It had to start somewhere… And it did.
Like so many cherished American political traditions – the famous “Southern Strategy,” or “Peace with Victory” it begins with “Tricky” Dick Nixon.
The story goes that White House Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman (“you can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube…”) got the idea while seeing Robert Redford’s film The Candidate.
Nixon liked Haldeman’s suggestion so much he wore it throughout his presidency even while resigning from the office because of the Watergate scandal.
Since then the flag pin has become the quintessential sartorial statement for officials in American life.
The Dress for Distress Flag pin now joins this distinguished line of history.
It’s not just another accoutrement, placed on a jacket or hat, it telegraphs an urgent message that the country is in crisis and we need to resist.