Longer isn't leaner

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers appeared on ABC News last week to discuss Congressional spending. She wore navy blue:

The Congresswoman paired this jacket with a cowl neck blouse and a long necklace. The neckline of the blouse is just right, meeting her first balance point nicely after her new hairstyle. But the necklace is very distracting. Not only does it drag well below the best length for her face, it competes with the detail that the cowl neckline of the blouse already adds to the outfit. I would skip it, especially with the dangling earrings.

Many women gravitate towards long necklaces and scarves post-pregnancy, feeling self-conscious around the midsection. But it's worth remembering - if you weren't tall enough or bohemian enough to carry off these accessories before, your baby hasn't changed that. Long necklaces, like black, can be "slimming," but not automatically.

Small change, big impact

Stephanie Rawlings-Blake is sporting a new hairstyle. Check it out in the this video message about Baltimore's mentoring program:

This shorter cut looks great on her.  It's neat and it highlights her cheekbones. Her jewelry also works really well here. She's wearing multiple necklaces in different styles, but she has scaled down the size from previous looks, delivering a more professional effect.

All very good. Is Mayor Rawlings-Blake reading Style of Politics???

Who's that lady?

Did you catch Michele Bachmann on Face the Nation this week? You could be excused if you didn't recognize her:

This look represents a continuation of the more businesslike image she began projecting this fall. Gone are the flip hairstyle and piles of dangling jewelry that have been her hallmark for "friendly" appearances on Fox News. For the network news magazine, her image is sober, serious and down to business. This lady knows what she's doing.

"You would have thought I was walking on the moon."

Today, Barbara Mikulski becomes the longest serving female senator in US History.

Senator Byrd had to "check" the Senate rules before allowing her on the Senate floor while wearing pants in 1988.  My.

Pumping up the volume

If you saw yesterday's Republican Committee Chair debate, then you saw Ann Wagner discuss her candidacy. Please take note of her hairstyle:

I'm all for volume, I really am. But there is too much of a good thing here for Ms. Wagner. It's easy to do. You're working with a round brush and a blowdryer, and suddenly you've gone overboard with the hairspray and you end up with a heart shaped confection instead of individual strands of hair.

It's worth considering, especially in dry winter air, whether you really need as much hold as your favorite styling products provide. Flexibility is key to a natural look.

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.

When the best is nothing at all

Amy Klobuchar's recent video on food safety gives us a great view of her choice in glasses:

Glasses with bold frames are a popular fashion choice right now, but for Senator Klobuchar, this rimless pair is a win. They allow us to see as much of her eyes as possible, which is important since her eyes are a bit smaller in proportion to her face.

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.

Shine doesn't make you a star

It's holiday time, and it's easy to start focusing on what you'll wear for the parties each evening while losing sight of how those looks translate into day wear.

Have a look at the blazer Rep. Carolyn Maloney chose for an appearance on New York's Capital Tonight:

This shiny silver jacket is straight off a "day to night" page in a magazine.

But multipurpose dressing often doesn't translate well for television. Items that you can get away with in normal daylight look much less appropriate under the strong lights needed for television cameras. The effect is a lot of light being reflected back at us, distracting from Rep. Maloney's face and message.

In living color

Kay Bailey Hutchison gave a floor speech last week on tax cuts. She wore magenta and purple:

This look is a significant departure from what we usually see on Senator Hutchison. She chose bold colors instead of her signature pastels, but also went to a softer silhouette with a cardigan, instead of her usual structured jacket. The effect is well balanced and fresh. Don't you think she looks younger?

Color me senatorial

Lisa Murkowski recorded her comments on offshore drilling this week. She wore brown:

This jacket might be a little bit big in the shoulders, but this shade of brown works well for her. We've seen the senator struggle with color selection in the past, but lately it seems that the electoral fight of her life may have pushed her into a more somber but also more flattering color palette.

Up around the neck

Senator Gillibrand spoke to State of Politics this week about Don't Ask Don't Tell. She wore a dark suit and a blue print blouse:

Although blue is a great color for the senator, the style of this blouse is all wrong. The business of the print and the fussiness of the ruffles don't harmonize with her overall look. It sort of looks like she's wearing someone else's clothes.

Remember, you can like a garment a lot and it can still be all wrong for you. Don't get so caught up on one element (like color) that you don't pay enough attention to the other elements, like silhouette and style.