Usually, when referring to presidential style we think, “What style is that?” A red tie, a white shirt, a navy suit — oh so ho-hum.

Fashion in the White House has typically been linked to the fist lady. Jackie had her pillbox hats, and Nancy Reagan enthralled with her Reagan red and Adolpho suits. Laura Bush has donned a few Oscar de la Renta frocks while her daughters often dazzle in Badgley Mischka.

But it wasn’t always that way. Back in George Washington’s day, style was never in question. His uniform was de rigueur. During his time in office, Abraham Lincoln turned his ever-so-stylish hat into a fashion must-have. The height along with his tall, lanky, model-like stature allowed him to be visible to enormous crowds. Jimmy Carter, the famous peanut farmer/president brought, overalls back into style.

But as the Oval Office opens up for the next winning candidate, the business of image is front and center. Most of the candidates are touting change, and looks and appeal are more important to voters then ever before. Today’s politicians must up the style ante to attract younger voters, who want their president to be more of a peer than a parental figure.

Be warned, John McCain, the fashion hipsters will probably not find those grandfather-ish cardigans all that appealing. Though that image is as mature and comforting as Santa Claus by the fire, the urge for something fresher is in the air. And although his wife has all the fashionable attributes of a hair-sprayed beauty pageant contestant several years his junior, he may not be “hip and cool” enough for the new generation of voters who are fed up with and want no more old-school politics.

Clearly, this group of presidential hopefuls isn’t spending Gs on Dolce and Gabanna suits or Louis Vuitton sunglasses, but their image and appearance is obviously something they care about. (Remember John Edwards’ infamous $400 haircut?) As any celebrity worth his or her weight in press clips knows, style is not just the clothes you wear or the designer labels, it’s the whole package of how you present yourself to your constituents.

On the campaign trail, from your spouse to your kids, it’s all about the photo op and the sound bite. Yeah, we all say we’re interested in the issues and how the candidates will solve them but who are we kidding — almost everything in our culture is based on looks. So why wouldn’t that play a huge and integral part of whom Americans elect to represent us to the world?

Being president is like being the spokesmodel for this great glamorous country of ours. Okay, we aren’t nominating gorgeous George Clooney, who refuses to even titillate us with a hint of a political candidacy in any capacity. But come on — you know you would much rather watch him give a speech then our present good ol’ boy G.W.

So with this sentiment in mind, let’s look at the style quotients of the Democratic contenders, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, with Keith Boykin — he’s the editor of TheDailyVoice.com, a former member of Bill Clinton’s administration, and a former law school classmate of Obama’s.

Boykin says Obama’s style is “fresh, young and inspirational.” He reminds you of JFK, or even Bill Clinton before he became part of the establishment. Obama represents a generation that isn’t confined by the old rules that you have to work your way up slowly and wait your turn. Obama is clearly in the know which puts him in the lead. His look time and time again is classic elegance.

Think Jimmy Stewart in “Mr. Deeds Goes to Washington,” sleek suits with slim lapels, well-tailored but not too. He seems to opt for tone on tone dressing; it’s rare a red tie rears its uncreative and redundant look on Senator Obama. Instead, he seems to often choose lavender and bluish ties, even a tad of taupe rarely in bold primary (pardon the political/fashion pun) colors. Though his candidacy and speech delivery is anything but monochromatic, his choice of clothing is what makes his minimalist style a strong vote for change.

I often find his tall elegant stature reminiscent of that of a model in a Dior or Lanvin fashion show. Perhaps if politics doesn’t work out for him in this election year the way he hopes, IMG agency will sign him up to a lucrative modeling contract. After all, he did just have a Men’s Vogue cover while his strongest Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, passed on the February cover of Women’s Vogue, upsetting editrix Anna Wintour.

Speaking of Senator Clinton, she is probably about to become a fashion schizophrenic, living constantly in fear of seeming too feminine, too fluffy, and not serious enough. It is truly a tough place for any candidate to be, but even more so when you are a woman, you like clothes and clearly have many friends and supporters both in the fashion and entertainment business.

Boykin, who has known Clinton since her early days as first lady, said her style has been “very classic, very authoritative and lawyerly. She came from a generation where professional women had to play the game and prove their knowledge and intelligence every time they spoke. Her political maturity took place in the 1980’s and 1990’s when the Republicans were using slash-and-burn tactics to win at any cost, and she learned the lesson that you have to fight hard and aggressively if you want to win.”

In the last few years, she’s taken to wearing a basic black suit with a pink or blue sweater around the collar for a splash of color, a dash of femininity, and a hint of style. Recently, she boldly stepped out of her fashion shell in a taxi-yellow jacket with black piping paired with basic black pants.

As any smart working friend of fashion knows, it’s all about finding the uniform that works for you and upgrading here and there to up your style quotient. Clinton has had the biggest transformation and makeover of her career lately, having to open up and let us see the softer, vulnerable, human side.

Personal style has many facets, from your hair and makeup to your car and your home. Who knows, by this time next year, Clinton may be back at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue — does that mean Bill, as the first first husband, will be doing the redecorating?