Asymmetry is interesting

I noticed two nice uses of asymmetry recently. The first was on Secretary Kathleen Sebelius*:

This jacket has an off-center closure, similar to a motorcycle style. The asymmetry creates some visual interest that blends well with her necklace, which has bead spaced very far apart, giving it a modernist feel.

The second example was on Senate candidate Carly Fiorina:

This time, the asymmetry was in the necklace, which gathered beads together in an organic, uneven grouping. The necklace softens the look of a very structured jacket, which could otherwise look severe.

In both of these examples, the asymmetrical details work for the wearer (and not against) because they are:
1. subtle
2. paired with a neutral color palette.

Asymmetry is like animal print. Use it, but sparingly.

*An earlier version of this post used a different clip of Secretary Sebelius, from the same day. This one is a lot easier to see, so I switched it.

The Year of the Woman? Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Carly Fiorina discuss

Meet the Press had a segment this week on the media's favorite meme after last week's primary elections: 2010 is the "year of the woman." Carly Fiorina and Debbie Wasserman Schultz were on hand to discuss. I recommend watching the whole clip, which is about 6 minutes:


Without a doubt, we're going to have a lot more to discuss here!

Rep. Wasserman Schultz does the red jacket look really well here. Her hair is perfectly frizz-free too, although I am concerned that it looks rather stiff. For years, women with curly hair were encouraged to use silicone-based products to keep frizz at bay, and while they are effective, they can leave you with this stiffness problem, especially if overused. I recommend instead water based products like Deva Curl Angell and as much time as possible to air dry your hair before applying a hairdryer.

The irony of Fiorina's hairstyle opinions

Carly Fiorina inadvertently made a candid comment about her opponent's hairstyle on camera while waiting for an interview to start today:

There are two things that I don't understand about this.

1. Barbara Boxer's hair looks great. The style is appropriate for her age and flatters her face. Here she is in her latest campaign video:


 2. Fiorina's present hairstyle, which is short and undyed, has come in the aftermath of chemotherapy treatments for cancer that caused her to lose all her hair. But before that, she sported a style that was remarkably similar to Boxer's:

Has Fiorina's taste really changed that much in two years? Or are we just having a middle school moment here?

Are Barbara Boxer and Carly Fiorina trading closets?

As Barbara Boxer heads into an intense period of re-election campaigning, she appears suited up for battle - literally. Here she is on CNN discussing the Gulf Coast oil spill:

The light blue is a good color for her, and the wide open collar brings that color near her face where she needs it most. I wish this suit wasn't black though. It's too harsh and too sharp a contrast with her coloring, and she starts to merge with her surroundings a bit. But everything about this outfit says no nonsense, ready for business. She's sporting the tough look most often seen on her opponent, HP CEO Carly Fiorina, while Fiorina has gone in the opposite direction, bringing a new softness to her look in recent days. Perhaps the sartorial grass is always greener on the other side of the aisle. 

Carly Fiorina goes soft around the edges

Carly Fiorina recently posted a new campaign video that shows her with a significantly different look than she has shown at rallies in the past:

The soft shapes of the sweater tied around her shoulders, the gentle contrast of brown to peach, even the blending of the colors in her clothes with the chair and the flowers next to her. This is not the Carly we have seen before, in sharp monochromatic color palettes and bold contrast from her surroundings. In fact, it reminds me of Michele Bachmann's Glinda the Good Witch appearance on Larry King a few months ago. If she's going for a softer look, she got it. But I wonder if anyone will buy it? Carly Fiorina is known for nothing if not being as tough as nails. And the floral bouquet is pretty over the top. What do you think?

Contrast trim blazer: A new trend?

Last week, Claire McCaskill wore a black blazer with white trim for a Senate hearing on Medicare and Medicaid:

The soft curves of her lapel nicely echo the curves of her hair and face, for an effective, complementary look.

The bold contrast is also quite memorable, so I notice right away when Carly Fiorina wore a similar jacket on CNN:

It's similar, but not the same. In fact, it's different in a very important way: instead of a softly curved lapel, this lapel is much more angular, just as Ms. Fiorina's face and hairstyle are more angular. So it works for her in the same way Senator McCaskill's does. Trade jackets and it doesn't work anymore, even though they are (at first glance) so similar.

Carly Fiorina's convention speech manicure

Carly Fiorina spoke at the California Republican Convention this month. She wore red:

And I do mean RED. Obviously, she has a perfectly tailored suit in a bright tomato red that is a bit outside the color palette we usually see on her. It's an interesting juxtaposition between the power color and the femininity of the ruffle details. Reminds us of another woman in politics, doesn't it?

But check out her hand holding the microphone: her nails are painted the same red. Matching the nails to the clothes only works in red, and even then it's a tough look to pull off, although she does. Nail color is probably the only

place in your wardrobe where red can actually be considered a neutral. Try this look in pink and you'll look like a deranged housewife from Edward Scissorhands.

The other important feature of this manicure is that her nails are short and natural. It's just a good buff and a few coats of polish like Essie Red Nouveau.

Carly Fiorina: A color comparison

Senate candidate Carly Fiorina appeared on Glenn Beck's show recently. She wore red:

Although this is a red shirt and not a red jacket, I think it was probably chosen with the same goals in mind - to express power and patriotism in one broad swath of color. But when you see Ms. Fiorina on this show, do you look at her face or her shirt? All I can see is red because this color consumes her. She could be anyone. And an unadorned button down shirt is terribly unsophisticated for a woman as accomplished Fiorina. It's what we expect to see on an intern. Of course if you're going on Glenn Beck, the goal is approachability, not sophistication, so this is no time for a blazer and silk scarf. I would have gone for maybe a wool sweater in a fine gauge so as not to sweat too much under the studio lights. But our focus here is color...

She does so much better in cool, light colors, especially gray. Check out this discussion on health care:

Here, we see her face very clearly, especially her eyes. Most people look good in a medium gray, but Ms. Fiorina looks great in all shades, especially this light one. This is so much better than that overwhelming red!

Carly Fiorina reacts to the State of the Union

Senate candidate Carly Fiorina broadcast her reaction to the President's State of the Union address. She wore gray:

This medium gray looks good on most people, and Ms. Fiorina does well to compliment the nature shade of her hair. The best part of this video, though, is her makeup. Violet eyeshadow shades like this are usually a good choice on brown eyes, especially with cool hair colors. Soft powdered eyeliner and natural mascara also draw us to her eyes without distracting us. The rest of the face has a natural look - smooth, even foundation, minimal blush and a soft rose lipstick.

Tape up a screen shot next to your makeup mirror, ladies. This is the way to do it.

Carly Fiorina is running for Senate

Carly Fiorina's announcement of her Senate run was bold in more ways than one:



Most obviously, she's now sporting a post-chemo steel gray cropped hairstyle instead of the light brown highlighted wig she had been using recently.

She also opted for a very closely fitted tone on tone gray suit. Big earrings were a good choice. I think she looks great. It will be interesting to see how her look develops along with her campaign.