Illuminated makeup

Congresswoman Kathy Hochul spoke about the jobs bill at a press conference this week. She wore a tan jacket, and blue eyeshadow: (http://youtu.be/cEtwnGuMbVA)

There's nothing wrong with blue eyeshadow per se, despite what some magazines may tell you. If you have hazel or light brown eyes, it can be a great choice.

But be careful, especially using the colors marked "highlight" in your little eyeshadow palette. They go on lightly and they're supposed to. If you don't have enough light while applying your makeup, you can inadvertently pile too much on your brow bone - it appears that may have happened to Rep. Hochul here. The best way to avoid this is to use a makeup mirror with lights on it.


They're not too forgiving to the little lines and blemishes on your face, but you can see exactly what you're doing.

Too much white around the face

Hillary Clinton gave an interview to Voice of America this week. She wore a white blouse:

We often turn to white tops because they "go with everything" but in this case, it doesn't go very well. As we have seen before, bright white reflects too much light on Secretary Clinton's face, making her skin and hair look washed out. Cream would have served similarly as a neutral color without being so harsh, although with a black jacket she could have paired almost any color.

What you look like on a jumbotron

I'm always telling you to consider the context and the background of the setting you'll be speaking in (all black on Charlie Rose, bright sunlight at a state fair, etc) but sometimes it can be hard to picture what that will really be like.

Here's some video of Rep. Tammy Baldwin speaking at a black-tie dinner for the Human Rights Campaign. Or rather, video of video of her on large screens above the crowd. She wore purple:


You can barely see her standing on the stage, but you can certainly see her on the screens. Not only is the image large, it's repeated right next to itself. As much as I'm an advocate for prints, this would not be the right time! I think she chose well with a satin wrap around blouse with a subtle sheen.

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?

John Boehner breaks the rules

If there's one thing the conventional wisdom seems to know about how politicians should dress, it's that men have a uniform, and that uniform includes a bright red tie. "Red is a power color," they say. "Red is patriotic," they insist.

And then you notice something like this: John Boehner is Speaker, and his ties are pastels.  Look:

He wears pink:


And green:


And yellow:


Not much red this year!

Now, you might remember my discussion in Politico this time last year about Boehner's sharp, authoritative style of dress. But that was election season - expect those red ties and cuff links to make a comeback as election time draws near again. 

Get Involved: ElectWomen Magazine

We've talked before about how female candidates feel a greater need to be prepared and experienced than their male counterparts do before running for elected office. One way to feel prepared is to read, so I have some reading for you: ElectWomen Magazine. Here's publisher Kathy Groob on why she founded the site:


ElectWomen is a great compilation of original writing and links from around the web on women's leadership and electoral politics. There's also a great community on the facebook page, which adds a much needed interactive element to the conversation.

Poor placement

Have you ever been told that a woman with a larger bust shouldn't wear tops with pockets on the chest? It's a common piece of advice, and this clip of Rep. Terri Sewell on the House floor this summer shows us why:

The top is a bit too snug too, which exacerbates the problem. Chest pockets and their accompanying details like buttons, or in this case trim, can draw the eye away from the face and your intended center of attention.

If you'll recall, I had hoped just after she was elected that Ms. Sewell would move on from distracting clothes before she appeared on c-span. Not so far.

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:

The most pattern-y pattern of all?

Senator Hutchison spoke on the Senate floor last week in support of the Cornyn amendment. She wore a black jacket with a pattern:

As you may recall, we have seen this problem with patterns on television before. But this one is particularly dizzying. And if you're one of my readers who doesn't usually click the "play" button on these posts, let me clarify that this jacket is black. There are no colors in this pattern.

It's difficult to tell from this footage, but I suspect this effect is the result of not just pattern but also texture, which can also bend light in a way that is confusing to a camera lens.

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.

Lisa Murkowski spoke last week at a press conference for the Senate "oceans caucus." She wore a beige heathered jacket:

Once again, this jacket is too big in the shoulders for the senator. This seems to be a chronic problem for her.

Don't let it happen to you too: in a modern fit, the shoulder pads of a blazer should line up with the outer edge of your shoulder. If you can push the shoulder pad in towards your neck, the jacket is too big. The rest of it can be taken in (or let out) but the shoulders need to fit if you're going to buy the jacket.

Event: Tie one on

Image by Leigh Viner

One question I've heard again and again from my readers and clients is: "How do I wear this scarf?"

On Friday, September 16, the Style of Politics will host Tie one on. Bring your favorite scarf for a free informal lesson over drinks and fashion magazines! Not into scarves? Just bring your burning fashion questions!

Stop by any time between 5:00 and 6:30pm at the Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center. For more details and to rsvp, click here.