Those of you who know me are probably wondering why I abandoned the fashion blog (The Designer's Story) and went to this political blog. Well, I am about to relaunch the fashion blog. Mercedes Benz Fashion Week is about to start and we will go from there to London Fashion Week then to Milan and then to Paris. But, based on my background my two passions are fashion and politics.
I was intentionally silent in the previous posts about the fashion and styling of the people appearing on stage at the RNC. But now, it is time to start. I will begin with what I saw as the most egregious offenders. I am doing it this way so I can end on a note that will be somewhat less troubling. So here we go.
I have heard women waxing on about Paul Ryan and what hunk he is. Really? He is in "exterme" need of a stylist. The first thing they would do is get him to a hair salon. Get rid of that cowlick that makes you look crazy. And for someone who does extreme workouts, you might want to get you suits tailored. That was the most ill-fitting suit I have seen on someone of his stature. It didn't fit in the shoulders; it was far to boxy through the waist and the sleeves were too long. Black suits should be reserved for pallbearers at funerals. Try charcoal grey or navy. You could even do a navy tone-on-tone glen plaid with a subtle maroon or red accent stripe. Buy some shirts in colors that compliment your suits and pick out some ties. And yes, I am a snob. Get French cuffs and buy some cuff links.
I can't even address what his wife and kids were wearing. The question I had was "were they aware that the TV cameras would be rolling"? Mrs. Ryan, if they offer you hair and makeup next time say yes; and take your daughters with you. I know they are young but they do make blazers for young boys. It would be a great investment. They can keep the shirts and khakis just add a rep tie and they will be good to go.
Ann, Ann, Ann. Red is not your color. Helmet hair is out of style and again, if they offer hair and makeup you too should say yes. For someone who can participate in a sport that costs upwards of a quarter of a million dollars to get started in I would think that you could afford real clothes. If you want to buy American may I suggest Ralph Lauren Black Label or if you want to go a bit more feminine, Carolina Herrera. If you don't mind buying European designers, Armani or Akris or even Bottega Veneta.
I don't know if Mia Love and Niki Haley were told to wear washout colors but ladies, next time don't listen. Now I don't know how old Mia Love is but if I were her,, I'd 'rock the vote' in Ann Demeulemeester. I know it is a bit goth but some of it is really beautiful/ If you go to the fall ready to wear (RTW shows for 2012) you will see spiky hair etc. Forget the hair look at the clothers. and Nikki, try Bluemarine or Donna Karan.
Even Mitt needed his suit tailored. I don't understand how or why you would spend over $1,000 on a suit and then just take it off the rack and go home. Get it tailored for pete sake. It's not pretentious, it is good grooming. Again shirts in different colors, French cuffs on shirts and cuff links. Maybe you had them but the sleeves on your jacket were so long who would know.
I won't go into the apparel of the character witnesses. They have an excuse. i probably would have done something more for my big moment on national television but I understand. Just the same if you are called upon again, d a bit of shopping, go to the salon and tell them you are preparing for your close-up.
For my last dish I have only one suggestion. I think the suit Condeleezza Rice was wearing was a great color for her. It actually appeared to fit well and her makeup was well done. I would just love to see her soften her hairstyle. It isn't a bad style it is just a bit severe for my taste. So a bit of a sweep t the side with a layered bob hitting just below the chin would be great on her.
During the shows I will be scoping out looks for the inauguration outfit for Michelle Obama and Ann Romney. My considerations will of course take into account age, personal style, coloring (meaning complexion, hair, eyes) and of course the fact that it will be colder than a well digger's a@* on January 20th. Trust me I have been there for four different inaugurations, it is not a day to try simply to look cute. Warm is a priority.
So in about a week, I am going to do both this blog and the fashion blog. I hope to see you on both.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Monday, September 3, 2012
It's Official
Last evening Mitt Romney formally accepted the nomination of the Republican Party to be the nominee for President. Sadly he was upstaged by Marco Rubio and Condoleezza Rice who delivered excellent speeches. Mr. Romney did not give me any sense that he is the man for the job. I have some serious reservations for many reasons.
It was a night where the campaign rolled out what can only be called character witnesses to vouch for the humanity of Romney.With the election eight weeks away I should not have any questions about your character. Sadly the witness were friends to which he provided support during some very difficult personal crises. While moving, I am not convinced that Mr. Romney would have the same compassion if he were enacting policy that would impact people he does not know and does not have to see.
When you are running a country, or any governmental organization, that impacts the lives of many you must be able to total ignore emotion and the WIIFM (what's in it for me) tendencies. More than that, you have to ignore the tendency to try and figure out what's in it for my cronies. In crafting public policy you have to really understand the impact of what you are about to decide. It cannot be simply about the bottom line or the intended social benefits. You have to meld the two to obtain the best overall outcome. You have to consider the impact of your decision on policies that are already on the books.
Here is an example. Suppose there is a bill coming before you that bans artificial sweeteners because there is evidence that they contain carcinogens. That's just one side of the issue. They may contain carcinogens but what about people who are on diets that are restrictive? What do you tell diabetics? Yes they can use stevia but what if they don't like the aftertaste? People who can ingest sugar without adverse affects have many varieties to choose from. But, because you happen to be diabetic we are going to punish you and say it is stevia or nothing.
If I were a legislator I would vote against banning artificial sweeteners. I would posit that there is not enough evidence that directly connects the development of certain cancers to the ingestion of artificial sweeteners. I would also posit that based on the tests conducted you would have to ingest such quantities the risk was minimal. Forget the sugar lobby who would benefit financially. Forget the health lobby that is against artificial sweeteners. I would only listen to them if their recommendation was to ban all sweeteners.
So, if I were convinced that Mr. Romney could go through this type of deliberative process, I would have a different opinion of him. He is a bottom line kind of guy with a bean counter for a running mate. We need to count the beans bu all means. However sometimes you need to add a few beans in order to implement good public policy.
Bottom line, running the United States is much more complex than running Bain Capital. Bain Capital did not create jobs. Bain Capital created money. And, the real story is that whether the business Bain funded was successful or not, Bain made money. That is the business private equity firms are in. I admit that private equity firms are not as voracious as Venture Capital concerns. A VC has no problem putting you on an accelerated forced march with the intent of overtaking your company.
So from what I saw and heard on Thursday evening, I cannot say that there was any substance. He is going to create 12 million jobs but he offered no details on how he would do that either. They are just words. I also think that if he were to get into office he would quickly find out that running Bain Capital is a piece of cake compared to running the United States. So, it is time to stop telling everyone why Obama has failed. It is time for you to tell everyone what your plan is for America and how you intend to include EVERYONE, irrespective of ethnicity, race or creed.
It was a night where the campaign rolled out what can only be called character witnesses to vouch for the humanity of Romney.With the election eight weeks away I should not have any questions about your character. Sadly the witness were friends to which he provided support during some very difficult personal crises. While moving, I am not convinced that Mr. Romney would have the same compassion if he were enacting policy that would impact people he does not know and does not have to see.
When you are running a country, or any governmental organization, that impacts the lives of many you must be able to total ignore emotion and the WIIFM (what's in it for me) tendencies. More than that, you have to ignore the tendency to try and figure out what's in it for my cronies. In crafting public policy you have to really understand the impact of what you are about to decide. It cannot be simply about the bottom line or the intended social benefits. You have to meld the two to obtain the best overall outcome. You have to consider the impact of your decision on policies that are already on the books.
Here is an example. Suppose there is a bill coming before you that bans artificial sweeteners because there is evidence that they contain carcinogens. That's just one side of the issue. They may contain carcinogens but what about people who are on diets that are restrictive? What do you tell diabetics? Yes they can use stevia but what if they don't like the aftertaste? People who can ingest sugar without adverse affects have many varieties to choose from. But, because you happen to be diabetic we are going to punish you and say it is stevia or nothing.
If I were a legislator I would vote against banning artificial sweeteners. I would posit that there is not enough evidence that directly connects the development of certain cancers to the ingestion of artificial sweeteners. I would also posit that based on the tests conducted you would have to ingest such quantities the risk was minimal. Forget the sugar lobby who would benefit financially. Forget the health lobby that is against artificial sweeteners. I would only listen to them if their recommendation was to ban all sweeteners.
So, if I were convinced that Mr. Romney could go through this type of deliberative process, I would have a different opinion of him. He is a bottom line kind of guy with a bean counter for a running mate. We need to count the beans bu all means. However sometimes you need to add a few beans in order to implement good public policy.
Bottom line, running the United States is much more complex than running Bain Capital. Bain Capital did not create jobs. Bain Capital created money. And, the real story is that whether the business Bain funded was successful or not, Bain made money. That is the business private equity firms are in. I admit that private equity firms are not as voracious as Venture Capital concerns. A VC has no problem putting you on an accelerated forced march with the intent of overtaking your company.
So from what I saw and heard on Thursday evening, I cannot say that there was any substance. He is going to create 12 million jobs but he offered no details on how he would do that either. They are just words. I also think that if he were to get into office he would quickly find out that running Bain Capital is a piece of cake compared to running the United States. So, it is time to stop telling everyone why Obama has failed. It is time for you to tell everyone what your plan is for America and how you intend to include EVERYONE, irrespective of ethnicity, race or creed.
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