What will Bill Clinton's first gentleman style look like in the White House?

Culture

Here is a selection of headlines that ran after Michelle Obama wore a gold Versace dress to the state dinner in October. From the Huffington Post: "Michelle Obama Drops Jaws In A Chainmail Versace Gown At Her Last State Dinner." From Mashable: "Michelle Obama slays final state dinner with this stunning dress." From US Magazine: "Michelle Obama Turns Heads, Glows in Stunning Rose Gold Versace Gown at Final State Dinner."

First ladies throughout history — from Michelle Obama to Jackie Kennedy to Mary Todd Lincoln — have all been singled out for their style, wielding enough power to kick-start trends and even launch a designer's career. From inaugurations to state dinners, even stepping off planes, there is never not a story on what they're wearing.

But come Jan. 20, for the first time there's a possibility that we won't be talking about the dress the woman who's married to the president is wearing. Instead, we might be talking about the suit the man who's married to the president is wearing. 

It'll be a huge adjustment. Just think of the headlines. "Bill Clinton wows in a neat blue suit." "Bill Clinton slays in a bright yellow tie." Though it's still yet to be seen whether people will care nearly as much about Bill Clinton's style compared to Hillary's or any other previous first lady, there's a possibility that his fashion will be under a most critical microscope. 

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While Melania Trump has drawn comparisons to Jackie Kennedy, Clinton has no real shoes to fill.  Although he has said he won't be taking over typical spousal roles in the White House, such as picking out the china and tending to the garden, the other role he may actually be forgetting is that of the fashion plate. 

Mic's already broken down what Melania Trump in the White House would look like, so now it's time to focus on Bill. What will Bill Clinton look like as first gentleman? Will he begin to love bold socks as much as he loved those balloons at the Democratic National Convention? Will he try to stun in a bright pink suit? Will he bring back his teeny-tiny running shorts?

To answer those questions, we looked back at his eight years in the White House as well as the past few months on the campaign trail for clues as to how Clinton might be outfitted.

Clinton isn't afraid of a bold tie: The first thing you notice when you dig into the Bill Clinton style archives is that this dude has never shied away from a statement tie. Around Christmas, he wore one with Christmas trees and another with Santa Claus

He's worn a tie with parrots printed on it, and sunflowers. Back in the '90s, he had a particular affinity for polka dots, brocade flowers, and really any print that would look at home on the floors of the hotel in the Shining

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While it may be easy to blame the ties on the outlandish style of the '90s, an era in which neon colors and animal prints were all the rage, Clinton still to this day tends to wear ties that don't blend in, like this pink tie with tiny Hillary Clinton logos at the first presidential debate in 2016, and this blue tie emblazoned with the Clinton Global Initiative logo. 

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While President Barack Obama's style tends to like more streamlined, thin and modern ties, and Donald Trump's got long, bright red ones, Clinton tends to try to send a message with his ties. 

Would he be able to continue this legacy into the White House? 

Polo T-shirts have been a longtime mainstay. One of Bill Clinton's greatest loves besides Hillary Clinton and tuxedo cats is polo T-shirts. 

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Since his time in the White House until this campaign, Clinton has frequently worn them under suit jackets rather than opting for a button-down shirt. 

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Though it's a basic for any man above the age of 60, Clinton has a particular affinity for them, and as first gentleman, we assume (and hope) that his love for them will only grow. 

The shortest shorts: During his limited downtime at the White House throughout the '90s, Clinton was never afraid of very short shorts. 

There are a plethora of eye-opening images of Clinton and his Rubenesque, pasty thighs running across America. 

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Though there are no recent images of Clinton embracing this sort of fashion statement of late, we remain hopeful. After all, athleisure is in. Gender-neutral fashion is in. And Clinton, as a man, has every right to embrace short shorts once more. 

Dad jeans for days. It's not often that Bill Clinton wears jeans, but when he does, he makes sure they are the largest jeans you've ever seen. Jeans fit for a hefty dad, if you will. 

Gaze upon these majestic images for proof (particularly of the one depicting Clinton making a peanut butter and banana sandwich).

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In the '90s, this was nothing out of the ordinary, really. Clinton was just being on-trend. But as it so happens, he's still riding this acid wash wave and loving the dad jean

Here he is in 2010, the day before his daughter's wedding, carefree in his signature polo, draped in bleached denim.

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With Bill Clinton in the White House, rest assured that there will never be a shortage of dad jeans. 

A dose of flair. Though Bill Clinton's style could be seen as unexciting, he does have a tendency to add little winks to the state of affairs. He's used his ties to show support of his wife and his organization, and just recently he's amped up his sense of whimsy, bringing together politics and fashion. 

At a Clinton campaign fundraiser in New York City, Bill Clinton showed up with a pocket square that read "Hillary," as well as a Hillary Clinton pin. 

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It was a hit. 

The Huffington Post called it dapper. Esquire called it a "pro-level menswear move." New York Magazine's the Cut asked, "Does this bode well for his potential First Man fashion statements?"

Though that is still yet to be seen, it's safe to say that Bill Clinton as first gentleman would be a massive style departure from the past few years, which saw Michelle Obama in his prospective role. No, we won't be looking at Clinton on inauguration, hoping he comes out in a gold sparkly shirt — because he just won't be doing that. At this point, we'd be lucky to get a pair of blue suede shoes. But still, his presence in this role is historic. 

If Hillary Clinton does end up at the helm of the White House, he has the opportunity to show men his age how to dress expertly and raise the bar in men's fashion. And maybe, for the first time ever, a man will understand the pressure of being married to the President of the United States.