Pete Hegseth's Wardrobe Choices Have Raised Eyebrows More Than Once

In November 2024, Pete Hegseth made a major career change, trading his TV job for a role in Donald Trump's cabinet. As a Fox News host, Hegseth wore some pretty wild 'fits. For instance, in June 2023, Hegseth sported a gray pinstriped suit, yellow and black striped tie, and a U.S. flag pocket square. At an awards show in October 2024, Hegseth opened his tux jacket to reveal flag lining and a flag belt buckle. During his Senate conformation hearing, Hegseth's look skewed more Donald Trump, and he toned down the patterns somewhat. However, by the time his official photo was taken, Hegseth was back to loading up on stripes everything (suit, shirt, tie), with the stars and stripes peeking out of his pocket. 

This plethora of patterns has attracted plenty of criticism. "The fun socks, USA belt buckle ... and other tchotchkes makes him look like a messy refrigerator with kid awards and souvenir magnets. Where is the eye supposed to rest?" snarked menswear writer Derek Guy on X, formerly Twitter.

Even so, Hegseth shows no signs of switching up his style. His mix of camo tie and favorite flag pocket square made him one of the worst-dressed MAGA groupies at Trump's military parade. Hegseth's list of questionable outfits keeps growing, and his loud fashions continue to be disparaged, and, in one instance, even caused diplomatic concerns.

In August 2025, Pete Hegseth posted his own take on the divisive Sydney Sweeney American Eagle jeans ad. His decision to combine jeans, a massive belt buckle, and a suitcoat misses the mark. The jacket looks too tight, and the flag lining is eyeroll-worthy. "He looks like a Texas sheriff and a Mexican telenovela villain got fused together in a teleportation accident," quipped one user on X.

Hegseth's in good company, however. Lauren Boebert also attracted derision when she made a similar claim about her denim style.

At first glance, Pete Hegseth's 'fit from October 2025 seems pretty subdued, minus the ubiquitous U.S. flag pocket square. However, Hegseth's zeal for all things red, white, and blue landed him in hot water. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was in town, and some people thought Hegseth's tie was paying homage to Russia's flag instead of the U.S. "At best, it was an innocent thing that his aides miraculously didn't notice due to gross incompetence," one redditor surmised. "At worst, he was intentionally giving Russia the wink and nod."

Fox News host Will Cain was excited to reconnect with his former colleague Pete Hegseth for a May 2025 interview. While the two men found themselves slightly twinning, Cain's 'fit is miles ahead of Hegseth's. Once again, Hegseth got excessive with patterns, from the plaid of the suit to the flags on his socks. The mix of vibrant colors had menswear writer Derek Guy thinking of food instead of fashion. "Blueberry suit, cherry red tie, and tan orange shoes is more Fruity Pebbles," Guy blasted Hegseth on X.

In May 2025, Pete Hegseth recorded a video message for the African Chiefs of Defense Conference. Once again, Hegseth's enthusiasm for patterns wrecked his ensemble. Between the plaid jacket, teeny-tiny flags tie, and the edge of his flag pocket square, this 'fit is totally distracting. The converging icons and lines feel straight out of a Magic Eye book, encouraging the viewer to find a hidden image in the chaos. 

Unfortunately, Hegseth repeated this look in September 2025, making the 'fit even noisier by swapping his plain shirt for one with a pink-and-blue checked pattern.   

When it was time for a group photo at a February 2025 NATO meeting, Pete Hegseth clearly didn't get the memo about what to wear. When his colleagues all donned dark suits and shoes, Hegseth stood out for all the wrong reasons with his bright blue suit and brown shoes. Hegseth praised his 'fit on social media, and he was brutally mocked for his bold fashion choice. "Typical MAGA classless outfit, no sense of fashion whatsoever," remarked one posted on X. "Jesus Christ man. Are you 13?" commented another.

In May 2025, Pete Hegseth took tackiness to new heights when he paired his flag pocket square with a flag-themed tie and socks, flag lining in his suitcoat, and a flag belt buckle. Beyond contacting the fashion police, some people believed actual law enforcement should cite him for violating the flag code. However, according to the American Legion, "Unless an article of clothing is made from an actual United States flag, there is NO breach of flag etiquette whatsoever." Unfortunately, that means Hegseth remains free to continue wearing all his flag apparel at once.