Nancy Pelosi: Speaking Chic to Power

NYT: Speaking Chic to Power
By LIZETTE ALVAREZ
Published: January 18, 2007


(Photographs by Charles Dharapak/Associated Press; Aharaz N. Ghanbari/Associated Press; Mandel Ngan/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images; Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images; Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
LEADING ROLE Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House, brings to her new position a sense of style that is admired on both sides of the aisle as well as in other departments in Washington.

.... to a large extent, politicians have been fashion agnostic, sticking stubbornly to their dark blue suits, red power ties, multicolored scarves and lacquered hair.

But with the ascent of Nancy Pelosi, 66, widely recognized and admired for her Armani and easy fashion savvy, the days of the dowdy Washington dress code may be numbered. At least that is the hope of a number of women on Capitol Hill, Republicans and Democrats, who see Mrs. Pelosi, the new speaker of the House, as a fashion leader, too.

What’s more, these women do not altogether fear that their seriousness as politicians will be undermined by speaking aloud about hem lengths or helmet hair....Fashion authorities say Mrs. Pelosi should be applauded for her color choice (burgundy on Jan. 4, the day she was sworn in), her playfulness with jewelry (chunky, but tasteful, including signature Tahitian pearls) and her suit selection (from velvet to tweed), all of which can be imitated at a more affordable price by women who are not wealthy. Women are already taking note of her style; orders of Tahitian pearls have skyrocketed....

***

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....

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?...

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/18/fashion/18pelosi.html

and powerful - a REAL leader, but also chic. I don't think it hurts. If she were dowdy or had a tacky wardrobe, believe me, that would be the talk of the town. I suspect with some mentalities, it actually enhances her image of class and clout. Which doesn't hurt us, IMHO. Her taste is elegant and understated, and it helps further the role model talk. Just another reason for someone, even a fairly shallow someone, to look up to her and find reason to want to emulate her. It also leaves fewer openings for the assholes out there who are hung up on appearances and superficiality to take potshots at her. They can't call her ugly OR dumpy OR tawdry. The lady is no tramp.

Princess Diana didn't suffer for her style and chic, either, and look what she got done in her brief time as a public figure.

PS: I really like that shot of the red ensemble with the matching shawl. Really nice outfit. Dems do it with STYLE!

:headbang:

Nancy Pelosi happens to have a good sense of style and I like that. She is where she is because of her intelligence and political saavy and the fact that she's attractive doesn't hurt.

at another point, they were all wearing wigs. There's nothing to say things in congress can't change.

shortly before the election, that her husband buys most of her clothes because she doesn't have the time.

(Sorry, no link.)

I mean - she probably tells her husband what to buy ... ;-)

I'm a great admirer of hers!

What, you don't think a man can have fashion sense? :-)

Apparently, he likes to do it and he's better at it then she is.


Good thing she's not married to my husband, she'd end up in burlap bags. (Or nothing at all, which is what he really prefers.)

I want a hubby like that! She looks GREAT!

Ready to meet with legislators, foreign dignitaries, constituents. Nancy may look chic, but the chic says NO NONSENSE.

..of how a powerful woman should dress.

And it's not sexist to say so. Powerful men have always dressed with care and panache too; they just have less opportunity for personal expression than a woman does. Mr Bush is a conspicuous exception -- or is he? His rather sloppy style is not so much presidential but wannabe royal. And he does it badly.

choice of wardrobe? I expect that just like with Condi (of whom I am not a fan) there will be a heck of a lot of ink wasted discussing Pelosi's clothes. :eyes:

Where were all the cringe-inducing photo layouts of Denny Hastert, Speaker on the Go? This is nothing more than the worst of paternalism, "allowing" Pelosi to have the position she earned because she's a snappy dresser.

Powerful men have a pretty strict formula with rather limited choices. Let one step outside the range of acceptability, however and see his approval ratings drop.

Women have a choice between "Dress like a guy so that they'll take you more seriously." and "Let them know you're a girl!. I guess the ultimate historical extremes would be Queen Hatshepsut of Egypt who donned the traditional Pharoah's kilt and crown (I bet THAT outfit distracted her opponents) and had herself portrayed in a somewhat androgenous body to Queen Elizabeth of England who flaunted extravagent ruffles pearls and an exaggerated femininity which masked a devious and determined mind.

It's silly but I like the fact that Pelosi seems to be able to carry off both power and style with a great deal of panache. I also hate to say it but I can't wait to see what she wears to the State of the Union Address.

...... (NOT a slam to the OP, but the subject matter makes me a bit nervous, as a man, to weigh in) .......

On the surface, this seems a lightweight, 'why bother' or 'what's your point?' kind of article. But as the other posters have already said, she IS a leader, not just in politics, but also in fashion. That doesn't hurt a bit.

As to men's fashion choices, in DC, being discussed, I seem to recall some ink spilled over Reagan's choice in suit colors .... wasn't brown the new blue after the media started to notice his favor for brown pinstripe suits?

I guess what bothers me most about this sort of thing - be it about a man or a woman - is that it makes our elected leaders, people who have the power to impact our lives directly and possibly adversely, are treated like Hollywood celebrities.

And of course there's also the disparity between how much is written about our female leaders' fashion and our male leaders' fashion.

If I missed the point, which is very possible, then please tell me what it is, as you see it. :hi:

Like it or not, we're all judged on our appearance, and Madame Speaker looks great and appropriate.

Julie