New York Mayor Bill de Blasio's wife has prompted intense criticism for the attire she wore recently to the funeral of a slain NYPD cop.
First Lady Chirlane McCray was accused of being "disrespectful" and "inappropriate" by furious police officers after circulating pictures appeared to show her wearing jeans for the somber occasion, UK MailOnline reported.
"Nothing says disrespect like rocking jeans to a cops (sic) funeral," read an internet meme which showed a picture of McCray in the outfit.
Within hours of the funeral for Officer Wenjian Liu, McCray's pictures went viral on NYPD email chains and social media, sparking criticism and anger for reportedly wearing denim to the ceremony.
"De blasio's wife @Chirlane was the only one showing disrespect by wearing jeans to the funeral of Officer Liu," SemiSweetTweet posted.
Even the nationally syndicated radio show Howie Carr picked up on McCray's alleged fashion faux pas, devoting an entire show on Tuesday to the alleged jeans. "These people have no shame," one caller fumed.
The matter reportedly became serious enough for the City Hall to step in and issue a statement saying that the outfit was in fact a dark pants suit and was "somber and appropriate."
The outfit was a dark polyester-rayon blend suit, McCray's favorite fashion designer, who sells the $600 pantsuit, confirmed to the New York Daily News.
"It's a very respectful suit you would wear to an important gathering," Anni Kuan told the newspaper. "It's not made of jean at all."
"In the photos, it does look like jeans," said the Taiwanese-born designer, who works out of a small studio in Manhattan's Garment District. "But it's the farthest thing from it, like yin and yang."
On Dec. 20, Officer Rafael Ramos and Officer Wenjian Liu were ambushed in Brooklyn while sitting in their patrol car by a gunman who was upset about alleged police brutality cases. At both officers' funeral, hundreds of police officers turned their backs as de Blasio made his speech.
The police union has been furious at de Blasio for statements that were viewed as sympathetic to protesters demonstrating against the police after a grand jury cleared an officer in the death of Eric Garner, who was arrested and subdued for selling loose cigarettes. At one point the mayor, who has a mixed race son, said he warned his son to be careful if he is ever stopped by police.
The police union president has also claimed that de Blasio had "blood on his hands" for encouraging hostility to police.
