WASHINGTON — If Rep. Tony Wied, R-Wis., is wearing a suit, you can bet it’s navy blue, paired with a red tie. 

“I just put the same thing on every day — just like you would have a dress code in high school,” the Green Bay Republican told Spectrum News 1 in a recent interview.


What You Need To Know

  • When Rep. Tony Wied, R-Wis., arrived on Capitol Hill last November, the Green Bay Republican had no prior political experience

  • He and his wife owned gas stations, convenience stores and franchise restaurants before selling their businesses three years ago

  • With such a big adjustment, he wanted to find a way to make each day just a little bit easier

  • Tony Wied now wears a self-imposed uniform to work on Capitol Hill: A navy suit, white shirt and red tie

Tony Wied has been representing Northeast Wisconsin in Congress since November. He won two elections last year, one to fill a vacant seat from November to January, and another for a full two-year term. In Washington, suits are everywhere, and he needed one.

“I just went to a local store in Green Bay,” he said. “They asked me, ‘What color suits do you want?’ And I'm like, ‘Well, blue,’ because I just wear red, white and blue, and because I'm working for the United States of America.”

He has a backup in the same color, just in case one gets a stain or tear. He has a second red tie, too, and enough shirts for the work week.

When asked if other people have noticed his uniform, Tony Wied said yes, and it might be time to have his wife Angela Wied help him pick out a new one.

Rep.-elect Brian Jack, R-Ga., left, talks with Rep.-elect Tony Wied, R-Wis., as they stand on the steps of the Capitol, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

When asked what color he’s thinking of going with, Tony Wied said blue.

“I think blue is great,” he said, laughing.

Angela Wied said she’ll try to get him to branch out.

“He's a simple person. He just likes the same thing every day.”“I will do my best,” she said with a smile. “He's a simple person. He just likes the same thing every day.”

His shoes are brown and so is his belt, and his socks are normally Wisconsin-themed. He said comfort is his priority since he walks six to eight miles a day. As for his navy blue number? He’s not quite comfortable in that yet.

“I think I got to maybe go with a little wider collars,” he said.

Angela Wied has been traveling with her husband to Washington since he was elected. 

"I love Washington, D.C.," she said. "We're in it for the same reason: To make a difference. And I fully support him. So it's been great. No complaints." 

Even she has started wearing red, white and blue in the nation's capital.

“He wore onto me,” Angela Wied told Spectrum News. “And now, it's the same that I really gravitate to representing the USA.”

Before arriving on Capitol Hill, the couple owned gas stations and convenience stores, and eventually several Little Caesars restaurants, none of which required Tony Wied to wear a suit.

“The fact that I probably saw him in 25 years in a suit once or twice, and that was pretty much at weddings, it definitely has been an adjustment with his wardrobe change,” Angela Wied said.

He had one suit in the closet for weddings and funerals. Now, it’s his go-to fit. Tony Wied said getting up each morning knowing what he’s going to wear has made adjusting to his first elective office job a little bit easier.

“I'm just literally a kid that never left Brown County in my entire life for more than two weeks, and I just never really dressed up that much,” he said.

Rep. Tony Wied, R-Wis., right, and his wife Angela Wied arrive for a ceremonial swearing-in with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., at the Capitol, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

Tony Wied’s legislative director bought him two new ties, one gold and one green, so he can start switching things up but represent the Green Bay Packers. He also shared he occasionally wears a grey suit on Thursdays, when he typically flies out of Washington and back home to Wisconsin.

“The boys are trying to convince him to wear a green and gold suit, like the first round draft pick, so we'll see,” Angela Wied said through a giggle, referring to their four sons. “Maybe he'll listen to them more than he listens to me, but I think he's pretty sold on his red, white and blue outfit that he wears every day.” 

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