Who'd a thunk it? $150K buys a lot of stuff, some good and some that definitely fall into the "What was she thinking?" category. This picture (and the rest of the slideshow) are at Huffington Post, which as you might imagine has jumped on this story.
Not to pick on the family or anything, because I actually don't really like to do that, but one of the daughters has an LV bag -- a great pic I'd tried unsuccessfully to track down a while back. Of course, the family wasn't exactly impoverished and may well have bought that bag on their own. Either scenario kind of puts a damper on their whole we're-just-folks schtick, though, doesn't it?
I saw the story first on Politico, which says this:
But hours after the story was posted on Politico's website and legal issues were raised, the campaign issued a new statement.
"With all of the important issues facing the country right now, it’s remarkable that we’re spending time talking about pantsuits and blouses," said spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt. "It was always the intent that the clothing go to a charitable purpose after the campaign."
Of course! What else were they going to say? But I suspect this story has legs (this morning it was the big story on Huff Post).
And this piece of it is so compelling that I find it tough to get worked up about the actual clothes involved. I will say this, though: The red suit with the (no doubt very expensive) boots? No, no, no. Not for the campaign trail and probably not ever. The suit looks dressy, as if it would be great for a businessy cocktails event. The boots are beautiful but just all wrong for the suit even if they're brown but especially if they're black. (What is it with her stylists and people in general thinking black and red are attractive together in any way?)
Politico's slide show of outfits is even better than Huff Post's but I couldn't capture the pictures. There's one where she looks great in boots, and dark skirt, and an ivory jacket. But most of the outfits are, to me, misses.
Now, you can bet someone's going to say: "But Michelle Obama's clothes aren't exactly cheap." (For more about Michelle's clothes, I recommend Mrs. O.) But first, who is buying her clothes? I really, really hope the Obamas personally are paying her clothing bill. Second, I don't see that she's spent $150K on her and her family's clothes (although I have no evidence for that, just my gut feeling). She by all accounts has a strong sense of her own style and let's be fair: Chicago and Princeton (and the other places I may have left out) are probably more helpful to someone looking to hone her own style than, say, Wasilla, Alaska.
Need proof? Check out the pink bunny outfit Sarah's wearing in her before picture.
The Boston Herald is reporting that Sarah Palin's going to appear on SNL this Saturday night. Should be fun! Will she wear:
a) her old pageant dress
b) a black mini skirt and white button-down top (making fun of her too-short skirts and "serious" tops)
c) a flag bikini (accessorized with a shotgun)
d) a Sarah Palin Halloween costume, or
e) a snowsuit.
What do you think?
Yesterday was all about the principles and their wives, the would-be First Ladies, so we get to take a little break from Sarah Palin.
I liked what Michelle wore last night -- a simple royal blue sheath the hit just below the knee -- but I don't think it was her best-dressed moment.
It looked as if she had burgundy kitten heels on (a welcome change from the flats she wears so much). If so, they were a nice complement to her husband's tie. (But is it possible to overthink these things? I'm refering now to the stylist(s), not to myself.)
What stood out was her necklace. Others last night were also wearing them (see the woman to Obama's left, Lilibet Hagel, Senator Chuck Hagel's wife -- love that necklace) but Michelle's was a little different, a simple pearl strand gussied up with some pins.
She may win points for creativity, but I have to say I didn't love it. It seemed a little too playful, casual, and, well, fun for this setting -- a formal event that, for the participants, didn't seem particularly fun at all. And to me the point of a sheath like this one (which fit her just a wee bit too snugly, in my opinion) is its simple elegance, and that's another reason why the necklace didn't work for me.
A necklace more like the one on Lilibet Hagel might have worked better. That's what others in the audience chose -- shorter multi-strand necklaces, which can frame the face very flatteringly. Hillary looked good in hers, and I love the necklace on the woman next to her in this photo -- anyone know who that is?
(First and third photos from Huffington Post. Middle photo from Zimbio.)
Well, here we go again -- yet another day of Sarah P in black and white. And -- can we just say? -- showing a lot of leg.
I heard an interview with Ted Koppel this afternoon on "Tell Me More" about his new Discovery documentary, The Last Lynching (which took place in the early 80s). With that in mind, and, as I've already written, the unpleasant tone of recent rallies, I find it really interesting that she's choosing to wear black and white -- 
again and again. And again. Is this to suggest that this is a battle in which the forces of good (Palin, of course!) squares off against the forces of evil (Obama, Biden, et al)? Or does it simply underscore the way the narrative of race has taken over the story in recent days? (And, jeez, what's up with McCain saying today "After I whip his you-know-what in the debate"?)
It really bothers me. I'd almost rather see her in one of those tacky early-days bad-color jackets.
What do you wear to an economic downturn?
Just yesterday, a well-heeled friend said she agreed with my assessment that everyone is worried about what's happening to the economy. She says she's no longer buying things without thinking about it first. (Not a bad idea no matter what the circumstances, actually.)
So how will the recent news from Wall Street affect what we wear? Here's one answer, a look at "investment dressing" courtesy of Huffington Post.
What are you doing to "recession-proof" your wardrobe and your look?
Much as I hate to say it, Palin looks beautiful here in this picture, taken yesterday in Ohio. She's moved her hair forward a good 20 years (and successfully dealt with her beauty-pageant image) by lopping off those dreadful wispy things that got in her way so badly during the debate. (Note to all women over 30: Making a small change can get you out of a style rut, and if you haven't made any changes to your hair in three years, yes, you are in a rut.)
The brown suit is scarily militaristic to me, though. (Even though -- redheads take note -- the warm light brown color couldn't be better on her.) In fact, the belt is reminiscent of 1930s military uniforms. To be honest, my first thought was of Nazi uniforms, but in fact Palin's more closely resembles the American one.
(The one on top is the Nazi jacket, the one below is American, part of a "jump set.")
What I was looking for was the belt, and the American one comes closer. Can anyone better identify the sartorial ancestor of Palin's jacket?
I find the brown jacket in combination with Palin's outstretched hand wave and her secessionist and right-wing beliefs to be scary. What if the economy continues its downward spiral and American voters decide that Wall Street (and what's that code for, anyway?) is to blame? Are they really going to decide that Obama is the solution, or will they retreat into safety (read: whiteness) and vote McCain instead?
Everyone is saying this election's Obama's to lose, but I still say the larger context is too chaotic and uncertain to know that for sure. It won't be over till the morning of November 5 (but, please God, it will be over then, at least).
Lady in red
This photo doesn't do the dress justice. I thought it was gorgeous, in Michelle O's signature style: a simple sheath in a solid color with some green bows as embellishment, a glittering group of three around the neckline. On TV last night, it sparkled beautifully. In a perfect world, I'd track down Maria Pinto, the designer she favors, so see if that's the source, but it does seem likely.
A side note: On our TV, at least, Barack O's tie looked lavendar. As I wrote when Michelle wore that purple dress the night he clinched the nomination, it's a brilliant choice, made up of red and blue both.
And, as usual, she has put a fresh spin on the First Lady look, whereas (to me) Cindy McCain's outfit looks like the same-old, same-old.
Recent Comments