At first glance, it might be disconcerting to learn that 42nd President of the United States of America, William Jefferson Clinton, is a certified clout chaser. The former commander-in-chief was caught wearing coveted hypebeast brand Aimé Leon Dore’s Molina Breakfast Sweater in a video update after being released from a California Hospital following an infection unrelated to COVID-19.
The news has hit some circles hard. Popular podcast and meme account Throwing Fits posted about the spectacle in typically offensive, irreverent fashion, as did local NYC treasure @Nolitadirtbag. On Reddit, one user commented, “This is the clearest sign that we are ever going to get that we are living in a simulation.”
Perhaps shockingly, I don’t find myself having flashbacks to the “How do you do, fellow kids? ” meme. Regardless of whether Old Billy or his far hipper daughter Chelsea pulled the trigger on the $395 sweater, the man wears the damn thing like a champ. And what, if not an overhyped yet tasteful knit, is a surer sign of aging gracefully than what Bill’s got going on? The ex-prez has always been a smooth operator in the clothing department, with an eye for subtle flexes and subverting expectations. His whole suave-southern-slimebag persona is frankly more or less a corner of drippy dressing nowadays.
It should also be noted that this isn’t Slick Willy’s first run-in with high-end streetwear. No. 42 was photographed inside the faux-chic KITH store in 2018, dabbling with some Japanese label trousers.
So no, we will not shame the president for wanting to look like a 24-year-old who hangs out at Noah NY and, despite appearances, hasn’t kickflipped a day in his life. After all, who could blame him for lusting after his younger days? We will, however, be picking up that sweater. It’s a miracle it hasn’t sold out already.
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