Judging a candidate by his wife’s fashion

quite entertaining article

So this week Americans go to the polls to select their new president. Standing in the booths, punching their ballots, they will consider the economy, they will consider policies, and they will consider – clothes.

Clothes? Despite the assertion by the McCain-Palin campaign spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt that “with all the important issues facing the country, it’s remarkable we’re talking about pantsuits and blouses” (in reference to the news that the Republican National Committee spent $150,000 on Governor Palin’s wardrobe) the truth is, in politics as in everything, we have a lot to say about clothing because our clothing has a lot to say about us.

And nowhere has this been more obvious than in the case of the two other highest-profile women in the US presidential election, Cindy McCain and Michelle Obama. Almost without exception, their style choices offer a clear commentary on where their respective husbands and parties stand. To examine the prospective first ladies’ wardrobes is thus not to ignore “the important issues” in America today; it is, on the contrary, to confront the vast differences between Senators John McCain and Barack Obama – differences in values and vision that define this campaign and will determine its winner.

Of the two women’s fashion statements, Cindy McCain’s are probably the easiest to decode, as they visibly embody four basic Republican principles. The first – consistent with her husband’s Bush-aligned voting record – is Continuity. Mrs McCain, like Laura Bush, favours Oscar de la Renta, who has long been the designated White House couturier, and who dressed both ladies for the opening night of the Republican National Convention. Like her other campaign-trail ensembles, the gold shirtwaist Cindy McCain donned for that occasion reflected the formula Nancy Reagan developed in the 1980s. Brightly coloured and unfailingly feminine, McCain’s frocks and suits project an image of soignée, conservative womanhood. (This look couldn’t, significantly, be farther from the aggressive, pant-suited feminism of one-time Democratic presidential hopeful, Senator Hillary Clinton.) Thus attired, the former Arizona rodeo queen is rebranded as the perfect Republican helpmate: Nancy 2.0.

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Politics’ 1st ladies of fashion create a frenzy with must-have looks

a very detailed and interesting article

Sarah’s specs. Michelle’s dresses. Cindy’s diamonds. Jill’s handbag.

We love them. We want them. We have to have them. Or at the very least, we want to know all about them — just as we did with Jackie Kennedy’s pillbox hats and Barbara Bush’s pearls.

The economy may be the main event in the presidential race. But for people who love fashion, campaign-trail style is a compelling sideshow.

Headliners are Sarah Palin and Michelle Obama, both 44. Cindy McCain, 54, and Jill Biden, 57, are the bit players. But the moment any of them shows up in a new outfit, the fashion media starts digging for details, the bloggers start commenting and the public relations corps fires off news releases claiming bragging rights for designers.

Dresses and pearls

First it was Obama’s dresses, starting with the magenta sheath she wore the evening she famously fist-bumped her husband, Barack Obama, as he claimed the Democratic nomination in June. Overnight, the name on every fashionista’s lips was Maria Pinto, the Chicago designer who made the sleeveless, V-neck dress.

And the necklace she wore with the dress prompted a rapid-response news release trumpeting, “Michelle Obama has been accessorizing her much-appraised style with Carolee pearls.”

So many women followed her lead that Carolee has seen a double-digit percentage increase in sales of the $50 necklace, company spokeswoman Ashley Futterknecht said.

Specs and retro hair

The day after the Democrats’ convention ended, Sarah Palin burst onto the scene — and immediately sparked a gotta-have-it frenzy among fans. They want her rimless eyeglasses, her red shoes, even her beehive hairdo.

“Her eyeglasses, and the way she is wearing them with such confidence, has had an impact, big-time,” said James J. Spina, editor-in-chief at 20/20, a leading eyewear-industry magazine.

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Fashion politics,it´ s all about the shoes

So in case your may care,you should read this article

NEW YORK – John and Cindy McCain, and Barack and Michelle Obama are doing their best to put their best foot forward every day on the campaign trail. But are they doing it in the right shoes?
The shoe may not make the man, but it is an important part of his appearance, which is an important part of his image, which can influence voters. So we asked shoe expert (and shoe fanatic) Meghan Cleary as well as Details magazine fashion director Michael Macko to evaluate the footwear styles of the Obamas and McCains.

Barack Obama » has been seen out and about in four basic styles: polished black wing-tips, broken-in brown lace-ups, sneakers and flip-flops, Cleary says. He makes an effort to choose the right footwear for the right occasion.
”He knows when he needs to respect the pomp and circumstance – and for that he has the wing-tips – but a vacation is appropriate for flip-flops.”
Macko likes that Obama veers from the dark suit-dark shoe standard of most Washington insiders, but the brown lace-ups – while a good match for the khaki pant – look a little too beat up.
It appears from photos that Obama’s sneakers of choice are Asics, which is a brand favored by Midwesterners and runners. John Kerry’s sneakers in 2004 were New Balances, a brand with deep New England roots.

John McCain » consistently wears $520 Salvatore Ferragamo loafers that are brown with a metal buckle.
If his shoes have a long life, the price tag shouldn’t be a concern, Cleary says. Macko adds, ”I am a firm believer in there are certain things men should spend as much as they can on, and shoes are one of them.”
McCain has made a commitment to a style and made it part of his ”uniform,” following the footsteps of most men who don’t want to have to think too much about their wardrobes, Macko says. ”If you find something that works, stick with it.”
That said, Cleary, of MissMeghan.com, is bothered by the slip-on silhouette, which says to her that ”he wants to get up and go.”

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Who will win the fashion vote, Cindy McCain or Michelle Obama?

goood Article,with nice pictures

Jacqueline Kennedy wore size 10 shoes.

And, boy, are they hard to fill.

Regardless of their personal achievements, advanced schooling or philanthropic activities, the wives of presidents always have been scrutinized above all for their style.

AP PhotoMichelle Obama

AP PhotoCindy McCain

Love it or hate it, fashion acts like protective plumage. It can attract attention or help the wearer blend into the woodwork. Many Washington wives have chosen the latter, donning quiet suits in patriotic colors.

Cindy McCain and Michelle Obama seem perfectly comfortable letting their choices of bag, belt, purse or pump stand out on stage.

“It’s fun to look pretty,” Obama said on ABC’s “The View.”

With just a little more than two months to go until election day, Obama and McCain are no doubt bracing for the onslaught of hurricane-force fashion critiques. What Obama wears Monday night when she speaks at the Democratic National Convention in Denver will fuel the storm — as will what McCain wears next week at the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Both women are smart, fit and accomplished. Neither lacks fashion sense. Each has posed in Vogue and been touted as a potential trendsetter in the league of Jacqueline Kennedy.

McCain favors suits; Obama prefers sheaths. But they share a love of Carnival-sized pearls. The ubiquitous necklaces seem the feminine equivalent of their husbands’ rolled-up shirt sleeves — a sign they’re serious and ready to get to work.

Now to a few specifics:

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AP PhotoCindy McCain

Cindy McCain, 54Her style: Pastel and primary-colored suits, designer labels (Carolina Herrera, Michael Kors) and carefully coifed hair worn in a French twist or pulled back with a barrette.

Notable moments: Those Lucky Brand jeans she wore in Vogue were a size 0, and she showed up at more than one campaign stop sporting a leather jacket and Chanel ballet flats.

The criticism: Her look is so put-together it can seem forced.

The buzz: McCain spent time browsing Oscar de la Renta’s Manhattan showroom earlier this summer, but, according to The New York Times, didn’t buy anything. De la Renta has been the go-to designer for many presidents’ wives. He dressed both Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton.

AP PhotoMichelle Obama

Michelle Obama, 44Her style: Hair worn in a loose bob or 1960s flip, dresses with A-line skirts and belts, a mix of off-the-rack and designer labels, pantyhose-free legs.

Notable moments: Vanity Fair proclaimed Obama the “Commander in sheath,” in its September issue’s International Best Dressed List.

The criticism: The constant comparison of Obama’s and Jackie Kennedy’s style (sheath dresses, pearls, cardigan sweaters) seems almost too calculated. Robin Givhan, fashion critic of The Washington Post, described Obama’s image in Vogue as projecting “Camelot with a tan.”

The buzz: Among Obama’s favorite designers is Chicago’s Maria Pinto, who created the now-famous purple silk sheath she wore when her husband claimed the Democratic presidential nomination. (The night of the fist bump.) The New York Times reported that the dress retailed for about $900. On the other end of the spectrum, the black-and-white leaf-print tank dress Obama wore on “The View” was from White House-Black Market. After the show, the $148 dress sold out in stores around the country. On the hair front, African-American fashion blogs and magazines have paid close attention to Obama’s locks, speculating whether or not her relaxed look will one day go natural.

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Obama flip-flops a fashion disaster

so this post is about an obama fashion faux pas

Experts appear to agree that flip-flops bearing the image of Barack Obama cannot be good for the U.S. senator’s White House bid.St. Louis University political science Professor Ken Warren said fashion products bearing the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate’s image are likely playing right into the hands of his electoral opponent, U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the St. Louis Post-Dispatch said Thursday.

“The McCain camp is probably happy that Obama is on everything and that he’s the focus. They want to make Obama the target and make him look like a celebrity — someone who is good-looking, young and who gives great speeches but has no substance,” Warren said.

Meanwhile, Washington University marketing Professor Michael Lewis says most Obama products could serve the Democrat well during the general election. Yet the Olin Business School official agreed the Obama flip-flops wouldn’t be his first fashion choice.

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John McCain’s short-list: a new suit

what a hilarious picture!

Barack Obama is 6-foot-2. John McCain is 5-foot-7.

There hasn’t been a U.S. president nearly as short as McCain since 1897, when William McKinley, who stood 5-foot-8, was elected president.

That in mind, pint-sized Republican presidential presumptive candidate John McCain needs to start dressing tall, like a real man.

Menswear designer Jimmy Au, who specializes in dressing short celebrities, like Danny DeVito ,and has designed short collections for Ralph Lauren, Sean John and DKNY, has excellent advice (via Variety’s Stylephile) for McCain.

Here, we’ve added a few of our own tips.

Bigger shoulders only make a diminutive guy look stocky and shorter.

Smaller, softer shoulders and a trim sleeve makes short guys look taller.

Wearing a sportscoat and dress pants cuts you in half, making you look, yes, that’s right, shorter.

Be sure your jacket is just long enough to cover your a … hindquarters

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Whose presidential face is on your T-shirt?

Indeed, Obama somehow managed it to attract the best designers:

(picture via:gatewaypundit)

According to many newspapers and online websites, retailers are using creative slogans and apparel to profit from the images of Democratic White House hopeful, Barack Obama, and Republican White House hopeful, John McCain.

However it seems Barack Obama is a more profitable candidate for retailers, based on sales revenue. Political experts believe McCain, who will be 72 on August 29th, is unlikely to create a similar sales frenzy among young buyers due to his age.

Popular online retailer Cafepress.com, which sells consumer designed items such as T-shirts, mugs and underwear, says Obama now represents about 75% of political sales while items showing McCain account for roughly 10%.

Scottsdale, Arizona-based Steve Ferber, who has sold political memorabilia for 30 years, said Obama is outselling McCain three-fold at Lori Ferber Presidential Collections, the online retailer he runs with his wife Lori, who said collectible sales are now the strongest since Ronald Reagan.

Even national retailer Urban Outfitters stocks T-shirts that read “Obama for yo Mama”, “I’ll be Barack”, “Obama says knock you out”, and “Barack ‘n’ Roll.” Republican items include a “Vote ‘08″ T-shirt sporting a red elephant.

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Reagan inspires dressy menswear

Isn´t that amazing?

NEW YORK — If presumptive presidential nominees Barack Obama and John McCain are looking for a fashion role model, they might try Ronald Reagan.

Menswear brand Hickey Freeman decided to use Reagan as the inspiration for its new “presidential” collection. Reagan’s preferred suit style — with a high, broad shoulder and suppressed waist — created an image that married elegance with assertiveness, says Jon Morales, the company’s creative director.

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“We used Ronald Reagan because he took that sense of power and turned it into strength,” Morales says.

Presidents traditionally wear suits, not sportcoats and slacks, because there is a seriousness implied by a suit, he adds.

Hickey Freeman, which has outfitted presidents for more than 100 years, decided to launch this new collection with the targeted audience of business leaders because the times call for earnestness, notes Paulette Garafalo, of Hart Schaffner Marx Luxury.

source:indystar.com