Not to mention some star-spangled socks and a flag belt buckle. At Pete Hegseth's confirmation hearing, the accessories mattered.Credit...Photographs by Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times (top ...

Pete Hegseth looked great ... An American-flag hankie was tucked into his jacket breast pocket. Flags adorned his socks. At least when it came to attire, no one was going to out-patriotism ...

My critiques ... recently and in the past, and from personal experience, have been instances where I’ve seen standards lowered,” Hegseth told lawmakers. Socks with US flags are worn by Pete Hegseth, ...