NEW YORK: The stylish 'Nehru jacket' popularised by India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's has been listed among the top global political fashion statements. Nehru's attire has found place in the list that includes the tracksuit of Cuba's communist leader Fidel Castro's and former Chinese leader Mao Zedong's safari suit, according to the Time magazine. "The
Nehru jacket is a descendant of the northern Indian achkan, a closed-neck, coat like garment usually considered court dress for Indian nobility. Indeed, it was when the jacket was marketed to Western audiences that it took the "Nehru" title, the charismatic Prime Minister having popularised its style in public appearances during his tenure in the government," according to the magazine. Nehru wasn't the only prominent figure associated with it; the minimalist aesthetic of the jacket inspired the likes of the Beatles (who wore the style at their Shea Stadium performance) as well as Sammy Davis Jr, who claimed to own more than 200 of the jackets, according to the publication. Similarly, the report said, Mao Zedong also started a fashion trend. Labelled in China as the "Zhongshan suit" after Chinese revolutionary Sun Yat-sen, Mao brought the four-pocketed tunic back into style during his 30-year reign, earning it the nickname "Mao suit." "Today the suit, which is almost always pictured in a stale gray, green or blue color, tends to be representative of communism as well as Mao himself," says the report. The look began to fall out of fashion after Mao's death in 1976 and now Chinese leaders are more likely to wear Western business suits, except perhaps during important state ceremonies, in rural China or among young urbanites. So also, the former leader of Cuba has been seen in tracksuits ever since he was photographed wearing a red, white and blue Adidas version while recovering from surgery in 2006. Since then, the possibly ailing 85-year-old has expanded his athletic wear to include other brands, such as Fila, Puma and Nike -- the last of which, may we point out, is barred from being sold in Cuba due to the 40-year-old
US trade embargo.
