A lot of thought and prep goes into the election debates, and presumably the clothes. The candidates stayed conservative as far as suiting - business-guy black or navy. But they are more creative about neckwear. If ties can tell you a lot about a man's personality, what sort of statement did the four party leaders make this week?
Michael Ignatieff
Thanks to former Ontario premier David Peterson, red ties have become standard-issue neckwear in the Liberal Party. So at least Mr. Ignatieff is on message, even if that fashion message is more than 20 years old. But there's no guarantee a makeover would be effective; he invariably manages to look like a prep school principal.
Stephen Harper
The Conservative Leader seems to avoid committing to a single style. One day he's sporting a graphic red stripe; the next, a slick solid blue. As the incumbent, he's in a position to play around with his ties; we've seen five years worth of them after all. There is a very fine line, however, between mixing things up and a message that's all mixed up.
Jack Layton
Mr. Layton has ruled out his party's peppy orange hue in favour of alternating black, blue and yellow stripes. It's a contemporary combination, to be sure, and reinforces how strongly he yearns to stand out from his opponents. While the NDP Leader is not afraid to be bold on colour, he also tends to stay inside the lines.
Gilles Duceppe
The dandiest of the bunch, Mr. Duceppe appears to be gravitating towards paisleys and swirly prints. This is a risky move, mostly because the pattern is so florid and frenetic as opposed to neat and orderly. Neckwear doesn't make or break a candidate, but this direction seems unlikely to win him any additional votes.