New York ? If presumed presidential nominees Barack Obama and John McCain are looking for a fashion role model, they might try Ronald Reagan.

Menswear brand Hickey Freeman decided to use the 40th commander in chief as the inspiration for its new “presidential” collection. Reagan’s preferred suit style – with a high, broad shoulder and suppressed waist – created an image that married elegance with assertiveness, says Jon Morales, the company’s vice president and creative director.

“We had talked a lot about the ‘power suit’ … which had a Hollywood influence. We used Ronald Reagan because he took that sense of power and turned it into strength,” Morales says.

Presidents traditionally wear suits, not sportcoats and slacks, because there is a seriousness implied by a suit, he adds. It’s for a professional, not for a personality.

Hickey Freeman, which has outfitted presidents for more than 100 years, decided to launch this new collection with the targeted audience of business leaders because the times call for earnestness, notes Paulette Garafalo, CEO and group president of Hart Schaffner Marx Luxury.

“Happy-go-lucky would seem wrong right now.”