When tone on tone is out of key

Rep. Shelley Berkley gave a floor speech last week on student loans. She wore a beige suit with a beige top under it: http://youtu.be/mW7OL-1OFWc


A tone on tone color palette can give you a very streamlined look. BUT not if the clothes themselves slouch. In this case, Rep. Berkley really should have kept the jacket buttoned to complete the streamlined look. And then I would have chosen a bright top to peek out over the top of the jacket. It's such a small part that would show, it's better to make it a little more noticeable - this beige color blends so well in to her skin that it would basically look like nothing at all.  Maybe something like this instead:

When candid is better, it's time to change the portrait

Until recently, I was most familiar with Rep. Shelley Berkley's image from her official portrait, which appears on her website and her social media profiles:

I can't be the only one who's noticed: her hair in this photo is BIG, completely overwhelming the rest of her. And that's really saying something for a woman who has strong features otherwise.

Rep. Berkley is now running for Senate, and her campaign machine is ramping up accordingly. And you know what I found out? She doesn't have that hair in real life. Here she is on the House floor recently, speaking about the Palestinian bid for statehood at the UN:

Her hair is longer and somewhat straighter and decidedly less poofy.

Her current look is so much more up to date. I hope a new portrait for her new campaign will catch up to that. While hair stylists and makeup artists are helpful for portraits (or weddings, or trials...) it's important that you continue to look like you. What good is looking good if no one can recognize you?