Pyongyang: Kim Jong Il Style 'Sweeps World'

The rest of the world might think he needs a straight jacket, but to hear the North Korean state news apparatus tell it, “Dear Leader” Kim Jong-Il’s matching Ike jackets and slacks has inspired a global vogue for the style. “The reason is that the august image of the Great General, who is always wearing the modest suit while working, leaves a deep impression on people's mind,” says the government website. “That is because his image as a great man is so outstanding.”

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Pyongyang also scares up an unnamed French fashion expert, AFP reports, who assures readers that the “Kim Jong-Il mode which is now spreading expeditiously worldwide is something unprecedented in the world's history.” The outfit: a zippered tunic that appears to have a stretchy elastic band, and pants of the same color, usually khaki, or a blue-gray. When it’s cold, Kim adds an anorak and a fur hat. Classy. (Read more Kim Jong Il stories.)