Ron Paul, fashion icon?

But for all his missteps, multiple experts consulted by The Daily Beast extolled Paul’s loyalty to his own sense of style. In an election season where candidates are masquerading as average Americans, they say, Paul’s sense of self sets him apart.

“He dresses like a small-town guy, and I think it makes him seem more sincere,” says Glenn O’Brien, the author of How to Be a Man: A Guide to Style and Behavior for the Modern Gentleman. “If someone dresses like they’re looking in the mirror all the time, it does tend to undermine.” O’Brien says he wouldn’t change anything about Paul’s appearance—except, maybe, the cut of his pants.

“Ron Paul is the most honest in his image,” agrees Boyer. “He’s the guy who’s most comfortable in his own skin and his own clothes. He gets up there in his medium-priced, ill-fitting suits and says, ‘This is what I’ve always worn. Take it or leave it.’ And I admire him for that.”