President Donald Trump appeared somewhat miserable on Friday at an economic summit in Vietnam when he was forced to ditch his typical suit with red tie for a blue silk shirt.
Every year, world leaders of Pacific Rim countries meet for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, which features leaders wearing a ceremonial costume chosen by the host country for a "family photo."
Trump didn't seem too thrilled about the chosen attire this year, but like other prior presidents, he played along reasonably well.
APEC originated in 1989 and includes 21 countries. Over the years, world leaders have participated in this tradition, some appearing to enjoy it more than others.
Here are the top 10 APEC "family photo" outfits, in no particular order.
Former President George W. Bush had a great time wearing a poncho in Santiago, Chile, at APEC in 2004.
Former President Barack Obama looked sharp at the 2014 summit in Beijing.
The attire for the 2014 summit in Lima, Peru, was simple yet effective.
And here's former President Bill Clinton loving life in an Indonesian shirt at the APEC summit in Bogor in 1994.
Here's Russian President Vladimir Putin with George W. Bush at the summit in Shanghai in 2001, presumably telling him he looked much better in that year's outfit.
Matching leather jackets? How Canadian. Here's the family photo from 1997 in Vancouver, Canada.
Guayabera shirts FTW in Mexico in 2002.
2005's outfit in South Korea (a Korean overcoat known as a durumagi) might be the winner, winner, chicken dinner.
Indonesia knows what it's doing. Here's the family photo in Bali from 2013.
Last but not least, Peru's flowing ponchos were glorious in 2008. But maybe look more happy to be there, President Bush.
Dishonorable mention: Biggest error of Obama's tenure? He didn't force leaders to wear Hawaiian shirts when the APEC summit took place in his state of birth in 2011.
The crazy clothing doesn't mean APEC is all fun and games. At this year's summit, Trump reiterated his "America First" ideology in a speech.
"We are not going to let the United States be taken advantage of anymore," Trump said. "I am always going to put America first, the same way I expect all of you in this room to put your countries first.
"What we will no longer do is enter into large agreements that tie our hands, surrender our sovereignty and make meaningful enforcement practically impossible," Trump continued.
Beyond his speech and attire, perhaps the most memorable aspect of Trump's 2017 APEC experience was his run-in and handshake with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Prior to the summit, there were reports the two leaders might meet on the sidelines to discuss issues such as the North Korean threat and the Syria conflict. But the White House dismissed the prospect of a formal meeting early on Friday.
"Now, [Trump and Putin are] going to be in the same place," White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters. "Are they going to bump into each other and say hello? Certainly possible and likely. But in terms of a scheduled, formal meeting, there's not one on the calendar, and we don't anticipate that there will be one."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
