Fabula
Object
Object

President Jed Bartlet's Dark Tailored Suit Jacket (performative prop)

A dark, tailored presidential suit jacket with structured shoulders, a fitted cut, and a modest sheen. The fabric carries faint wear at the cuffs and lapels from repeated handling. Onstage the President deliberately slips the jacket off—folding it briefly or letting it hang from his shoulders—as a performative move; backstage aides and Secret Service touch or carry the garment while staff exchange furtive signals. Characters react to the jacket both as practical outerwear and as a tactile instrument of tone and image management.
17 appearances

Purpose

Formal outerwear for the President: completes public attire, provides modest warmth, and functions as a wearable cue used in gesture and costume management during movement between public and private moments.

Significance

Functions as a dramatic pivot: Bartlet's shedding of the jacket humanizes him, signals candor and informality, and shifts the town‑hall's tone from levity to seriousness. The jacket becomes a visible hinge that compresses public performance and private crisis, marking both leadership performativity and intimate reassurance.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

17 moments