Newly-elected MLA Thomas Emerson caused some furore when he turned up to day one of the ACT's Legislative Assembly sans-tie, with the speaker warning of a 'dramatic decline' of dress standards.
Should wearing a tie be compulsory in the ACT Legislative Assembly? Newly-elected Thomas Emerson doesn't seem to think soShould wearing a tie be compulsory in the ACT Legislative Assembly? Newly-elected Thomas Emerson doesn't seem to think soNewly-elected MLA Thomas Emerson caused some furore this week when he turned up to day one of the ACT 's Legislative Assembly without a tie.
"I would ask members, if you were invited to speak at a black tie function, would you choose to attend wearing smart casual clothing? Are you bigger than the function, or is the function bigger than you?"But Mr Emerson has given me his assurance that he'll always wear a nice jacket and shirt, as he has today.
And while Mr Emerson was permitted to stay in the room, Mr Parton's remarks show there's an expectation of acceptable attire in the Legislative Assembly.History shows us that the clothing choices of politicians reflect the fashion trends of the time, and are carefully scrutinised."This idea of what's suitable for politicians to wear is a fascinating one," Dr Lorinda Cramer, a fashion historian at RMIT, says.
But fast forward to 1999, and Speaker Neil Andrew referenced the tie as part of "generally accepted" clothing in business and professional circles, recommending "good trousers, a jacket, collar and tie for men, and a similar standard of formality for women". in 2021, after Maori Party co-leader Rawiri Waititi was ejected from the debating chamber for wearing a traditional pendant instead of a tie.
"Men had very few items of clothes in their wardrobe. It wasn't like now, where we have a huge range of, for example, leisure wear," Dr Cramer says. "One of the things that they were really conscious of was the idea that, you know, ties tightly tied around the neck were really quite stifling on a hot summer's day."
"Heading to work this morning Collins Street in Melbourne, one of our finance districts, there were very, very few men wearing suits with ties."So if ties essentially evolved out of the everyday fashion landscape in the 20th century, could the same thing happen now in the assembly?
Canberra Local News Local Tie Suit Business Wear Fashion Thomas Emerson Mark Parton Lorinda Cramer
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