There has been a lot of interest in the clothes worn by Theresa May, Britain's second female prime minister, since she entered office in July.

Part of this is understandable. May is an unusual politician in fashion terms, because she actually seems to pay attention to fashion. She subscribes to Vogue and is a fan of Vivienne Westwood, the outré designer who set the tone for London's 1970s punk movement. There are certainly not many other politicians in Britain who have been photographed wearing leopard-print shoes on multiple occasions.

But not all of the interest in May's fashion choices is positive. And perhaps not all of it is fair.

Over the past week, May has faced remarkable scrutiny for wearing a pair of £995 ($1,200) chocolate-coloured leather trousers by designer Amanda Wakeley during a photo shoot for Britain's Sunday Times newspaper, along with £140 ($176) black Burberry trainers.

A former ally, Conservative Member of Parliament Nicky Morgan, criticised the prime minister over the weekend. “I don’t have leather trousers,” Morgan, whom May fired from her cabinet position in July, told The Times. “I don’t think I’ve ever spent that much on anything apart from my wedding dress.”

Morgan and other critics suggested that May's expensive trousers are a sign that she is out of touch with the common man. But they may have overlooked one fact: many of Britain's male politicians wear more expensive items of clothing – all the time.

Theresa May in quotes Show all 10 1 /10 Theresa May in quotes Theresa May in quotes On being described by the former chancellor Ken Clarke as “a bloody difficult woman”: “Politics could do with some Bloody Difficult Women actually” Rex Features Theresa May in quotes On keeping secrets even from her husband: “There are some things I am told that I am not able to confide in anybody” Rex Features Theresa May in quotes On the relentless focus on her appearance during a speech at the Women in the World summit: "I like clothes and I like shoes. One of the challenges for women in the workplace is to be ourselves and I say you can be clever and like clothes. You can have a career and like clothes” Getty Images Theresa May in quotes On comparisons to Margaret Thatcher: “I think there can only ever be one Margaret Thatcher. I’m not someone who naturally looks to role models. I’ve always, whatever job it is I’m doing at the time, given it my best shot. I put my all into it, and try to do the best job I can” AFP/Getty Images Theresa May in quotes On her rebelliousness, or lack of, as a teenager: “I probably was Goody Two Shoes at school” Getty Images Theresa May in quotes On being replaced as chairman by Lord Saatchi and Liam Fox in 2003: “Yes, it takes two men to step into the shoes of one woman” AFP/Getty Images Theresa May in quotes What Theresa May said when she was asked about her political ambitions during an interview with Miriam González Durántez, a lawyer married to Nick Clegg, in December: MD: "My very last question is: that little girl who is somewhere there, is she dreaming of becoming the next British Prime Minister?" TM: "She’s dreaming of carrying on doing a good job in the Home Office" Getty Images Theresa May in quotes On not being able to have children: “I like to keep my personal life personal. We couldn’t have children, we dealt with it and moved on. I hope nobody would think that mattered; I can still empathise, understand people and care about fairness and opportunity” Getty Images Theresa May in quotes On whether she can deliver the mandate of the EU referendum: “I think for party members and indeed for others, I would say look at my record. I think they can see that I’m somebody who gets on with the job, but I’m also somebody who says it as I see it and actually delivers on what I say” Getty Images Theresa May in quotes On the equally relentless obsession with her shoes: “As a woman I know you can be very serious about something and very soberly dressed add a little bit of interest with footwear. I always tell women ‘you have to be yourself, don’t assume you have to fit into a stereotype’ and if your personality is shown through your clothes or shoes, so be it” Getty Images

And, as some May supporters pointed out, these male colleagues face nowhere near the level of scrutiny she does.

May's predecessor as prime minister, David Cameron, was known for his tasteful navy suits. While these suits may be less bold than May's outfits, they can cost just as much, if not more.

Cameron was known to have a taste for Savile Row tailor Richard James, whose suits can cost more than £3,100 ($3,900), during his first few years in office. Later, perhaps as austerity measures took hold in Britain, another tailor – named Geoffrey Golding – was pictured leaving 10 Downing Street. Golding's suits cost a slightly more reasonable £2,000 ($2,500) or so.

To be fair, Cameron wasn't exactly known as a man of the people and not all British politicians have expensive tastes – Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has actually been criticised for his hand-me-down-esque attire. After widespread criticism, the left-wing opposition leader bought an outfit from high-street store Marks & Spencer, where suits tend to cost less than £550 ($700) or so.

But even some politicians who market themselves as men of the people are often seen in expensive threads. Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage was known for his studiously eccentric style, which featured double-breasted blazers said to be made on Savile Row. After Britain voted in June to exit the European Union, he was photographed at a garden party with Rupert Murdoch wearing a pair of handmade Union Flag shoes that cost £295 ($370). (He later claimed they were a gift.)

The same is true across the Atlantic, too: President-elect Donald Trump has a long-standing love of Italian label Brioni's suits, which he buys off the rack. These suits tend to cost £4,000 ($5,000) or more. More recently, Trump has moved toward Brooklyn tailor Martin Greenfield, who has also made suits for President Obama. A suit from Greenfield can cost about £1,600 ($2,000).

Loading....

Some wonder whether the fact that May was wearing leather trousers, rather than a more typical dress or a trouser suit like Hillary Clinton, is the reason for the attention. “May has proven there's nothing she can't wear just because she's in charge of the nation,” Deborah Brett, fashion editor at large of Wardrobe Icons, told The Telegraph.

Either way, May seems exasperated. During a visit to Bahrain on Tuesday, she was asked to explain her decision to wear leather trousers, along with an equally controversial decision to cook goose for her Christmas Day meal. The prime minister chose to ignore the question, telling reporters that “it is important we have a country that works for everyone”.