The Great Pantsuit Problem (And What To Do About It)
In the August issue of Harper's Bazaar, the magazine asks:
Harper's Bazaar: How many pantsuits do you have?
Nancy Pelosi: I don't have any idea. Endless.
It didn't bother me at first. Just a typical question to ask a Washington woman. And then it began to haunt me, that word: "endless." Walking down the wide streets of Capitol Hill I became acutely aware of the troops of women in men's attire gone pastel. How would Hillary have responded to that question? "I rent an airplane hangar to hold all mine. Bill understands."
When did the pantsuit become political armor for powerful women? Worn like Teflon, there seems to be a wildly held belief among these movers and shakers that the jeers and sexist jabs slide right off when you match your blazer and trouser. Wear it in beige and it's as good as camouflage. The British have their hats, the South Americans their sex appeal, the French, their je ne sais quoi; there must be another way for the American woman to convey authority besides the seldom flattering pantsuit.
First ladies don't fall prey to the pantsuit pandemic, but they don't need to. They are walking, sometimes talking, billboards for their husband's campaigns, concerned with conveying elegance not leadership. Think Reagan power red and Nancy's crimson stain. Of Cindy McCain the media generally says, she may not be cutting edge, but she's got that Republican first lady look locked down. She sure does. On any given Sunday, Cindy is trying to dress as much like the American Flag as humanly possible. I bet Betsy Ross couldn't even stand to look at her.
As for Michelle "Puffy Sleeve" Obama, she has decided to make the swashbuckler look her trademark. First there was the Super Tuesday red suit with the sleeves large enough to hide pounds of contraband in.
Then there was the white button-down again with the voluminous sleeves. Tall and lithe enough to carry the clothes, Michelle can somehow make the Three Musketeers fashion sensibility work for her. She might also be able to spread her wings and fly if need be. But besides the puffy shirts, she plays it safe by chasing the Camelot closet.
Pelosi, Clinton, and the rest of the Hill's power women can't just come across as elegant hand-holders--they need clothes to convey an image that they can make the infamous 3am phone call without dressing like men. These power dames are clearly petrified that a sense of style will show frivolity, and seem to regard fashion as a strange viral disease spread by Manhattanites.
Condoleezza "Have Wardrobe, Will Travel" Rice is one of the only power-wielding Washington women immune from the highly contagious pantsuit mania. Sure, she wears them but they're in rotation with Akris separates and Oscar de la Renta mismatching pieces. Ever since she donned the infamous knee-high boots made for a lot more than walking at the Wiesbaden Army Airfield in 2005, she's been slyly showing Washington that a woman in power can dress to identify herself, not as a means to hide. It's a bold statement--more like Burlosconi in his expensive double-breasted suits or Don Corleone's pinstripes than the predictable safe pantaloon of Hillary Clinton.
Couture Condi did suffer a small wardrobe malfunction recently when her flesh-toned blouse and the flashbulbs at a school in Perth, Australia didn't quite agree with each other, but most fashionistas reactions were, hurrah! she wasn't buttoned-up like a Victorian or wearing a poly-cotton blazer with an eagle on her shoulder. And yes, we now know from photographic evidence that the Secretary of State wears a bra.
If you believe what you're clad in doesn't define you, just think of Cheney's gaffe at Auschwitz when he looked as though he were about to shoot up wild boar or man the snowplow rather than represent his country.
For a man or woman in power, clothes are not armor, but a reflection of the way they lead. Political men in their cowboy boots, barn jackets or tightly tailored suits have discovered that. It's time that women step ahead of them and embrace power dressing with a twist, turning the oh so predictable p---suit into a dirty word.
Follow Karin Tanabe on Twitter: www.twitter.com/snobbytanabe
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You forget that one appeal of the pantsuit is it's long line that hides numerous perceived figure flaws.
The women who don't use them--Rice, McCain, Reagan--are quite slim and can look good in a variety of styles, including dresses.
I like Michelle Obama because she's got a good figure--but not really "thin" like the Republican women above--and she doesn't usually hide in a boring pantsuit. She takes some fashion risks and is proud of her figure, but appropriate and tasteful.
I think, once in the WH, she won't be a clone of Jackie at all, but will--like Jackie--start some interesting new trends of her own.
Thin Republicans like LINDA TRIPP?????
If men get to cover up their flaws and keep warm with suits, why shouldn't women? Why should women have to show their legs when they're in a position of power? All in all, though, my main point is the warmness and comfort factor. Air conditioning is kept at a level that is comfortable for men in suits, not women in slinky dresses. I have nothing against slinky dresses, I'm just sayin'. Plus, it's inhuman for women to have to wear skirts in cold weather while men are bundled up in their suits (and who knows, maybe they also wear silk long underwear underneath). And back to the legs--we all know certain powerful women don't have the greatest legs (no names), and why shouldn't they be able to cover them up so jerks in the media aren't constantly commenting on them?
Karin, I am so glad that you wrote this important contribution. Yes, there was a time when I, too, NEVER wore flats, and pantsuits, they were not even invented. That was when I was young and had no arthritits and other problems. Then, oh, my, a hip gave way, and suddenly I could no longer wear skirts, Well, I could, but they would ride up, in back, all the way up far north, and in front, all the fabric came down in pools and waves. I tripped over it, again, and again. And I did not want to even think what I looked like from my backside. Karin, go design some good clothes for us, layers, long pants we can wear with nice flat shoes that support, jumpers or dresses that fit over them, three quarter as well as short coats, fine blouses, and jewelry, belts, scarves, shawls, importan costume jewelry. Fine, flowing, quality fabrics, well executed, nice colors, coordinates sothat we do not need to buy a house for the clothes. By the way, I think Obama's wife looks fine, but she will look fine in any outfit. It is not the outfit, it is what is in the outfit. And her legs are so long that no one, trying to get a shot up her legs, will see where two roads meet. Safe.
Burkas...!
A business or polical woman with a "pantsuit only" wardrobe bothers me. As a dresser, Condi seems to have it together. It seems she spends more time in Nordstroms than in addressing the world's problems.
Bothers you? Why would someone else's wardrobe be of any importance to you?
LOL.
Check Carla Bruni here - http://www.vanityfair.com/style/features/2008/09/bestdressed_slideshow200809?slide=3#globalNav
Not quite a pant suit, but close.
I was not a Hillary fan in the primaries, but I will be forever grateful to her for one thing.
I remember well my days as a young mother, trying desperately to pull together three kids and myself every morning. The dresses, the pantyhouse (ugh!!) in order to dress professionally for the office. And then, this angel appeared and she was meeting a head of state or something - in a pantsuit! And all the women I know said if the First Lady can wear a pantsuit, so can we!
It changed our lives. Really. We could safely wear comfortable, stylish pantsuits to presentations and board meetings. I will be forever grateful, Hillary.
Do any of you who carp about women in pantsuits know that when Trent Lott was Majority Leader of the Senate he posted one of his aides outside the entrance to the Senate chamber and every woman Senator had to parade in front of this aide and be granted admission? If they weren't wearing a skirt and makeup, this aide had the authority to turn an elected official of the people away!
Perhaps, now that Lott and his tyranny are gone, wearing pantsuits is statement of autonomy.
What year(s) was this? Who was the first woman to challenge him? We need that woman to run for a higher office.
Palm Springs: Pantsuits and condominiums.
My god, all this musing over a pair of pants with a matching blazer! What next, the height of the high heels these working women wear? How about an analysis of the color of their lipstick or the smell of their perfume. How about a detailed analysis of the jewlry and oh yes, the hairstyles.
What the elected women of the US wear is not so relevant; what they do is another matter. I am more concerned about what they do and what they want to do. Clothes are another not so important detail that speaks more to working long hours, trying to be comfortable and modest as well as well dressed. I would prefer to have a really good discussion about what each of these power women believe, what they are working towards and what they believe is doable in the near future.
Boring.....there are numerous articles and these women's politics, what they want, etc. Most women are interested in women's outfits, pantsuits, style, etc., and these articles are fine and present some light moments in a world without enough of them.
You're absolutely right, but the reality is that women are judged more harshly on looks and wardrobe then men. Beauty is power.
The comparitive lack of scrutiny is one of the few benefits of being male.
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