Like their policies, the fashion sense of the leaders of the free world has long been scrutinized. Just ask President Barack Obama, who was recently caught in a presidential-style first while on vacation. From George W. Bush to JFK, we take a look at unique presidential styles, past and present. Barack Obama
Despite recent flack for a perhaps poor fashion choice, President Barack Obama is one of the most stylish presidents of recent time. As proof, he topped this list.

George W. Bush
George W. Bush, the country’s 43rd president, has been known for a certain neckwear. He wore the same type of clothing for five of these annual addresses as well as news conferences and events

Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton, who was the third-youngest president, graced the cover of Esquire magazine twice, creating one of the most iconic images of a president to date. The 42nd president of the United States wore a sleek black suit and tie when he walked his daughter down the aisle over the summer.

George H. W. Bush
Yale graduate and 41st President George H. W. Bush was rarely seen by the public without a modern, conservative suit, typically in navy blue with a white shirt.

Ronald Reagan
Actor turned 40th President Ronald Reagan brought a little bit of Hollywood with him to the White House. He reportedly used the same tailors who dressed him during his movie-making days.

Jimmy Carter
As the country’s 39th president, Jimmy Carter worked hard at creating a “regular wage-earning guy” persona. His casual fashion and inexpensive polyester-blend suits helped him make a political statement about his “of-the-people administration”

Gerald R. Ford
Gerald R. Ford, the 38th president of the United States, actually worked in the fashion industry before beginning his political career.

Richard M. Nixon
Historians largely blame Richard Nixon’s 1960 presidential loss on his televised debate with the younger, more suave John F. Kennedy. People saw an older man wearing a gray suit that blended into the background next to a more vibrant Kennedy

Lyndon B. Johnson
The 36th president, Lyndon B. Johnson, brought Texas style to the Oval Office. Though he spent the majority of his days in finely tailored suits, the swaggering Texan and self-described “president of all the people” could often be seen wearing Western-style suits, cowboy boots and hats.

John F. Kennedy
Never mind Jackie, 35thPresident John F. Kennedy is the leading political trend-setter. Known for his dashing good looks, Kennedy’s casual country club chic was revered. His formal attire included custom-made shirts and modern skinny ties. Kennedy is also credited for popularizing a more streamlined, slightly cinched-at-the-waist suit, rather than the shapeless, boxy styles of the late 1950s

When you get caught red-handed doing something, how you respond can tell a great deal about your character. Now, here are others that didn’t quite work for some high profile people.
Winona Ryder
The excuse: "I was doing research for a role in 'Shopgirl.'"
Barry Bonds
The excuse: “I never asked.”
Bill Clinton
The excuse: “I did not have sexual relations with that woman.”
Nicole Richie
The excuse: “Really bad cramps.”
Charlie Sheen
The excuse: “He had an adverse allergic reaction to some medication.”
Sarah Palin
The excuse: “It’s a surveyor’s symbol.”
Lindsay Lohan
The excuse: “Someone stole my passport.”
Eddie Murphy
The excuse: “I was giving her a ride home.”
Paris Hilton
The excuse: “I thought it was gum.”
Richard M. Nixon
The excuse: “I am not a crook.”
Ashlee Simpson
The excuse: “I have severe acid reflux.”
Michael Jackson
The excuse: “I got caught up in the excitement of the moment.”
Britney Spears
The excuse: “I did it with my dad. I’d sit on his lap and I’d drive. We’re country.”
Robert Blake
The excuse: “I’m a human being, I’m not a machine. I’m 72. I’m dyslexic!”
Larry Craig
The excuse: “I have a wide stance.”
Whitney Houston
The excuse: “I’m too rich to smoke crack. Crack is whack.”
Jeffrey Donovan
The excuse: “It was the Benadryl.”
Tom Sizemore
The excuse: “Package problems.”
Ichiro Suzuki
The excuse: “I was sending mental signals for the ball not to come my way, because during that time of day it's impossible for me to see the ball so I lacked mental signals.”

A powerful foreign figure was just placed under investigation for sexual misconduct and here in the United States we’re having a bout of dirty deed déja-vu. Here’s a list of some salacious political scandals that were (almost) too hot for headlines.

Mark Souder

Despite his stated beliefs, this eight-term Republican congressman ultimately admitted he and his female aide were having an extramarital affair. Amidst the fall-out, he took these steps.

Mark Sanford

Before there were allegations, there was a vanishing act. In the summer of 2009, the then-governor of this state couldn’t be found for days. When he surfaced, the truth was revealed: he was having an international tryst. Sanford remained in office after the scandal, but faced losses at home and at work.

Samuel B. Kent

This former federal judge  was impeached by the House in June 2009 for sexually assaulting two female employees and then making matters even worse. He had served since his 1990 nomination by this president.

John Edwards

The former senator  was exposed as an adulterer in 2007. Heightening the scandal was news of a love child. Edwards’ wife took action once the news broke, but she passed away before the two could divorce.

Eliot Spitzer

In 2008, a newspaper reported the then-New York governor had been caught in connection with a prostitution ring. Though Spitzer faced no charges, he did make this career move in the aftermath.

Tim Mahoney

Mahoney assumed the seat of a scandal-plagued politician and got into some trouble of his own. In 2008, reports alleged that he hired his mistress, and then paid her off. Mahoney himself took this action on the claims. He later fessed up.

Kwame Kilpatrick

In 2008, while still the mayor of this Midwest city, Kilpatrick was caught exchanging inappropriate texts with a staffer  with whom he was having an extramarital affair. Both were indicted on these charges.

Larry Craig

The former senator a conservative, was arrested for lewd conduct in June 2007. Where was he?  He pled guilty to soliciting a male police officer for sex, but then recanted. Here’s his official stance. In September, he announced he’d resign, but then retracted that, too.

Brian J. Doyle

The former deputy press secretary for this government office was indicted in 2006 for seducing a teenage girl online. How did he get nabbed? He was sentenced and registered as a sex offender.

Mark Foley

Foley resigned from his post  in 2006, after news surfaced that he was sending explicit emails and instant messages to an off-limits recipient. Considering his pet project while in office, the scandal seemed even more shocking.

Jim McGreevey

In 2004, the former governor admitted to acts of homosexual adultery with a staff member. McGreevey held a press conference and made this announcement before saying he’d resign.

Gary Condit

When a young D.C. intern disappeared in 2001, the five-term congressman from this state was questioned. Though he initially denied it, Condit eventually confessed to having an affair with her. He passed a polygraph test saying he didn’t know her whereabouts. This was the intern’s fate.

Bill Clinton

Former president Clinton was involved in a now-legendary Oval Office affair with an intern — though at the time he flatly denied it. He eventually came clean. In 1998, Clinton received this decision from the House of Representatives and this one from the Senate.

Robert Packwood

This former Oregon senator was forced to resign in 1995 after women  came forward claiming he was guilty of sexual harassment, abuse and assault. He denied it all, but was eventually responsible for his own undoing.

Mel Reynolds

Reynolds is a former Democratic member of the House of Representatives from this state. In 1994, he was indicted for criminal sexual abuse over a relationship with a volunteer. Despite all this, he was re-elected . He was convicted and resigned in 1995.

Brock Adams

The former Democratic congressman and Secretary of Transportation was accused of sexual abuse in 1992 . One former aide, in particular, spoke out. Adams — who denied the anonymous accusations — didn’t resign, but also didn’t seek re-election. He died in 2004 at age 77.

Gary Hart

Hart served as a Democratic senator for this state and presidential nominee who, in 1987, was reported to be having an extramarital affair. Photographic evidence did him in and he eventually threw in the towel.

Robert Bauman

Former House Rep. Bauman was known for founding this type of conservative Republican organization. He was also known for a 1980 scandal involving solicitation of an underage male prostitute. This cost him an election.

Wayne Hays

The Democratic Ohio congressman. who headed up this powerful committee was scandalized by talk that he hired a female staffer solely to serve as his mistress . The same year the scandal broke, Hays had married another staffer. He denied the affair at first, but soon admitted to wrongdoing and took these steps.