Disaster preparedness

The country has been beset by a remarkable number of natural disasters and near-disasters this spring, pulling our elected officials out of their offices and into some harrowing conditions. As you might imagine, in that moment no one can really stop and think too hard about, "What do I wear?"

In wardrobe, as in so many other areas of life, it is for these emergencies that we prepare, well in advance. If your entire stack of casual clothes are, at least, the right colors, a good fit and free from damage, then you can just grab and go - whatever was on the top of the pile will serve you well. Why are you holding on to that shirt with the stain, or the pants that are too short anyway? Cleaning out your closet gives you the tools to be comfortable and prepared when the moment strikes, so you can focus on what's important.

My example for today is Senator Mary Landrieu, surveying flood protections in Baton Rouge:

This shirt fits her well, is a good color for her, and has enough structure (by having a collar) to give it some shape and look put together. If she has a whole drawer full of these, she's in good shape.

Three Senators, three looks

Senate Democrats held a press conference last week on the Small Business Jobs Creation Act. This clip shows in quick succession three women of the Senate with three very different looks: Mary Landrieu, Barbara Boxer and Maria Cantwell.


What was most striking to me about these three women was the difference in their makeup styles. Consider:

1. Mary Landrieu has the "no makeup" makeup look. Maybe a little too "no makeup." I would recommend a foundation with a little more coverage, especially around the nose area, where it looks like she got a little too much sun. Even a so-called 5 minute face can feel like a lot of work when you're going on little sleep and have a full day ahead, so I'm always looking for shortcuts, both for myself and for my clients. Personally, I really like Stila One Step.

2. Barbara Boxer has gone to the other extreme and is really wearing a lot of makeup here. The combination of heavy foundation and thick eyeliner has given her face an almost mask-like appearance. A lighter, glossier lip and peachier blush would also make her look more naturalistic.

3. Maria Cantwell got it just right. With subtle lavender eyeshadow and a creamy rose lip, we see past her makeup and focus once again on her words.

No matter how much makeup you're wearing, it's important to take it off at the end of the day, lest you regret it in the morning. As I said, shortcuts are key, but you've got to find the right ones. I recently tried Payot Eau Demaquillant Express, and I'm extremely impressed. [Full disclosure: I received a free sample during New York Fashion Week. But I'm going out to buy a bottle now!] Payot is a French heritage brand that is just now coming in to the US market via Beauty 360, the fancy-makeup offshoot of CVS. Although they carry a number of Payot products on their website, you'll have to go directly to the DuPont Circle store for a bottle of this one. It's quick, it's effective and it's not drying. Try it.

Who says white can't be tough?

Here is Senator Mary Landrieu at a Senate Homeland Security committee meeting last week:

I love this look. I love the bold use of white (before Memorial Day!) with more white underneath. I love the multi-strand necklace with organic texture. I even love the minimal makeup, although as usual, I wish she would put some lipstick on. In fact, if there was one tip I would give to all our women serving in Congress across the board, it's more lipstick. I'm sure most of them start out the day with lipstick, but it never makes it all the way to a committee hearing. Maybe we need to popularize a more permanent product with this group, like Benefit Cosmetics Benetint Mini Lip and Cheek Stain.

Maybe the Senate women should host a clothing swap

Susan Collins was on John Kind USA last week to discuss the Congressional investigation into the Fort Hood massacre. She wore a lilac skirt suit:


I like the style and the structure of this suit on Senator Collins, but the color isn't flattering on her. She does much better in strong, bold colors like red, as we've seen before. In fact, the first thing I thought when I saw this clip is that this suit would look so much better on Senator Mary Landrieu.

Cokie Roberts recently hosted a panel on the history of women in the Senate, where Susan Collins and some of her female colleagues from both sides of the aisle shared their experiences (definitely worth watching). With all the cooperative feeling on life in the Senate, maybe they should host a clothing swap. Senator Collins's suit could go to Senator Landrieu, Senator Landrieu's red suit could go to Senator Collins, everyone could stage an intervention about Senator Murkowski's insistence on wearing pink. It could be fun!

Senator Landrieu discusses Charity Hospital arbitration

Senator Landrieu discussed the federal arbitration award of damages to Charity Hospital last week. She wore a blue blazer with a scarf:

I think (I hope) by now you already know what I'm going to say. The pattern of this scarf is extremely distracting. We look right at the dots on the scarf first - before her face, before anything else. And even when we look at her face, our gaze is still drawn back to the scarf. The colors are nice on her, but to say this pattern overwhelms her is an understatement. There is also the unfortunate clash between the pattern of her scarf and the pattern of the chair she's sitting on. Seeing that chair should have been a sign to ditch the scarf. Or at least tie it up or something. Please.

Senators Snowe and Landrieu discuss health care on Face the Nation

Senators Olympia Snowe and Mary Landrieu appeared on Face the Nation on Sunday to discuss their positions on the health care bill that will see a Senate vote this week. Senator Snowe wore green:



This color looks fresh and vibrant on the senator. The exaggerated notched collar on this jacket could look a little casual, but her black shell and pearl necklace keep it dressed up. The necklace also helps create a visual separation between the dark shirt and her dark hair.

Senator Landrieu wore red:


Because this jacket buttons all the way up, there isn't really an opportunity to break up the color with a contrasting blouse underneath, and this much warm red overwhelms the senator a bit. She does better in cool pastel colors. Less texture in the fabric would give a sleeker look too. The necklace is lovely, but it's delicate and it gets lost under this strong, structured jacket. Her hair looks perfect - this is a good color and length for her.

Senators Landrieu and Lincoln on health care debate in Senate

Senators Mary Landrieu and Blanche Lincoln spoke on the Senate floor on Friday about their voting intentions on the health care bill.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Senator Landrieu wore a black jacket over a red shell. The fit is nice, but black is too harsh against her fair skin and light hair. She would be much better served by charcoal or navy. Her glasses are awfully dark, too. There's nothing wrong with a bold statement in eyewear, but I think these are taking over her face.

Senator Lincoln did go with navy, but she could probably take the black if she wanted to. My concern here is with the fit of the jacket. It looks baggy in both the torso and the sleeves. Her scarf cuts her off at the neck and puts red up near her face - not her best color in this case.

Is it too much to suggest they trade outfits?