The message behind Hillary’s neutral pantsuit

Hillary Clinton eschewed the true-blue shades of liberals on Thursday’s Democratic National Convention. At least that’s the message she wanted her clothes to send to Independents and Trump-wary Republicans tuning in to her speech accepting her party’s nomination that night.

Instead of opting for one of her signature bold hues, Clinton stepped out in gleaming white, a soothing, neutral beacon of hope amid a chaotic, volatile election season. (Her daughter Chelsea’s sheath was a bit more transparent in its aim: it was a resplendent Reagan red.)

It was a smart choice. Clinton is a polarizing figure. But the soft suit — which looked like something Olivia Pope would wear more than, say, Angela Merkel — helped complete the image her husband and daughter painted of her as a devoted wife and mother and a tireless crusader (what emails?).
First Lady Michelle Obama during the Inaugural Ball in 2009.
It also evoked the snow-colored dress that Michelle Obama wore to Barack Obama’s first inauguration, all hope and change and #yeswecan. And, perhaps most significantly, it tied her to the suffragettes, who nearly 100 years ago succeeded in getting women the right to vote (while wearing white), and paved the way for Clinton becoming the first woman to be nominated as a presidential candidate.
Earlier this week, a New York Times fashion critic lamented that America’s first woman presidential candidate would probably wear a pantsuit to accept her party’s nomination, arguing that a gal shouldn’t have to wear pants to convince others of her authority.
Yet, there’s nothing more appropriate for the first lady nominee: Even after they could vote and hold office, women in the U.S. Congress still couldn’t wear pants until 1969, according to the Washington Post.
And while an Ivanka Trump may look confident and poised in a simple sheath, Clinton has never looked comfortable in anything but pants.
She’s made the power suit her brand — and on Thursday she didn’t look like she was trying to be one of the guys, she didn’t look like she was trying to feminize a masculine garment with a touch of pink or a scarf or whatever.
She just looked like herself. And that is what makes someone look presidential. Now, let’s hope — after all that talk about manufacturing jobs — that her suit was made in the USA.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How to Train Your Brain to Fall Asleep in 60 Seconds

Image
it too difficult for you to fall asleep at night? You should try the 4-7-8 breathing technique that claims to help you nod off in 60 seconds! It sounds great, right? This method has been pioneered by Harvard- trained Dr. Andrew Weil, and it involves regulating your breathing to various counts of 4, 7, and 8.  It’s very interesting that it lets the oxygen fill the lungs better, and it calms your mind. Some people have a hard time sleeping. We can chalk it up to bad food late at night, too many screens before bed, and stress. It is incredibly difficult to shut your brain down and give it a break at night. The question is, what is the method 4, 7 and 8 ? The method was developed by a wellness practitioner, Harvard-educated Dr. Andrew Weil, who studies meditation, breathing, and how it can be used to counteract stress. It’s very easy and simple. You breathe through your nose for four second, hold it for seven seconds, and exhale through your mouth for eight second...
Read more

President Obama’s lame-duck drive for disastrous ‘success’

Image
Lame-duck presidents rarely get much done in their final year, or even try — clearing the field for election- year politics. But President Obama is plainly intent on feeding partisan rancor in 2016 — via unconstitutional overreach. He’s going big with executive action, damn the consequences. And he’s doing so on divisive issues from gun control to immigration. On New Year’s Eve, his Homeland Security Department announced new rules boosting the number of work visas for foreign-born US college graduates — well above the level approved by Congress. This, just weeks after language buried deep in the omnibus spending bill increased visas for working-class immigrants. And as immigration has become a bitter issue on the presidential campaign trail. On gun control, word is that an executive order to expand background checks on certain gun sales will come this week. Look: This issue’s been before Congress for at least two years — and gone nowhere. Worse, Obama’s c...
Read more

MUST READ: Gisele, Samba dancing and fireworks highlighted the 2016 Olympic opening ceremonies.

Image
Cue the samba, light the fireworks and damn the mosquitoes — the 2016 Summer Olympics are on! Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana Stadium came alive with Latin music and the world’s fastest and strongest athletes at the Olympic Opening Ceremony Friday night, with US stars front and center. Olympic medal record holder Michael Phelps carried the Stars and Stripes at the head of Team USA, the largest contingent in the Games. The 554 members — wearing white pants, navy blazers and white and red striped shoes — drew thunderous applause as they marched through the stadium. “I’m honored to be chosen, proud to represent the US, and humbled by the significance of carrying the flag and all it stands for,” said Phelps, a 22-time swimming-medal winner. Brazil produced Friday night’s three-hour extravaganza on a shoestring budget, relying more on video effects than costly stage hardware. The ceremony began quietly with several projected images of water and presentations to pay tribute...
Read more