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Suited for Change?

Posted on February 12, 2008
Filed Under Only in Washington, Women | 2 Comments

Clinton at the Iowa debate (yes, I took a picture of my own television screen…)

Helena Andrews over at The Politico reached out to me for comment for this article that ran today. She wanted to know what I thought about Sen. Clinton’s penchant for pantsuits as related to the looks & babble coming out of New York: specifically, Anna Wintour’s “dressing down” of the presidential hopeful in the current issue of Vogue and the pantsuits shown for the Fall shows at Bryant Park.

If you haven’t read Wintour’s letter in Vogue (Kate Bosworth on the cover), do check it out….I read it quickly the other night. You might read Huffington Post’s or Gawker’s report for some background, but the basic gist is that Clinton was all set to appear in the mag but then backed out a few months ago for fear (according to one in her camp) of appearing “too feminine.” (silly choice of words, dude, whoever you are).

One question I was asked was whether or not Clinton was ahead of the fashion pack because she wears pantsuits…and I mean uhh, definitely not. Of course pantsuits will be huge next fall – they always are. The trend forecasters are reacting to how designers have interpreted the pantsuit shape, not the fact that people will be wearing them. There will be some trends that will emerge in the styling – in terms of fit, fabric and so forth.

Sen. Clinton, and I think most professionally powerful women in Washington, want to be judged first by their ideas and education, not by the style of suit they wear, or their clothes in general. So….I doubt that Clinton’s pantsuit look will ever be the new Le Smoking – she has made it relatively clear that she is not particularly interested in fashion and that even if she were, she’d rather not have her views and positions be overshadowed by it. Clearly, she and her campaign felt that by appearing in Vogue, she risked losing credibility.

Politics are Clinton’s business, and so she stuck with what was important to her. Wintour’s business is fashion, and so of course she feels that powerful women should stand up for it. But if Clinton’s camp had to chose between preserving their candidate’s powerful political image and trailblazing the path for women to look both pretty and powerful – and likely generate a storm of unwanted media attention about her designer or label preferences – they of course would chose the former.

I know that Wintour sees Clinton’s rejection as a missed opportunity for women, and she is right. But that is Washington and politics and that is precisely why I find issues of style here so fascinating. I dream of Washington women having it all: holding important, high-level positions and looking fashionable and feminine while doing so. But Washington is a complicated town – its culture is unlike any other in the country. Wardrobe choices take on a messaging role here in ways that may not make sense to Anna Wintour, and so I do find it somewhat frustrating that Wintour would choose to “dress down” Clinton for doing what she felt was right for her image and campaign. Yes, in an election and in times as progressive as this, Clinton should be able to appear in Vogue without having to worry, and the clothing Wintour and her editors picked out for the Senator and ran images of alongside the letter would indeed look smashing on Clinton.

I said before that Clinton is not particularly interested in fashion, and she is not – especially in the way Vogue may have presented her to be had she appeared in its pages. HOWEVER, what is most fascinating to me about Clinton and the issue of political dressing are the very clear and very carefully crafted clothing choices she does make. She and her camp think about her look every day, but only how fashion can help them, not how they can help fashion (sorry Anna!). This is the point Robin Givhan tried to make in her controversial cleavage piece – which Wintour also took issue with – and that is that fashion may not matter to Clinton, but clothing choice is wildly important to her in terms of message-sending. Whether we like it or not, clothes say something about the wearer. Clinton and other savvy politicians don’t just throw on whatever is clean that morning – when Clinton recently wore that brocade-like jacket pictured above, she wore it for a reason, and that was to appear somewhat soft and feminine. Politicians use clothing as a form of talking point (Bush in that flight jacket, Kerry in hunting gear) just like they make use of other subtle communications measures (Clinton following Obama’s lead and installing a cheering young audience as opposed to older, established supporters)….

Um, that is all.

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From the Inbox: Shopping Tidbits for Tonight and Beyond….

Posted on February 7, 2008
Filed Under Around Town, Shopping Events & News | Leave a Comment

Ports 1961 Spring 2008

M Street boutique Sangaree is having its Spring Fashion Fete this evening from 6-9 (fashion show at 7) to show off their newest lines, Alvin Valley and the gorgeous Ports 1961. A portion of the evening’s sales will be donated to Suited for Change, a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization that provides professional clothing and ongoing career education to low-income women. It’s in just a few short hours, but RSVP if you can to 202-333-4690.

Some news from 14th Street’s Redeem, which is in the middle of a winter sale (score Barking Irons, Corpus, endovanera, Religion, Anzevino & Florence, Gentle Fawn and more at 30% off…guys too!!). Tonight Redeem launches the first of its monthly knitting socials - anyone and everyone can join, including those who can’t yet cast a stitch. Bonus: you get to hang out with owner and all-around cool girl Lori Parkerson. Call 202 332-7447 or email info@redeemus.com to find out what you should bring. Oh, and Redeem now has a blog!

There’s a 6:00 fashion show at The Kennedy Center tonight featuring Osaka-born Junko Koshino that’s open to the public. She has designed costumes for numerous opera and theater productions including Madame Butterfly and Amon Miyamoto’s Broadway production of Pacific Overtures, for which she received a Tony Award nomination….

I hear that CUSP has a bunch of new designers in for Spring 2008. From the release:

This spring at CUSP, customers can revel in finds by the likes of Elizabeth and James by Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, Rock the Vote, Sonia by Sonia Rykiel, Ella Moss Black Label, Organic, Twenty8Twelve by Sienna and Savannah Miller, Plenty by Tracy Reese, Love Yaya, Manoush, Gold Hawk, What Goes Around Comes Around, Sweetees, French Connection, Eight14, We the Free and Moon Katz.

New footwear, handbag and accessory vendors include: L.A.M.B. footwear, DVF footwear, Loeffler Randall footwear, Stella McCartney for LeSportsac handbags, Linea Pelle handbags, Oliver Peoples sunglasses, cosmetics from Beauty School by Jemma Kidd, and jewelry by Dogeared, Jules Smith and Kelly Killoren Bensimon.

I’ll definitely drop in to see the stuff from French line Manoush, and I’m looking forward to checking out the MK/Ashley Olsen line, particularly the jackets and tops they seem to do such a good job with. I adore pretty much all of the handbags from L.A.M.B. so I have high hopes for the footwear. These have potential, but then there is this. And yikes, this. Hm. Maybe next season?

On Tuesday the 12th, stop in to Urban Chic from 6-8 for their Valentine’s Day Happy Hour. There will be complimentary Champagne and sweets, a free gift with every purchase, and a free pair of Hanky Panky undies for every purchase over $200.

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House Party, Adams Morgan

Posted on February 7, 2008
Filed Under Around Town, Men | 1 Comment

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District Sample Sale Set For Tuesday, March 4

Posted on February 6, 2008
Filed Under Only in Washington, Shopping Events & News, Women | 2 Comments

If you’ve been a reader of this blog for any decent length of time, you know that one of my favorite shopping events around town is the twice-yearly District Sample Sale (click here for a full archive of past posts so you have an idea of what this is about).

Well, it’s back – and bigger and quite possibly better than ever before. There’s a new locale (the more airy, ie less claustrophobia-inducing Galleria at Lafayette Center, as opposed to the former Staples space in Georgetown), longer hours (worth it to stay til the end, because vendors will start really making some deals) and a couple of very notable additions to the list of stores who were given the opportunity to participate (there is STEEP competition and likely drama among area boutiques who want to get on this list) – Sangaree and eco-friendly Setchi are both two new and exciting additions that will certainly keep the selection at this not-to-be-missed shopping event very very appealing.

Note that the organizers scrapped the jewelry vendors – a move I very much agree with.

The price has also increased, also a good move in my book. I’m sure plenty of people will be turned off by the increase, but at the end of the day, this event is designed to raise money for charity (Martha’s Table this year – half of my closet recently went to their Martha’s Outfitters). My 3 years+ background in nonprofit work makes me fully supportive of the way this group of women have put this event together….plenty of shopping events around town donate a very small portion of sales to a charity, resulting in an event that’s more of a PR move than a fundraiser. Good for Barbara and crew to continue to raise the bar by working so hard to solicit in-kind donors and overall event sponsor Altria this year….and for coming up with the adorable-but-beyond-my-reach Benefactress level.

ANYWAY, the deal is that TICKETS ARE ONLY BEING SOLD ONLINE PRE-EVENT THIS YEAR, and VIP TICKETS ($100) GO ON SALE TOMORROW MORNING AT 10. General admission tickets ($50) go on sale Friday at 10. Go to this link at that time to buy them. Trust, they will sell fast.

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Reformed Work Uniform, Alexandria

Posted on February 5, 2008
Filed Under Around Town, Men | 6 Comments

It doesn’t show well here, but the shoes were actually a dark brown. Note that he matches his socks to his pants, a small detail that has big impact in achieving a clean look.

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Sunday Best: Jerusalem Baptist Church, 26th & P

Posted on February 4, 2008
Filed Under On The Street, Women | 6 Comments

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