Wait it out

Assistant Secretary of State Rose Gottemoeller gave remarks on the new START treaty last week. She wore a red jacket:

This brick red color works for her, but the proportions are off. The wide collar and chunky jewelry are out of proportion with her closely cropped hairstyle.

Considering her facial features, I would recommend a somewhat longer hairstyle, just to give some volume, particularly on the sides. Waiting longer between haircuts might well do the trick.

Rookie mistake

Terri Sewell has just been elected to Congress, the first-ever African American woman from Alabama. For an interview on CBS News, she fell into the red jacket trap:

The trap goes something like this: "Politicians wear red. I'm a politician now. Therefore I should wear red." But the red glows, brighter than her face or anything else around her. It takes over the picture until we can see nothing else. No jacket should do that. Hopefully she'll choose something less distracting before we see her on C-SPAN.

Seeing Red

Rep. Louise Slaughter spoke on the House floor about trade with China this week. She wore a Red Jacket:

This shade of red is good for the Congresswoman. It's the shape of this jacket that's problematic. The huge lapels and boxy shape make her torso look expansive. Even buttoning the jacket would pull in the silhouette a bit more and improve the look. 

Although we don't see her in profile in this clip, I bet she would benefit from a more supportive bra as well. Wearing a bra that is the wrong size or not supportive enough or stretched out can lead you to buy blouses and jackets in a larger size than would otherwise be necessary, leaving you with lots of extra fabric around the waist and sleeve areas. It looks like that might be what's happening here.

Using the Red Jacket for contrast

Senate candidate Linda McMahon's recent campaign ad pokes fun at her job as the CEO of the WWE, and she uses her clothes to add to the effect:

She wears the iconic red jacket, in a particularly iconic style - the collar and bracelet length sleeves strongly channel Jackie O, which reads as the epitome of femininity. But there's even more going on here. Her chain link choker length necklace adds a toughness to her look, just as she shows "toughness" standing up to the wrestlers in the interspersed clips. Each element of her appearance is feeding back in to the message she's trying to send. Very effective.

A little shimmery eye shadow goes a long way

Nikki Haley won the Republican nomination for Governor in South Carolina this week. She appeared on CNN with John King on Wednesday:

This warm tomato red is a power color for her. She looks fantastic. This is why women in politics started wearing The Red Jacket in the first place.

It's her eyeshadow that concerns me a bit. It reflects so much light, it's distracting from her eyes. It's true that a woman with dark eyes and strong eyebrows has to be careful to stay away from eyeshadow that's too dark in a daytime look, but if you go too far in the other direction, this is the result. White and light colored shadows might not look shimmery in the pan or on the brush, but they reflect more light than medium shades simply because they are lighter. Combine that with intensely bright studio lights and you have a shimmery distraction.

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.

Palin's wardrobe deja vu

Did you see the photos from Sarah Palin's Tea Party speech yesterday?

You read that correctly.  That was yesterday.  Does her outfit look familiar?  Oh wait, it does:

That was during her 2008 Vice Presidential run.

Now, I know I said earlier this week that I think Palin can and probably should keep wearing leather, including leather jackets. But this outfit, and this red leather jacket in particular, became one of the most prominent symbols of the firestorm surrounding her wardrobe during the campaign. For the record, these are two different jackets, so we can probably assume that the 2008 version was in fact donated to charity as the campaign said it would be. But the similarity is absurd. Could this possibly be a coincidence? I think probably not. What a clever way to thumb her nose a her detractors.

McMorris Rodgers vs. Schwartz: Trendy vs. Old School

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, the level of formality in what women in the House were wearing during the health care debate varied widely. At no time was the variety more pronounced than when Allyson Schwartz spoke right after Cathy McMorris Rodgers. Here they are:

Rep. McMorris Rodgers is on this spring's military trend. It's a cool look, but the relaxed fit and cotton fabric of the jacket combined with the loosely tied scarf make it rather casual for the House floor. Maybe on a regular session day, but this was a big, high profile day, so I would have gone for something with more structure in a more powerful color.

Rep. Allyson Schwartz went in the opposite direction, both ideologically and with her look. Here we see the classic red jacket, gold necklace and carefully coiffed hair. She wore this with black pants, which kept the overall look more businesslike - had she gone for the matching red skirt and pumps, we might have thought she wandered in from an anniversary party instead of coming deliberately to work. I still think the overall effect is more dressy than professional, but not bad.

At least no one was wearing blue eyeshadow. Oh wait, that's tomorrow's topic!

Rosa DeLauro's pink leather jacket

This month's action on health care reform generated a lot of television footage of our lawmakers (and some legislation, too). Therefore, this week we will review what everyone wore on the House floor during the debate. Ok, not everyone. But many.

The biggest fashion-related story during the debate was without question Rosa DeLauro's pink leather jacket. At one point, the jacket was actually trending on twitter in DC. Here she is:

Not everyone making note of the jacket was a fan. But as I've said before, even when I try to find fault with Rep. DeLauro's style, I just...can't. Sure, the white padded shoulders are a bit too strong, and the purple and gray scarf is a bit too long, and the magenta frames of her glasses are a bit too bright. But mixed together on her it just creates a certain kind of style alchemy that I can't deny. She's confident in what she's wearing and it shows.

Pink leather is actually having a fashion moment right now:

Pink Leather Jackets by StyleofPolitics featuring Doma jackets

Items in this set:
Studded lambskin-leather jacket, $575
The Row - Barton Jacket, $1,900
DIANE von FURSTENBERG "Sporti" Heirloom Leather Jacket - Leather -..., $795
Armani Collezioni - Tissue Leather Jacket - Saks.com, $795
Neiman Marcus - Bagatelle Leopard Print Jacket, $295

So maybe there's something to this look after all. And Rep. DeLauro wasn't the only one wearing a leather jacket in the House that day. So was Dina Titus:

Definitely a variation on the "red jacket!"

Leather is a fashion-forward, if potentially controversial, choice for women in the House. I had some concerns at first that perhaps these leather jacket looks were too informal for House proceedings, especially those being as closely watched as these, but as we'll see in some upcoming posts, the level of formality during the health care debate varied widely. Stay tuned!

Barbara Mikulski debates health care bill, nearly drowns in red jacket

Senator Barbara Mikulski gave remarks on the health care bill during the Senate reconciliation debate on Wednesday. She wore a red jacket with a black patterned blouse:

The Senator is so completely overwhelmed by these clothes, it's as if she's drowning in them. Two layers of voluminous, stiff fabric buttoned all the way up to her neck are doing her no favors. And the bold, sharp pattern on her blouse is distracting.

She would do so much better in something with an open neckline and more subtle pattern, like this Milly dress at Lee Lee's Valise.

The Red Jacket: Senate success stories

We've talked before about how so many women in politics choose bright red structured jackets because of this myth that this is what you're "supposed" to wear as a female politician, even if it's not the best look for you. But sometimes it is the best look for you, or you can adapt the look to make it work. There were two great example of this in the Senate last week.

First, let's look at Susan Collins during a budget hearing for the Department of Transportation:

Senator Collins went for the classic red jacket look. This warm red color works for her coloring, and she wears it frequently. She stands out behind her microphone, even with the staffer in a busy print behind her. The important thing to remember here is that this jacket works for her. The same exact outfit on someone else might not.

Now let's have a look at Claire McCaskill in a floor speech on discretionary spending:

Senator McCaskill has made modifications to the classic red jacket look. She went for a jacket that is longer and unlined, making it less structured, and layered it over a darker red print top. The length of the jacket and the color variation both help to create a longer body line. Try to imagine Senator Collins's jacket on Senator McCaskill. Doesn't really work, does it? So much structure would make her look boxy.

Don't ever imagine that you "can't" wear a particular color or style or fabric. You just have to find the right shade, the right combinations, the right pieces to make it work for you.

Political fashion history: Geraldine Ferraro 1984

March is Women's History Month, so let's have a look back at what women in politics were wearing in the past. Today: Geraldine Ferraro's Vice-Presidential run in 1984.

When I started looking at some of the iconic press photographs from the campaign, I was struck by how feminine her look was. For example, here's her Time Magazine cover from July 23, 1984:

She's wearing a dress and long pearls. Not a suit, not black. Of course, this dress is that bright red that we know so well in politics today as The Red Jacket. But there's no hint here of "dressing like a man" that we hear about (and fear) for women in politics today.

The shapes she wore were feminine too. Look at this campaign photo:

Dusty blue, pearls again, and a soft shape to the dress with a decidedly girly short-sleeved jacket.

We can contrast this with what Sarah Palin wore as a vice-presidential candidate 24 years later:

While this Valentino jacket later became infamous for its price point, no one argued with it style, which was structured, covered up and achromatic. Practically the polar opposite of Ferraro's red, delicate dress. I'm not sure if this is progress or not, but it's notable.

Jennifer Granholm introduces Alan Mulally at NGA

Governor Jennifer Granholm of Michigan introduced Ford CEO Alan Mulally's remarks at the National Governors Association conference. She wore a red pantsuit:

The red jacket strikes again! The governor does ok with this choice, although I do think red jacket and red pants can be a lot for anyone. She does pull it off, mostly because she's slim. Her best colors are cool and more muted though. We also need to try to ignore the bright yellow lanyard that's covering up her lovely pearls...

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!

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.

Barbara Boxer on Health Care

Barbara Boxer spoke about health care on the Senate floor last week. She wore a red jacket:

Tomato red is a good color for the senator. But the wide collar of this jacket combined with a turtleneck sweater makes for a heavy look - again, a bit like outerwear.

What I really want to talk about is her hairstyle. The shape of this cut works well for her face, although she could probably go with even a bit more length and do well. My concern is the color. The highlights have so much contrast that they've become distracting. The senator should consider brown her friend here. Darker hair and brighter makeup would actually look younger, I think.

Sarah Palin calls Newsweek's reprint of her Runner's World photo sexist

I have some ambivalence about covering this story at all, but I think we have something to learn here, so I will. By now, you've probably seen that this week's cover of Newsweek features a photo of Sarah Palin in running shorts and sneakers that originally appeared in Runner's World magazine, under the headline "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Sarah?"

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Ms. Palin called this use of the photo "sexist" on her facebook page, a claim that Tina Brown counters in the clip above (or in this article, almost verbatim) as being no worse than provocative photos of Bill Clinton or Elliot Spitzer in the recent past. I agree with that comparison, and also with Brown's conclusion that Ms. Palin's outrage is largely for effect.

But as I said, we have something to learn here. Why is this photo embarrassing? It's not because she's wearing short running shorts. There's nothing wrong with them, actually, and she has a great figure. The problem here is the context in which she's wearing them. Even though this photo was taken for a running magazine, she's not running. She's not at a gym or outside. She's posing like a beauty queen, leaning on an artfully draped flag. It's a portrait, and no one should show that much leg in a portrait. If she were running down a road, or running on a treadmill, or even standing on a treadmill as if she had just stopped running, the photo would not have the same effect. There would be no story here. So the moral of the story is not that you should never be photographed in anything other than a jacket and pearls. It's the same as everything else - you simply need to wear the right clothes for each occasion.

And did you notice her warm up jacket? It's red.

Secretary Clinton's remarks on Burma in a textured Red Jacket

Hillary Clinton wore a textured red jacket with a black shell and a shiny metal necklace for a press conference in Manila last week.



The texture of the jacket is echoing the textures of her face in a way that is less than flattering, and the dark shell under such a bright jacket makes her look pale. I also think the necklace is too long for her - see how it almost looks like she's wearing a medal or award around her neck? She's been making some great clothing choices lately, but this was not one of her better days.

Secretary Clinton meets with Singapore Minister - in a Red Jacket

Nice collar, right? It's a little bit unusual and adds some visual interest. The length of this jacket is iffy though. It doesn't cut her clear across the widest part of the hip, which is good, but I think it's maybe a little bit too long. And the sleeves are definitely too long. Hemming a sleeve can make a huge difference in the look of a jacket, but be really careful if you try to do it yourself. Too short is way worse than too long.

Janet Napolitano on the Daily Show

Here's another positive use of the red jacket: Janet Napolitano on the Daily Show. Her coloring takes the red well. Her necklace is the perfect length too. I just wish her white top had a scoop neck instead - the V fights with the shape of her face a little bit. But overall, she looks professional but at ease, which is perfect for late night television.

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