Tyrant style report: Spring 2011

As the spring fashion season kicks off, it's time to take a look at the hottest men's styles being worn by the sexy dictators and tyrants of the middle east. Hold onto your keffiyeh, because I'm about to show these emperors a lesson in dressin' for suppression! 

Bahrain

Hamad bin Isa al Khalifa (on the right)

 If there's one thing that any tyrant needs to project with his clothing, it's power and manliness. Sorry Hamad, but a suede vest with a beige mandarin-collar shirt doesn't exactly scream "I deserve respect". Khalifa looks more like a guidance counselor circa '95 than the glorious king of Bahrain.
However, I will say that a keffiyeh is a good choice in headwear. Not only is it functional and a symbol of traditional Bahrain, the headpiece does a good job of drawing the eye toward the face... a good thing since the rest of Hamad's outfit is so blah.

Libya

Moammar Gadhafi

 One of the great things about being a malevolent dictator has to be the ability to wear whatever you want. Kim Jong Il, for example, can wear high heels and diva glasses without anyone raising an eyebrow. This is the only logic I can find behind Gadhafi's Miami Vice revival outfit here. 

Egypt

 Hosni Mubarak

I only have one thing to say: big guys do not have to wear big suits. Mubarak (seen here being supported by the US) would do well to wear something with a more fitted cut. The clean lines and smooth look would make him look more slim than all the pinstripes in the world could. Maybe then he wouldn't have lost his country to a bunch of people throwing rocks.

Iran

Mahmoud Ahmedinejad

I love it! The relaxed fit of the overcoat, the dashing scarf for those cold Iranian nights, the rakishly untied sports shirt... Mahmoud, you can kidnap and torture me anytime. 

Seriously, he's a horrible, horrible human being.