J.D. Vance vs. the king of menswear: Vice president threatens to deport the man who mocked his pants

The last thing Derek Guy would have imagined when he started his first fashion blog 15 years ago was being singled out by the vice president of the United States. Let alone that this would happen via a meme. But in Donald Trump’s second term, nothing is impossible. A few days ago, while chaos reigned in Los Angeles due to protests against the government’s immigration raids, J.D. Vance took the opportunity to use his official account to call out one of the internet’s most viral men’s fashion experts.

He goes by the name Derek Guy — or simply The Menswear Guy — and in recent years has become the scourge of the worst-dressed men in politics. He refuses to reveal his true identity, which is why his profile uses an image of Elliot Richardson, Nixon’s former Secretary of Defense, whom he describes as “the best-dressed man ever in American politics.” Loyal to classic tailoring, he became known two years ago for his sharp critiques of the worst fashion faux pas. He started on social media but quickly made the leap to major publications like The New York Times and The Financial Times, where the MAGA movement became one of his favorite targets.

The tight suits of the crypto bros fresh out of the gym and the tacky luxury of the Mar-a-Lago circle were the perfect breeding ground for his critiques. In Spain, he became known for praising King Felipe VI’s suits last year at Wimbledon and criticizing the skinny pants worn by far-right Vox leader Santiago Abascal last January at Donald Trump’s second inauguration. That same day, he also criticized the U.S. president for not wearing an American suit and the vice president for having sleeves that were too short. From the very beginning of the campaign, with his extremely tight pants and eye-catching ties, J.D. Vance earned a special place in all of his analyses.

Until now, nothing at all was known about Derek Guy’s identity, except that he lived in California, and that was part of the charm: hiding so he could critique looks with complete freedom. However, last week’s protests in Los Angeles have led him to open up for the first time about his private life.

“There’s an idea out there that millions of violent criminals are pouring across the border, carrying machetes and drugs, looking to harm Americans,” he began his message on X. He then confessed to being the son of Vietnamese exiles who, after passing through Canada, crossed the U.S. border when he was just a few months old. “The lack of legal immigration has totally shaped my life [...] I think it’s unreasonable to deport millions of people who have contributed positively to society. [...] Sending us ‘back’ to our ‘home’ country would mean sending someone to a foreign land,” he added.

In this way, he declared himself one of the nearly 14 million undocumented immigrants in the United States estimated by experts — whom Donald Trump aims to deport through Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. Within seconds, Derek Guy attracted the attention of countless Trump supporters, who began calling en masse for his deportation. The online uproar culminated with a post from the vice president, who insinuated, through a meme of Jack Nicholas nodding, implying he supported the fashion expert’s deportation.

Days after his confession, while protests spread from Los Angeles to other state capitals across the country, Derek Guy shows no intention of returning to the shadows. He has already started dividing his social media content between his signature fashion commentary and social activism. “Volunteer for pro-immigrant groups, donate to mutual aid, and perhaps pursue career paths that help people in this situation,” he urged.

He also didn’t flinch in the face of the vice president’s threat, responding with his usual wit. “I think I could outrun you in these clothes,” he shot back, once again referring to J.D. Vance’s tight pants. Style isn’t lost even in the worst of circumstances.

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