The MAGA Fashion Revolution
On The Nation Podcast: Derek Guy on how Trumpism swallowed Republican style.
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The MAGA Fashion Revolution | The Nation Podcast
Donald Trump and his MAGA movement haven’t just taken over Republican politics. They’ve also taken over Republican fashion.
Gone is the stuffy, genteel uniform of the elite. In its place: a loud, anti-establishment, even vulgar sartorial agenda. But what does this style actually say about MAGA politics? What do these clothes suggest about the authenticity of the movement’s leaders—especially when so many of Trump’s policies remain old-school conservative? And what messages do these looks send when their words often mean something else entirely?
To help us unpack the fashion evolution of the political establishment, we’re joined by Derek Guy—better known online as the Menswear Guy and creator of the blog Die Workwear!
Derek has written for The New York Times, the Financial Times, and other outlets. His essay, “From Blazers to Belligerence,” appears in the October books issue of The Nation.
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Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi look on as US President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office on September 15, 2025.
(Saul Loeb / AFP via Getty Images)Donald Trump and his MAGA movement haven’t just taken over Republican politics. They’ve also taken over Republican fashion.
Gone is the stuffy, genteel uniform of the elite. In its place: a loud, anti-establishment, even vulgar sartorial agenda. But what does this style actually say about MAGA politics? What do these clothes suggest about the authenticity of the movement’s leaders—especially when so many of Trump’s policies remain old-school conservative? And what messages do these looks send when their words often mean something else entirely?
To help us unpack the fashion evolution of the political establishment, we’re joined by Derek Guy—better known online as the Menswear Guy and creator of the blog Die Workwear!
Derek has written for The New York Times, the Financial Times, and other outlets. His essay “From Blazers to Belligerence” appears in the October Fall Books issue of The Nation.
Subscribe to The Nation to support all of our podcasts: thenation.com/podcastsubscribe.
The Nation Podcasts
Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.
The Transformation of the New York Waterfront w/ Karrie Jacobs | The Nation Podcast
In its heyday, the Bush Terminal industrial complex spanned several city blocks along Brooklyn’s waterfront and employed more than 35,000 people. Built by Irving Bush in the late nineteenth century, it was an "early intermodal shipping hub." Goods arrived by water and left by rail. Bananas, coffee, and cotton came in through doors on one side of the warehouses and were loaded onto trains on the other.
But after World War II, as trucks replaced rail and shipping patterns changed, the Terminal’s purpose faded and the vast complex slipped into disuse.
Today, Bush Terminal is again at the center of New York’s vision for urban reinvention— and a debate around development, displacement, and the future of work in the city.
Joining us on a deep dive into Bush Terminal is veteran architecture critic and writer Karrie Jacobs. Her essay, “On the Waterfront,” appears in our December issue of the Nation.
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