Riding home the other night on the train I came across this iconic and ironic image symbolic of Hillary’s campaign. With the country transfixed by this racial and gender bending historic primary and upcoming election, political fashion has become the hotter topic. Between politicos commenting on Barak’s sleek but unapproachable style and fashion columnists critiquing Hillary’s cleavage during Senate meetings, the country had to focus even harder on the important issues.
Hey, even Carla Bruni has taken criticism from French citizens for being too fashionable as their First Lady. Walking this political tightrope wearing flag pins or presenting a “Commander-in-Chief” impression from a feminine point of view is challenging. As a fashion designer, I’ve learned to look past the obvious personal icongraphy and study the real motives since clothing has the ability to influence.
In Hillary’s case, I was especially interested to view her self presentation to communicate the message as she was making those historic 18 million cracks. But as Hillary herself mused at last week’s Democratic Convention, she called on her supporters as “the sisterhood of the traveling pantsuit!”
