Who pays for the clothes of world leaders and their wives?

Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria have accepted clothing donations so they can “look their best” when representing the UK, David Lammy has said.

When asked about the donations, the foreign minister suggested that other countries also have generous budgets from taxpayers for the clothing of their leaders.

Lammy is responding to Sir Keir’s reports. may have broken parliamentary rules for failing to declare clothes bought for his wife by Labour Party donor Sir Waheed Alli.

“The presidents and first ladies of the United States have a huge budget, paid for by taxpayers, to always look their best in front of the American people,” he told Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday.

In fact, the first lady of the United States does not have a specific budget for clothing — and many have shared frustrations about the price she pays to maintain fashion in the White House.

In some countries, taxpayers contribute to the living expenses of their leaders – and this can include clothing.

The US President has a spending budget of around $50,000 (£38,000), which can be used to buy clothes and other items, on top of his annual salary of $400,000.

But the wife of the US president — traditionally always the first lady — does not receive an annual salary or a fixed spending budget, although they do have paid staff and an office.

Although the first lady of the United States’ fashion choices always attract a lot of attention and scrutiny.

Notable examples include Melania Trump’s Zara jacket emblazoned with the words “I REALLY DON’T CARE, DO YOU?” when visiting a migrant detention center, and the striking bright red Alexander McQueen dress Michelle Obama wore when meeting former Chinese President Hu Jintao.

Some first ladies say they generally pay for their own outfits.

Laura Bush, wife of George W Bush, wrote in her 2010 memoir that she was “amazed by the sheer number of designer clothes I had to buy… to meet the fashion expectations of a first lady”.

“After our first year in the White House, our accountant told George, ‘It costs a lot to be president,’ and he meant mainly my clothes,” Mrs. Bush wrote.

“Mrs. Obama pays for her own clothes,” Michelle Obama’s press secretary Joanna Rosholm told CNBC in 2014.

First ladies of the United States may also accept clothing as gifts, usually on behalf of the government.

Some designers welcome the publicity that their outfits get when worn by the first lady.

With designer dresses easily costing tens of thousands of dollars, donations are the only way for less wealthy White House residents to wear outfits by famous designers.

“For official events of public or historical significance, such as a state visit, the first lady’s attire may be presented as a gift by a designer and accepted on behalf of the U.S. government,” Rosholm said.

The Smithsonian lists the dress worn by current first lady Jill Biden to her husband’s inauguration in 2021 as a gift from designer Alexandria O’Neil “in honor of First Lady Jill Biden” — an indication that the designer loaned it to her.

By contrast, it appears that her predecessor Melania Trump, whose husband’s fortune made him the richest president in history, donned her inaugural gown, designed by Hervé Pierre himself. Possibly because she paid for it.

In the UK, Sarah Brown, wife of former prime minister Gordon Brown, has spoken of the difficulties of receiving gifts – including clothes – while in Downing Street.

“I quickly realized there was no shortage of designers and retailers willing to give you clothes for free,” she wrote in her 2011 book Behind the Black Door.

“However, there are many rules governing what members of Congress (and their spouses) can do with free gifts — not to mention the ethical implications of using one’s office to accept free gifts.

She explained the solution: “It doesn’t take 10 consultants and I’ll figure out what works for everyone. Any clothes I want to keep, I can buy.

“Any clothes or jewelry that are offered for free, I can ‘rent’ for about 10 percent of the retail price, then return it.”

The wives of world leaders elsewhere often rely on donations to fund their fashion choices.

French First Lady Brigitte Macron has no state budget for clothing and is said to borrow outfits from Parisian luxury fashion houses such as Louis Vuitton.

According to the 2019 book Madame La Présidente, her office kept records of donated clothes and her own.

But her husband, President Emmanuel Macron, has been criticised for his extravagant spending. This year, a newspaper revealed that his office booked a business class seat on a flight from Paris to Brazil just to transport two of his suits, at a cost of nearly €4,000 (£3,380).

In Germany, ministers have been criticised for spending €450,000 on hairdressers, make-up artists and photographers in the first six months of 2023, although there appears to be no specific funds for clothing.

When asked about Lammy’s remarks, a Foreign Ministry spokesman declined to comment further.

Downing Street said of Sir Keir’s clothing donation announcement: “We sought advice from the government before taking office.

“We believed we were in compliance, however, following further questioning this month, we have disclosed further provisions.”