A Capital ‘Tizzy’: Obama Sheds his Jacket and Formality

Lawyers were once known for their button-down formality, but things are changing—especially at the White House.

The capital “flew into a bit of a tizzy” when President Obama was photographed without his suit jacket on his first full day in office, the New York Times reports. He has proclaimed that weekends are business casual, setting the tone in slacks and a gray sweater over a white buttoned-down shirt, according to the story.

There is good reason for shedding jackets—Obama has cranked up the heat, the story says. “He’s from Hawaii, OK?” senior adviser David Axelrod told the Times. “He likes it warm. You could grow orchids in there.”

The story also reports Obama has brought an informal sensibility to public appearances, a manner described as “Aloha Zen” by one former presidential aide.