Clinton finds the separation

Secretary Clinton spoke at the African Growth and Opportunity Forum last week. She wore a gold suit: http://youtu.be/MIiq9dd_yPI



This is a lot of one color, especially one that's so close to her skin tone. What makes the outfit work? The accessories!

• The chunky necklace in a darker color creates a strong visual separation between her skin and her outfit. The length of the necklace is just right too - wearing large beads too tight around the neck will make you look like you're choking, even if it doesn't feel that way. This is particularly important for women of a certain age, who tend to have looser skin on their necks.
• The jaunty pocket square helps break up the solid color further down the outfit.

The hidden benefit of scarves

We've been talking about scarves a whole lot lately. Here's some more! These two examples illustrate well what the right scarf can do (and not do) for your complexion.

Here's Nancy Pelosi with a positive example:


And here's Cynthia Lummis with a less successful attempt:


Do you see the benefit? It's color! Scarves are a great way to bring complimentary colors (for you) close to your face. For Pelosi, the scarf helped soften a dark suit. For Lummis, the scarf was the same ale color as her jacket, blouse, hair and skin tone, which washed her out. Maybe she should have tried something like this instead:

Senator Hagan knows how to tie one on

Senator Kay Hagan participated in a press conference this week on international trade. She wore a brown suit, and a scarf:

If you missed our Tie one on event in New York last week on how to tie a scarf, you need look no further for a role model than Senator Hagan. She got this one just right by demonstrating one of the basic rules I taught that day: when tying a scarf, don't pull to tight. You're not tying your shoes, you don't need to make a strong not. Think more about draping than tying and the rest will fall into place.

Colorize

Connecticut State Rep. Pat Widlitz recorded a message last week about a paint recycling law the legislature just passed. She wore black and white:


The lines of this outfit are perfect. The jacket fits her, the scarf is elegantly arranged at her neckline without being too fussy. But the black and white color palette is much too harsh for her.

Some color near the face would have served her much better, with a lower level of contrast. Maybe like this:

Scarf lesson

Rep. Donna Edwards wore a scarf last week on the House floor, as she discussed the budget:

My clients often tell me that scarves are the hardest accessory to wear, because tying them seems hard. I hope this example will show you that there is no "right" way to do it, it's all in what works for you and your body. In this case, draping the scarf in a long and wide shape across the chest adds lots of visual interest to an otherwise plain dress.

New accessories, new look

When the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act came around again last week, Nancy Pelosi spoke on the House floor. She wore a red dress with a scarf:


Do you recognize her dress? I bet you don't. We saw her wear this dress with one of her signature large bead necklaces earlier in 2010.  But the scarf gives the dress a whole new life, creating a different focal point for the outfit and introducing several new colors into her palette.

A scarf, as I was saying

Secretary Clinton gave a statement yesterday on recent leaks of classified documents. She wore a dark jacket, and a scarf:

This outfit is a perfect example of what I say all the time: anyone can wear any color, you just have to wear it the right way. I wouldn't ordinarily recommend a black jacket for her, unless she pairs it with a bright scarf near her face. And that's exactly what she did here. The variation of two different colors in the scarf provides added visual interest without being distracting.

"Could you FedEx this?" or How to be Mistaken for an Intern

There are two levels of consideration for professionals when getting dressed in the morning. The first is whether your outfit meets the basic minimum standards for looking professional in your job. The second is whether your clothes are working for you, by dressing for the job you want, not the job you have. When the job you want is a seat in the US Senate, you're going to have to expand your wardrobe beyond the basics.

Delaware Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell discussed her candidacy, and her opponent, at a conference recently:


There is nothing technically wrong with this outfit. The blogosphere rages with debate over wearing shirt collars outside or inside a jacket, and while I prefer the inside look, I wouldn't dock you any points for disagreeing. Hoop earrings can be very nice, although these are pushing it on the size. A neat, low ponytail can assist with a multitude of hair styling challenges.

But the combination is key. Dark suit, white shirt with collar spread outside, big hoop earrings, ponytail hair with a ribbon big enough to be seen from the front.... when you put it all together, she starts to read as the very most professional 22 year-old intern in the office, instead of a 42 year-old candidate for US Senate.

This would work better:

It's different for girls

Yesterday, DCist directed us to what they called The Best Campaign Video You'll See All Year. Here it is:

Council candidate Bryan Weaver does a fine job with the video and his wardrobe: nice tie, good colors. The shirt is maybe a tad too big. But all fine.

This video got me thinking, though, about how frustrating it is that the campaign trail equivalent of "loosened tie, rolled up shirtsleeves" for women is "it depends." It depends on the place, the time of year, the activity at hand. But let's imagine this video was made by a female candidate running for the Ward 1 Council seat. What should she wear? What says "I just stepped out of my office where I was doing Very Important Professional Work to speak with Regular People in a Relaxed Manner" in just the right way? And allows you to "run" across the Ward? I would suggest this:

A shirtdress is dressed up and relaxed at the same time. A full skirt allows plenty of movement, probably more than lined dress pants would. Ballet flats are practical and professional enough to hide your toes. Stud earrings add just enough sparkle without dangling around and being distracting. And sunglasses are a nice nod to the season, the outdoor setting and the "dressed down" moment. When a woman can't roll up the sleeves of her shirt, she can push her sunglasses on top of her head.

Sharron Angle and that other kind of makeover

A lot of people are talking about Sharron Angle's "political makeover" at the hands of the Republican party since winning their nomination for Senate earlier this month. What no one seems to be talking about is what she might need in terms of that other kind of makeover. The fashion kind.

Check out her pre-primary wardrobe choices in this montage from the Rachel Maddow Show:

Her wardrobe was boxy and brightly colored in a way that dates her clothes back about two decades. They're not as terrible as they could be, but this is a clear instance where she needs to dress for the job she wants, not the job she has. Does she look like a school board member? Sure. Senate candidate? Not so much.

Now have a look at her first television appearance after the primary election, on the Fox and Friends morning show:

The color is more subdued, the jacket is well fitted. The flower brooch, while a modern concept, doesn't relate to the rest of her outfit at all, but at least she's trying. Someone put some thought into this look, made a clear attempt at bringing Ms. Angle's wardrobe into the 21st century.

She kept the jacket but ditched the brooch for an appearance on Hannity later that day:


And that was it. We haven't seen her on a planned TV appearance since, so it's hard to say whether this outfit was a lucky choice or a carefully constructed change in her image. We all know by now what trouble a flashy "makeover" can cause. But some adjustments clearly needed to be made, so hopefully she's making them, with or without help from a professional.

Yes, that man is wearing a bicycle on his lapel

That's Earl Blumenauer, Co-Chair and founder of the Congressional Bicycle Caucus. In this case, a red bicycle.  But Rep. Blumenauer wears the Bike Caucus lapel pin frequently, and it comes in other colors too, like neon yellow, which he wore to present Mandy Moore with her own pin in March.

But the congressman doesn't reserve his pin only for bicycle transportation advocacy occasions. He was wearing it last week during a floor speech on defense spending and the National Guard:

So we have to ask, what does this look mean for Rep. Blumenauer, other than expressing a passion for cause he is best known for?

It expresses quirkiness, for sure, along with his signature bow tie. The gold tie in the video above is a bit too wide for him, actually. The fullness of it starts to dwarf his face (see also another time he wore this tie). But in general, the bow ties seem to work for him. If you're already known as "the bicycle guy" you're not really depleting much from your image with mainstream indicators of quirk like lapel pins and bow ties. What keeps him out of costume territory? A muted color palette. Blue, gray, gold, crimson. No novelty prints or creative tailoring.

Distracting Accessories: Different causes, similar results

Accessories have a special power for women getting dressed. As we've seen over and over, they can add a much needed accent of color or style, or they can distract so aggressively from our message that we almost can't be heard.

Last week, we saw two examples that were distracting for different reasons.

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords slipped up by adding too many accessories in one outfit:

Dangling earrings and chunky necklace and flower brooch and cuff bracelet is definitely too much. [As an aside, she has also changed her hair color and style so significantly since her official portrait was taken that I nearly thought I had misidentified her in the video. The flower brooch, though, has remained the same.]

Meanwhile, Senator Susan Collins made a different but equally distracting choice with this two-strand necklace:

There are two reasons why this necklace is distracting. The first is that the shorter strand is too short for her face shape. The second is that the bold shape of her jacket collar probably requires no necklace at all, or at least one that is more delicate and lighter colored.

With accessories, less is frequently more.

Secretary Clinton adds a scarf to her introduction

Hillary Clinton introduced a speakers series at the State Department earlier this week. She wore a brown suit and a very well-placed scarf:

The Secretary paired this brown jacket with a shell underneath in the same color. That could be waaay too much brown, but the addition of a creamy print scarf effectively breaks up the dark color block and softens her look considerably.

Also, I wonder if she's growing her hair out? It's looking quite a bit longer in the back these days. Cute flip.

Bachmann and Palin take a trip to the 1980s

If Michele Bachmann didn't say the year at the start of this clip, you could be forgiven for guessing the year was perhaps 1984. Both she and Sarah Palin sport some serious throwback styles here:


Now, I know the '80s are having a comeback right now. But you have to be careful.

The combination of the stiff, shiny fabric, the yellow/black color combination, the standup collar and the pushed up sleeves on Rep. Bachmann's jacket cross the line from modern trend to dated look. Her teased hairstyle exacerbates the problem.

Sarah Palin is definitely suffering from a moment of over-accessorization. Jewelry + flag pin + sequined jacket = a lot of look. The layering of pearls and cross also reminds me very strongly of Like A Virgin-era Madonna, and I can't be the only one. I'm sure that's not what she was going for.

I don't know about you, but I'm rather disturbed by hearing Michele Bachmann introduce Sarah Palin by emphasizing, in part, that she is "drop dead gorgeous." Here we are, carefully considering what we wear to produce a polished, professional image, but if the first thing people have to say about us is that we're pretty, we'll go with that? To hell with professional and appropriate if we can be "drop dead gorgeous" instead? Don't get me wrong, gorgeous has a place. We all want to be gorgeous sometimes. But it shouldn't be a professional qualification unless you're a model. How disappointing.

Camera readiness: Know your venue

Media appearances are part and parcel of political life, and each appearance takes on perhaps even more importance for candidates for office. To be sure, there is only so much you can prepare for before an interview, both in terms of your look and your words.

But you can think about where you will be, and how you will look in that space. If you're going on the Rachel Maddow Show, you know that you'll be behind a desk, but a clear desk. Pants and skirts matter.  Maddow herself often wears jeans under that same desk, in a cultivated look of defiance.

Similarly, if you're being interviewed by Roll Call for the "Conversation With..." candidates video series, you know you'll be in front of a solid black curtain. You know what you shouldn't wear in front of a solid black curtain? Solid black.  Not one but two recent subjects didn't get that particular preparation note.

First was Suzan DelBene, running for the House seat in Washington's 8th District:



Not only is she wearing a black jacket, she has it zipped up so high, we can't see any color from the top she's (hopefully) wearing underneath. Lowering the zipper could have been a quick fix here. Again, assuming there's something appropriate under there!

Next was Jennifer Brunner, who is running for Senate in Ohio:



Her yellow top definitely helps break up the black, but she still starts to fade into the curtain behind her. This is another case where a great scarf could have saved the day, like this one from Isabel Marant, which also carries a Democrat-themed message. Well, maybe don't put the part about the shoes in front...

Ladies' neckwear: a delicate balance

I know I said we were done with health care reform week, but I have just one more post on what Congress wore during the debate. This one is about neckwear again, but this time, on the ladies. This is a tale of two scarves.

First, Doris Matsui:



Then, Anna Eshoo:



You don't need me to tell you that Rep. Eshoo's scarf works, but Rep. Matsui's doesn't. They're both full, bold pieces that form the focal point of their outfits. So what's the difference?

1. Proportion. Rep. Matsui's scarf is wider than her face, dwarfing her. Rep. Eshoo's scarf has some fullness at the bottom, but it spreads out gradually and never looks bigger than her head.

2. Style. Bows always have the potential to look cutesy, no matter what the size. Big bows are pretty much impossible to pull of unless you're Minnie Mouse or Hello Kitty. Not a cartoon character? Keep the bows small or not at all.

3. Color. Wearing lots of stark white close to the face can be difficult for most people. A print in the right colors can enhance a look and cut through the severity of a suit.

Need more help working a scarf into your wardrobe? Try this:

Style with a scarf by StyleofPolitics

Items in this set:
Wool-blend belted dress, $335
Coco studded cashmere cardigan, $355
Melinda Maria Sarah Bangle in Gold - as seen on Vanessa Hudgens @..., $215
22-karat gold-plated drop earrings, $210
White Silk Crest Scarf, Givenchy, 80 GBP

Ginsburg and Sotomayor speak to National Association of Women Judges

Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor spoke to the National Association of Women Judges earlier this month about their experiences on the modern court. What they each chose to wear reflects differences in both their personal style and their generation. Justice Ginsburg wore a red suit with a patterned silk scarf over her shoulders:

Such a large scarf could overwhelm a petite woman like Justice Ginsburg, but this pattern echoes the angles in her facial features and works to soften her look a bit. Without the soft folds of the scarf, her large glasses and smooth hairstyle might look severe.

Justice Sotomayor wore a black suit with asymmetrical buttons and lots of jewelry:

The suit is pretty conservative, and Justice Sotomayor would have benefitted from some color near her face. But have a look at her jewelry! Dangling earrings and lots of stacked silver bracelets. This is not the pearls-and-button-earrings jewelry set that was standard issue for the previous generation. This jewelry reflects her personal style and makes what would otherwise be a very plain outfit considerably funkier.

Doris Matsui introduces YouTube channel, over-accessorizes

Rep. Doris Matsui added an introductory message to her YouTube channel this week. She tells us how honored she is to represent Sacramento, and she wears a lot of accessories:

You may be familiar with the phrase attributed to Coco Chanel, "Look in the mirror before you leave the house and take one thing off." In this case, the Congresswoman really needed to take two things off, probably the flower brooch and the earrings. There is just way too much going on in this outfit. It's worth noticing also that her blouse has prominent round buttons, which act almost like accessories themselves.

Blanche Lincoln on small business owners

Blanche Lincoln had a question for the president about small business owners at his recent remarks to the Senate Democratic Conference. She wore neutral colors:

The scarf provides a nice addition of pattern and color near her face, and the overall color palette keeps this look from being too busy. But scarf plus turtleneck plus blazer equals a lot of fabric up around the neck. If her sweater were a crew neck instead, this would be perfect.

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.