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| Justin Trudeau, left, Elizabeth May, Tom Mulcair, and Stephen Harper smile for the cameras for the first debate of the election season. Image: NetNewsLedger.com |
Ahhh, the debates.
It's best to start off this blog off where all four major leaders were in the same room, at the same time. When Maclean's and CityNews hosted the first National Leaders Debate on Aug. 8, thousands of Canadians watched, streamed, and listened to the PM and the three hopefuls go at one another in a tactful manner.
As this blog features a non-partisan view, below you'll find notes on each of the candidate's style choices for this event.
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| Image: Cbc.ca |
JUSTIN TRUDEAU
Highlights: The impeccable fit of the suit. Trudeau's a young guy and has the right build for a trimmer suit. Bigger lapel. Also note, the only one not to wear a pin on a lapel. Sported a rich colour of burgundy for his tie.
Appealing to: Everyone.
Significance: If he chose a red tie, it would have been far too predictable. The burgundy is a subtle nod to his party's colour. As some may say he's just not ready, he presented himself like he is.
ELIZABETH MAY
Highlights: A safe black skirt-suit combo, with the white blouse collar sticking out (faux paus of mine). Glad May went with this and not a trouser as this gives her height and elongates her leg although we couldn't see much of the bottom half behind the podium.
Appealing to: Everyone.
Significance: May needs to show her party can take on the Big Three since the Green party is often left behind in election coverage. By giving her height on television against three already super tall men (height=strong, strong=powerful), May's team may have chose this option to show she can take on the Big Three seen as a subtle way for the viewers.
TOM MULCAIR
Highlights: No orange to be seen anywhere. Mulcair has broad shoulders but can pull off the smaller lapel quite nicely. His awesome chestnut shoes, which again, like May, was stuck behind a podium.
Appealing to: Everyone.
Significance: Mulcair's suit dimensions were perfect to scale. Smaller lapel, thus, wider shirt collar. If your outfit is perfect to scale, you look good and confident. Perhaps Mulcair's team was hoping the viewers caught on to that.
STEPHEN HARPER
Highlights: Classic fit for a conservative guy, of course. Wore his party's colour for his tie.
Appealing to: Everyone.
Significance: Harper can't go wrong with something that is traditional. You want to wear what you feel most comfortable in when you take on a debate like this. The media and viewers can't Harp on him for that. Is this look an ode to traditional values?
Closing thoughts: Everyone kept it safe and what was expected of them.
