Osborne and Cameron at the G8: stylewatch

For David Cameron, dressing room real power means pale blue cotton chinos unironed. Photo: Barcroft Media/Itar-tass

Not for the first time, the dress code has proven to be one of the more complicated aspects of the G8 agenda. Novice style George Osborne stressed the dilemma with his excuse tailoring for BBC Breakfast on Tuesday. "I'm doing what I was asked," he said. "I got my jacket and blue shirt". Forget taxes and Syria, smart-casual is hard for these guys.

A suit jacket and tie is the daily monotony first. Photograph: Matt Cardy/AP

Cameron proved once again that for him, sleeves rolled up and without traffic lights down jacket. He famously on all-nighter of the campaign trail and that he did to Lough Erne. For him a suit jacket and tie is for daily prime ministerial monotony but real power dressing – when he hosts international leaders – means pale blue cotton chinos unironed.

So who decided that pale blue cotton simultaneously smart-casual and said (if you could pull off) political confidence? It is not clear, but perhaps it has something to do with the dubious style template set by Tony Blair, when he met a bomber wearing jacket of George Bush at Camp David is wearing Navy pants and a bridge too rigid. It was winter then, but what was sticking out from beneath the neckline of Blair's crew? A pale blue cotton shirt, which is what.

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