Barack Obama has been making some big changes in the White House – and they’re not all political. Under Bush, staff were required to wear a suit and tie at all times, including on the weekends. One aide recalls an incident in which he was not allowed to enter the Oval Office because he was wearing khakis, and instead was chewed out by Bush in the doorway. But Obama has thrown out the old, more formal atmosphere of the White house and instituted a casual dress code for the weekends.

If Mr. Obama’s clock is looser than Mr. Bush’s, so too are his sartorial standards. Over the weekend, Mr. Obama’s first in office, his aides did not quite know how to dress. Some showed up in the West Wing in jeans (another no-no under Mr. Bush), some in coats and ties.

So the president issued an informal edict for “business casual” on weekends — and set his own example. He showed up Saturday for a briefing with his chief economic adviser, Lawrence H. Summers, dressed in slacks and a gray sweater over a white buttoned-down shirt. Workers from the Bush White House are shocked.

“I’ll never forget going to work on a Saturday morning, getting called down to the Oval Office because there was something he was mad about,” said Dan Bartlett, who was counselor to Mr. Bush. “I had on khakis and a buttoned-down shirt, and I had to stand by the door and get chewed out for about 15 minutes. He wouldn’t even let me cross the threshold.”

Mr. Obama has also brought a more relaxed sensibility to his public appearances. David Gergen, an adviser to both Republican and Democratic presidents, said Mr. Obama seemed to exude an “Aloha Zen,” a kind of comfortable calm that, Mr. Gergen said, reflects a man who “seems easy going, not so full of himself.”

[from New York Times]

The first casual Friday or working weekend at a new job can be tricky. How casual is “casual”? It’s different in every office and for every boss. I’ve seen employees show up in jeans and t-shirts, whereas for others, the only “casual” part about their outfit is the fact that they’re not wearing heels. But it’s a whole different story if your boss is the President of the United States. It’s probably best to err on the side of formal. Still, I’m guessing that the flip flop debacle of 2005 wouldn’t have happened under Obama.

The NY Times article about the new dress code also goes through a “typical day” for Obama, including when he likes to work out and his favorite lunchtime foods. It’s a lighthearted read and highlights the differences between Obama and Bush’s styles of running the White House.