Media Madame Fashion Plate
posted by on January 18 at 12:26 PM
Yeah, Nancy Pelosi is the most powerful woman in America, blah, blah, blah. But the Times’ Style section has the real scoop: For a chick in Washington, she dresses really well! (Hey, she also scored major victories on the minimum wage, financing for stem cell research and Medicare drug prices—but the important thing is that she “did it looking preternaturally fresh”!)
Just raising the issue of a powerful woman’s wardrobe choices strikes some people as sexist, an undermining of her talents and qualifications. And last week, when a reporter approached several of the female members of the House and Senate, or their staff, to talk fashion, some did not want to engage. Others cringed, at least initially. But when the conversation veered into the nitty-gritty — what do you wear, where do you buy it, what image do you want to project — the women in politics happily chatted away.
Just goes to show that if you pester the ladies long enough, they’ll eventually abandon talk (whoops—”chat”) of foreign policy for Armani pantsuits and Tahitian pearls.
“We all want to be taken seriously and you certainly don’t want to be too sexy,” added Ms. Bono, a California Republican, “but you have to maintain your femininity.
Be feminine but not too sexy. Be pretty but not matronly. And never forget the fine line between virgin and whore:
“You don’t have to grow up to look like a librarian,” said Lauren Solomon, founder and director of LS Image Associates, which has clients in the corporate and political fields. “ But you don’t have to look like a hooker, either.”
At least the Times is willing to own up to its share of the blame:
Women in politics are the first to say that they give serious thought to their appearance because, like it or not, voters at home, powerbrokers on the Hill and the news media are all mindful of the slightest faux pas. It is wrong to look too risqué, they say. But isn’t it retrograde to equate looking good with being empty-headed?
Not that anyone asked, of course…
On a related note, do you think this suit makes Barack Obama look kind of gay?
(You win, Eli!)
That suit doesn't make him look gay, it just makes him look spectacular. God damn it, as a straight man with an eye for a well-turned suit, that's nice. Tie's not so great, has a terrible knot, and it's way too long, though.
As for the above: WHEN are these bitches going to stop using "librarian" as code for "prim and dowdy"? Librarians are hot, a hell of a lot hotter than any gaggle of congresswomen, Armani suits or otherwise. It's official: if you are a librarian, Fnarf thinks you are hot stuff.
It makes him look gray.
C'mon. Yes, I realize that this if fluff journalism, but what do you expect from the style section, welfare recommends. If this article were lodged in any other NYT section, you would have every right to be miffed, but as it stands the style section is doing what it should, writing on style. I know that boy clothes get little press play, but even the color of W's tie was noted by all the major news peddlers when he meet the new congressional leadership in January and, Lord knows, Clinton's underpants were wadded up in many a headline. Yes, I want my hard news to be hem-line-free, but any style section should stick to stockings. If you're ticked about how powerful women get treated in the media, get ticked at the Congresswomen, after all, these politicas sat for their interviews knowing they would be questioned about polyester, not policy.
nicely put "what'd you expect".
Fnarf, I was going to make the same point. Librarians are damned hot -- a fact that is easily confirmed by a stop in any university or college library. O boy-librarians!
yes, he's standing there all gay and skinny looking. it's not the suit's fault!
Nah, it doesn't make him look like Bush or Cheney, so it doesn't make him look gay.
But he does seem happy.
Thanks, ddv.
Women is to clothes as to men are to sports. Not all women are into clothes and not all men are into sports. But it's one of those things to talk about with people you might not have anything in common with. It's a conversational crutch, nothing more.
When talking about clothes or sports (generally) the stakes are low. It's like talking about the weather.
It kind of makes him look like A-Rod.
@3 - Spot on!
No the suit does not make Barack Hussein Obama look kind of gay, but Barack Hussein Obama does make the suit look kind of gay.
He's not showing any cuff and has no pocket square. The Sartorialist would be very disappointed.
If you're ticked about how powerful women get treated in the media, get ticked at the Congresswomen, after all, these politicas sat for their interviews knowing they would be questioned about polyester, not policy.
The NYT article clearly states that many female Congresswomen and Senators wanted nothing to do with that bullshit. It also states that Women in politics are the first to say that they give serious thought to their appearance because, like it or not, voters at home, powerbrokers on the Hill and the news media are all mindful of the slightest faux pas. The boys aren't getting judged for their appearance, only the girls. So, in short, Heath, stick it.
keshmeshi,
And none of those "voters at home, powerbrokers on the Hill and the news media" are women right? (Just evil misogynistic men right?) Actually, last I checked, the uber-glamorous Pelosi was something of a powerbroker on the Hill.
(Just another reason that girls shouldn't play men’s games, their feelings get hurt if people don’t think they are pretty enough.)
That's not a very nice way to disagree, keshmeshi. Oh, and, you're right, no one has ever mentioned how attractive Obama or B. Clinton are or how big W's ears are or how big Hastert is or how French Kerry looks, ect., ect. Puh-leaze. Did you get all "stick it" when People printed pictures of Obama shirtless and frolicking on the beach? Was your first response "Gasp, but he is actually really smart, despite his well-defined pecs"? Everyone gets judged, cupcake, especially those in power. My argument wasn't that it's OK to solely gauge Madame Tahitian Pearls by her garb, but her garb is OK to comment on, especially by the STYLE section, as it serves as a cultural barometer for, you guessed it, clothing trends. (See paragraph about how the sale of this particular pearl have skyrocketed since, thank God, she was put third in line.) Furthermore, to think that free press didn't play a role in any of these interviewee's decisions to sit, however unamused, for the interview is to give too much credit to these politicians, women or not.
Thank you Fnarf..... I am a hot librarian and I know many other hot librarians. And although Mr. Obama is not a librarian he is fairly hot. The suit does not make hime look gay. I thought the other guy (from Tennessee - Harold Ford - that they were always confusing with Obama) was WAY hot.
Thank you Fnarf..... I am a hot librarian and I know many other hot librarians. And although Mr. Obama is not a librarian he is fairly hot. The suit does not make hime look gay. I thought the other guy (from Tennessee - Harold Ford - that they were always confusing with Obama) was WAY hot.
The boys aren't getting judged for their appearance, only the girls. So, in short, Heath, stick it.
yeah nobody made fun of this guy's appearance
it is just a suit. Asking a question like "does it make him look gay?" Is derogatory and implies there is something wrong with "looking gay", whatever that means.
So just cool it ok.
But it's so much more fun to dish about women's clothes than men's. I mean, come on, how much of a style article could you generate talking about male congresscritters clothes? Couple of black suits, couple of grey suits, maybe a blue suit for variety, white shirts, blue shirts, and a handful of ties. With that, the worst that could happen would be a bad choice of tie. BORING!
And it isn't just women. Remember last month when Obama was compared to Ahmadinejad because he dared to wear a sport coat but no tie? On CNN, no less. A fashion faux pas with major political ramifications!
Retarded, yes. But then isn't most fashion?
Charles, I don't know, but, Lord, I hope someone did. And, SDA in SEA, you and I should be boyfriends, holding hands while we vote for Pelosi in '07. And if you're not a boy, just fool me.
brian,
Don't put your value judgements on the rest of us. If only he were gay, (and hot) then I could get behind him (if you know what I mean). Assuming "does he look gay" is a put down is so 1980's. Geesh.
SDA hath nailed it, methinks - people would comment more on men's clothing if men were allowed to wear anything interesting. But, men are expected to project an air of superhuman strength and competence - I'm not quite figuring out how to articulate why, but this leads to a necessity of conservative clothing. I guess it has something to do with the fact that opening themselves to the kind of criticism that women get about their appearances would break the charade. In short, I think masculinity and femininity are both wasteful bullshit.
Actually, men are largely required to conform to a uniform code in dress. This becomes more apparent as the dress becomes more formal (and thus conservative). Look at black tie. Women’s choices are boundless with a nearly infinite variety of options in the single category of evening gowns. (So much so that if two women show up to the Oscars in the same dress it would be humiliating and “news worthy”.) Men, on the other hand, are required to dress as much alike as possible on these occasions. This compulsion to don a uniform is a carry over from military dress, which is intended to obliterate the individual. If anything, the fact that individuality is encouraged (and noticed and commented on) in female attire is empowering.
One of my favorite stories on the topic of women’s fashion concerns a public event attended by Queen Elizabeth and then Prime Minster Margaret Thatcher. They both showed up dressed identically. Thatcher sent the Queen a communication suggesting that they exchange wardrobe intelligence before future events in order to avoid a similar situation. The Queen responded coolly that “the Queen does not notice or concern herself with what others are wearing” and that was the end of it.
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