Montana’s Newest Congressman Dresses Like a Ralph Lauren Model

You couldn’t ask for a better embodiment of the blue wave than Sam Forstag, the 32-year-old rookie Montana Democrat who defeated his Republican rival in yesterday’s midterms to flip an important House seat. While unaffordability was a key issue in the midterms across the country, it’s especially noticeable in Montana, where an influx of billionaires and tech companies has sent the cost of living soaring. Like many of his compatriots, Forstag campaigned on promises of affordable housing, better healthcare, and getting money out of politics. Unlike his fellow Democratic challengers, however, he did it in a wardrobe that looked straight off a rack at the RRL store.Last night, in front of a crowd of supporters in Missoula, Forstag delivered his victory speech dressed in a hickory-striped work shirt, jeans, a big western belt buckle, and a pair of weathered brown forestry boots. Forstag’s fit stands in contrast to the standard election night business-casual look favored by political hopefuls on both sides of the aisle, but he’s far from the first candidate to lean into the dress codes of blue-collar Americans. From Tim Walz’s camo hats and Filson Mackinaw jackets to John Fetterman’s Carhartt hoodie, workwear remains a potent symbol of working-class solidarity. In this case, however, it’s not just blue-collar cosplay.Forstag at a student get-out-the-vote gathering at Montana State University in October. William Campbell/Getty ImagesStraight out of college and looking to pay off his student loans, Forstag joined the US Forest Service as a wildland firefighter and spent the next eight years battling blazes around the country, including four years as a smokejumper parachuting into fire zones. As a result, he comes by his love of Levi’s and sturdy, Goodyear-welted footwear honestly, and—Montana being a place where jeans and work shirts are considered business-casual for many—didn’t need to change his look for the campaign.Forstag addressing voters at a town hall in August. The Washington Post/Getty ImagesAs authentic as Forstag’s election-night outfit was, he also appears to be a guy who understands the power of styling. While his shirt likely didn’t have Ralph Lauren’s initials on the tag (wildland firefighters only make $20 an hour), the way he wore it—half unbuttoned, layered over a red thermal henley, and tucked into his jeans—owes a debt to the romantic take on Western style Lauren has been trafficking in since the ’70s. Or, equally likely, the Montana cowboys who the designer borrowed it from. Either way, Forstag’s look, like the progressive politics he and his Democratic colleagues campaigned on, will be a welcome disruption to business as usual on Capitol Hill.