Sabha elections have marked a significant phase in his political career, with a remarkable departure from his public image of a ‘pappu‘ to ‘daddy’ (as netizens call him) — thanks in large part to his changed wardrobe, image consultants believe.

rahul gandhi: daddy’s home 😋 pic.twitter.com/cbLHtH2WMQ

— flower⁷ (@tulipstfu) June 4, 2024

According to personal branding coach Taraa Vermaa Senguptaa, Gandhi seemed to be competing with other politicians but now he is doing it like himself. “His simple t-shirt and cargo pants have been in direct contrast to the rest of the political class. Not to mention the unkempt, free-flowing beard during the Yatra,” says Senguptaa.

Political leaders often wear white kurta-pyjama (including Gandhi himself in the past) but according to Senguptaa, Gandhi’s decision to veer away from this aesthetic seemed to be deliberate. “The starched white unblemished kurta pyjamas have always signified the class divide between the rich and the poor. Gandhi’s choice to wear the same white t-shirt day in and day out with the same cargo pants depicts a sort of camaraderie with the people. First impressions start with visual impact. And Rahul Gandhi’s choice of attire created the impact of a common man, one of the people,” she adds.

Rahul Gandhi in 2015 with the-then party leader Jyotiraditya Scindia and Deependra hooda at Parliament in New Delhi. (Express archive photo)

It’s the same with the cargo pants Rahul Gandhi wears, which also have “working-class origins”, even though they may now be a part of the hip cultural aesthetic and are being worn for fashion and not utility, says Senguptaa. She also noted they serve a dual purpose — familiarising the Congress leader with both the working class and the youth of this country.

The Congress leader’s decision also mirrors that of Mahatma Gandhi, who also forsook his British coat and pants for a Khadi dhoti and shawl because of the perceived injustices across the country.

“I realised the substratum of truth behind the remark. I had my vest, cap and full dhoti on. When these uttered only partial truth, the millions of compulsorily naked men, save for their langoti four inches wide and nearly as many feet long, gave through their limbs the naked truth. What effective answer could I give them, if it was not to divest myself of every inch of clothing I decently could and thus to a still greater extent bring my­self in line with ill-clad masses?” R K Prabhu’s This was Bapu, a compilation of writings and speeches by Mahatma Gandhi, reads.

Mahatma Gandhi wrote this particular piece in September of 1921 when he decided to forego his Englishmen-like clothes.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi at state Party office for election review meeting in Shimla in 2017 (Express archive photo)

‘Solidarity with the common people’

Senguptaa also points out that Rahul Gandhi’s choice of t-shirt and cargo pants seem similarly deliberate because of their utilitarian origins. So does Professor Satya Suman, School of Fashion, World University of Design, Sonipat. “By wearing plain white T-shirts during his Bharat Jodo Yatra, Gandhi projected an image of simplicity and solidarity with the common people, highlighting socio-political issues and reinforcing his message of unity and change,” says Suman.

Suman adds that after World War II, Hollywood icons such as Marlon Brando and James Dean popularised the military wear t-shirt as casual outerwear, transforming it into a symbol of youthful rebellion. It served as an accessible platform for protest fashion during the civil rights movement, anti-war protests, and other activism, adds Suman.

Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi address a rally of Congress supporters as his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra enters Dharavi area in Mumbai on 16 March 2024. (Express archive photo)

Image consultant and coach Suman Agarwal also agrees. “His wardrobe screams ‘main alag hoon‘ (I’m different from the others) and I’m one of you. Not to mention it also helps him connect with the youth of the country.”

Ok but fr Rahul Gandhi is so daddy coded

— ajeeeboghareeb (@SamjhNai) June 4, 2024

Mentioning her daughter, Agarwal says the youngsters, who now see Rahul in a different light without any context of his image before, are electrified to know a leader “who dresses and talks like them.” “People treat you the way they see you. How you dress affects the way you think, feel and behave and, in turn, affects how people react and respond to you,” says Agarwal, adding this has played a major role in Gandhi’s image renewal.

Rahul Gandhi speaking with farmers during his Bharat Jodo Nyay yatra at Sishabari village under Sikandarpur GP in Purnia, Bihar on Jan 30, 2024. (Express archive photo)

“His communication has become extremely candid. If you’re not talking about your competition, it reflects confidence,” Agarwal adds. Senguptaa agrees. “He chose to walk, not to ride in a motorcade. He chose to talk to the people and not at them.”

“I haven’t always followed politics as much but people around me, my friends, and mutuals on socials (people who you become friends with online) have all been talking about this revival Rahul Gandhi has had and just shown up with such daddy energy and how. I have been seeing that viral ‘Daddy’s home’ edit everywhere,” says Divyanshi Bareja, a 25-year-old from Bengaluru.

A screenshot from the Instagram page of Indian National Congress

Experts say the Lok Sabha elections 2024 have shown a more resilient Rahul, adding the real test will be in sustaining this momentum and overcoming the deeply entrenched scepticism about his leadership qualities. As Indian politics continues to evolve, Rahul Gandhi’s ability to navigate these changes and further solidify his leadership role will be crucial for his political future and that of the Congress party, they believe.

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