President-elect Barack Obama hasn’t bought a new tuxedo in 15 years. We find that admirably frugal if not exactly fashion-forward. But, really, how much do men’s tuxedos change from year to year? With that in mind, he’s going to wear a new one to his inauguration, and he’s getting it from an Illinois clothing line: Hart Schaffner Marx.

(We guess the one in this 2005 AP picture (above, from the Politico.com Web site) was his old one, or a rental.)

The clothing line is the largest U.S.-based menswear maker, so you’ve certainly heard of it, but you probably didn’t know they originate in Des Plaines, Ill., Obama’s home state. He reportedly bought a bunch of suits from them during the campaign. Everyone seems to want to emphasize that the 121-year-old company is a union shop, according to Politico.

Now come the nagging details: Will he wear a suit with a topcoat for the inauguration? Will the tux look like this Hart Schaffner Mark tux (pictured below) that you can fetch for a little under $900 at their Web site or at Nordstrom?

The fashion world is still waiting with nervous anticipation the announcement of what designer Michelle Obama will select for her inauguration day duds. There has been much speculation and lots of suggestions from designers themselves, but that is still unknown.