What Is Steve Bannon Hiding Under All Of Those Shirts?

His layering habits are just plain bizarre.

If layering is an art form, we wouldn’t exactly call Steve Bannon a modern day Picasso

Donald Trump’s embattled chief strategist has a habit of layering multiple shirts on top of one another. And we don’t mean something normal, like an undershirt and a sweater. We mean two button-down collared shirts. Over one another. 

Open Image Modal
The Washington Post via Getty Images
On double duty at CPAC in Feb. 2017.
Open Image Modal
The Washington Post via Getty Images
It's just two many shirts.

Bannon, who was reportedly just pushed off the National Security Council in part by the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and may have even threatened to quit the White House, has been called out for this strange style habit, both on Twitter... 

...and in horrified headlines:

Open Image Modal
Buzzfeed
Open Image Modal
The Cut
Open Image Modal
Esquire

That got us wondering, though: Does anyone else actually do this? After a bit of digging and trying to wrap our minds around the whole thing, we did find at least one other iteration of this look: On J.Crew’s website, no less!

Open Image Modal
J.Crew
Bannon chic?

For what it’s worth, even in its trendiest form, the whole buttoned shirt over a buttoned shirt still looks pretty ridiculous. Plus, the shirt from J.Crew is “sherpa lined,” more like a jacket-type garment and therefore slightly less offensive.

Open Image Modal
The Washington Post via Getty Images
Two button or not two button at Trump's golf club in Nov. 2016.

Esquire expertly compared Bannon’s look to a famous scene from “Friends,” in which Joey puts on all of Chandler’s clothes. Here’s hoping Bannon isn’t also going commando, eh?

The mag also assured its readers that this is not a trend they need to worry about adopting anytime soon.

Open Image Modal
Ben Jackson via Getty Images
One finger pointed, two shirts worn while hosting Breitbard News Daily on July 21.

“This is not something that anyone except for Steve Bannon does,” they wrote.

Fashion blogger Ryan Dziadul expressed a similar, if not slightly less judgmental sentiment. “I’m all for fashion experimentation, breaking the so-called rules, and wearing what you want to wear,” he told The Huffington Post. “But wearing two button-down shirts at the same time is just weird. It just seems so…uncomfortable, and not to mention time-consuming.”

Open Image Modal
Paul Marotta via Getty Images
Twice as not-so-nice covering the New Hampshire primary in Feb. 2016.

Dziadul’s advice to Bannon?

“If you’re desperate to layer, add a scarf,” he said. “But then again, Steve Bannon doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who minds weirding people out.”

All in all, the style just seems incredibly unnecessary, unless Bannon is hiding something under all those layers. Like, say, information about Russia? A dart board with Kushner’s face on it? 

Like many other things in the Trump administration, the world may never know the truth. 

Our 2024 Coverage Needs You

As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.

Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.

to keep our news free for all.

Support HuffPost

Before You Go

HuffPost Shopping’s Best Finds

MORE IN LIFE