op-ed

Politicians Today: Not Just Your Average Joe

When I turn on the TV to watch my favorite shows, sex and the city, friends, and full house, the main thing I focus on is their outfit. I love watching the styles change through the seasons of all of these shows. I love how everything from their hair to their shoes becomes more fashionable as the years go on. When one is watching a political conference on TV, while I know they are more focused on what they are hearing rather than what they are seeing, their personal style truly does affect how we feel about our candidates. Fashion in politics, especially in this day and age, influences our personal lives whether we realize it or not.
Within the last decade fashion has become a huge aspect in United States citizen’s lives. Celebrities have set the bar for what we consider “beautiful” and “fashionable”. However, it seems as though our politicians are now following these trends, and even setting a few of their own. Sarah Palin has been sporting a pair of Kazuo Kawasaki glasses, model 704, No. 34 gray. These glasses have become a huge phenomenon over America. In fact, the owner of Oak Lawn boutique Image Eyewear, which sells the glasses Sarah Palin made so popular, confirmed that, his “phone has been ringing nonstop from people around the country looking to get in on the latest fashion trend”. In fact, the shape of the frame has been called SP, and people are beginning to speculate whether this SP is in reference to Sarah Palin. The pricey lightweight titanium frames, which cost $375, come in several colors and styles. Mr. Brown, the owner of the Oak Lawn boutique Image Eyewear, remarked that people wanting to get their hands on a pair of the glasses are going to have to wait because they are being taken as soon as they hit the shelves. Because of Sarah Palin’s fashionable glasses, she has received positive publicity without even opening her mouth. David Letterman stated that, “the Statue of Liberty earlier today was wearing a pair of those hip Sarah Palin glasses”. While several people have commented negatively on Sarah Palin’s personal life, American citizens have only good things to say about her fashion sense. In fact, while celebrities are usually the main, and only, focus during New York’s fashion week our current politicians were observed and spoken of during fashion week.
An article from Life & Style on New York fashion week presents fashion from McCain’s wife, Cindy McCain, Obama’s wife, Michelle Obama, and, of course, Sarah Palin. This article, titled “NY fashion: politics, celebs, and unsexy clothes”, comments that, “the country became increasingly obsessed with Michelle Obama’s shift dresses, Cindy McCain’s expenditure and, of course, Sarah Palin’s glasses”. The article remarks that fashion week designers had to try and outdo the new publicity that our politicians are getting, “Fashion designers reacted by trying to outdo the competition”. Fashion designers responded by showing their support to certain candidates in order to attain more publicity, and popularity. For example, Diane von Furstenberg and Marc Jacobs, who were prominent Clinton supporters, stuck with the Democrats and backed up Obama. The article stated that, “This week's fashion icon was Cindy McCain, with stiff hair and Mad Men-style 1950s dresses becoming increasingly popular.” Fashion has always been a huge aspect in life and now it is even overtaking our politicians.
Personally, I have never really coincided fashion and politics. However, I have clearly been proven wrong because these politicians have what it takes when it comes to being in style, and fashionable. Politicians these days are now right alongside celebrities in setting new trends and new standards of beautiful. I feel as though Politicians are sending out better messages than celebrities when it comes to what is beautiful because Politicians are proving to women that being smart and successful is beautiful. They are proving that one does not simply need to be rich with a stupid reality TV show to be considered beautiful and fashionable. My next question is this: does fashion really change the way we vote? It’s clear that it changes the way we look at our politicians, but does this in turn change our voting behavior? If a man that had the best qualifications, the best intentions and the best plans for our country showed up to a speech in torn jeans and a dirty shirt, would we not vote for him because of the way he looked? Several people would probably not vote for him because our President will be representing us and, as Americans, we want to be representing positively by someone who looks the part of the President; clean, well dressed, and professional looking.
Politicians are taking it to the next level when it comes to how they are perceived by Americans. They are now seen as fashion icons and trendsetters. So next time you are flipping through your channels and come across a political debate take a minute to notice what they are wearing and whether or not this affects the way you, personally, perceive them.