At her campaign opening rally on Roosevelt Island on Saturday (to be distinguished from her campaign announcement, in April), Hillary Rodham Clinton donned her now-signature look: a bright blue pantsuit with a matching bright blue shirt underneath. She stuck out a mile, matched her H campaign logo — which was also the design of her stage — and looked appropriately patriotic, especially when standing next to Bill Clinton in his red polo.
So far, so expected, especially given her debut Instagram post: a series of red, white or blue pantsuits hanging in a row with the caption “Hard choices.”
Mrs. Clinton has been extremely clever at co-opting the whole fashion-in-politics thing, defanging it and using it to demonstrate her quite developed sense of humor. It’s a tool for her these days, and not just when it comes to image.
Which is why it is worth thinking about. She is clearly considering it, as are her advisers, and using it to manipulate perception. As are all her competitors. Clothes are a political tool like any other. And that is why it was interesting to learn that the pantsuit she wore at her Roosevelt Island rally had been made by Ralph Lauren.
On the one hand, this is a clever choice: Mrs. Clinton’s de facto dresser for the last few years had been Oscar de la Renta, and his death in October left her without a go-to label. She has known Mr. Lauren for a while: She presented him with the James Smithson Bicentennial Medal last June for his $13 million donation to help restore the Betsy Ross flag, and wore another blue Ralph Lauren pantsuit to do so.
And his personal narrative — Bronx boy made good — pretty much embodies the American dream. The clothes he sells are, in part, based on the aesthetics of that dream: the West, and the Gatsby version of Long Island. He understands sartorial stagecraft as well as any designer on the New York Fashion Week calendar, if not better.
Yet there’s a possible weak spot in the relationship. Because for a candidate who has been pushing her connection to, and understanding of, the middle class — and whose speech while wearing the pantsuit was largely about closing the income gap — Ralph Lauren is a relatively inaccessible brand. It is also one often worn by and beloved of that sector of the population, the chief executives and financial wizards, she somewhat disavowed.
An average Ralph Lauren Women’s Collection pantsuit, which this was — not, in other words, a style from the more accessible line, Lauren Ralph Lauren — is a few thousand dollars (a pinstriped wool jacket alone, for example, is $2,450 at the online store). That is out of reach for most voters.
It might not matter, given that voters also want their candidates to look presidential, which generally means good. Except that one of the story lines surrounding Mrs. Clinton has been how she is out-of-touch with those she claims to represent. It seems to me that working with a famous and high-end designer could provide ammunition for the opposition. And why even take that chance?
But maybe the fashion issue, with its potential sexism charges, is just too touchy for anyone, except fashion people like me, to go there.
Personally, if I were working out sartorial strategy on her team, I might suggest the issue be avoided entirely by opting for a contemporary label like Theory, which is known for its pantsuits, professional dressing — and anonymity. Its chief executive, Andrew Rosen, is a fashion mogul who has made something of a personal mission out of saving the New York garment district.
But that’s me. And to be honest, I would not be surprised if, in the end, Ralph Lauren does become a Clinton wardrobe mainstay. If the campaign can avoid elitism charges, the brand will make her look confident, and absolutely convincing on the global stage.
According to a spokesman, the designer already works with the candidate “regularly.”
上周六，希拉裏·羅德姆·克林頓(Hillary Rodham Clinton)在羅斯福島(Roosevelt Island)舉辦了首場競選聚會會議(這與她4月份的競選聲明有所差別)。聚會會議上，希拉裏展現了當前的標記性形象：寶藍色褲套裝，內襯配同色襯衫。她異常能幹，和H形的競選標識相當——聚會會議演講台也被計劃成這個外形。希拉裏表現了恰到好處的愛國感，特別是當她站在身穿赤色Polo衫的比爾·克林頓(Bill Clinton)閣下時。
到今朝為止，她的造型都在乎料當中，特別是想到她Instagram上的第一張照片：一排掛起來的紅、白、藍色的褲套裝，圖說是“艱苦的選取”。
克林頓夫人一向以來都異常擅長將“時尚政治”為本身所用，趨利避害，用以展現本身相稱純熟的滑稽感。打扮如今已釀成了她的一個手腕，並且不但在形象方面。
這恰是值得思慮之處。她和參謀們明顯都對打扮舉行了許多考慮，用它來操控人們的意見。她的競爭敵手們也都是如許。打扮和其他元素同樣，是一種政治手腕。以是，這便是為何通曉她在羅斯福島聚會會議上穿的是拉夫·勞倫(Ralph Lauren)褲套裝會頗有意思。
一方面，這是個聰慧的選取：曩昔幾年，克林頓夫人的計劃師實際上是奧斯卡·德拉倫塔(Oscar de la Renta)。客歲10月，德拉倫塔逝世，導致克林頓夫人落空了習用的品牌。她熟悉勞倫有一段時光了：客歲6月，她給勞倫發表詹姆斯·史密森兩百年懷念獎章(James Smithson Bicentennial Medal)，表揚他捐錢1300萬美元贊助修復貝齊·羅斯旗(Betsy Ross flag)，其時她穿的是拉夫·勞倫的另外一套藍色褲套裝。
拉夫·勞倫的小我故事——布朗克斯(Bronx)出身的男孩經由過程盡力得到勝利——是美國夢的典範代表。他的打扮部門基於美國夢的審美：美國西部和蓋茨比(Gatsby)版長島的作風。他熟習裁剪技巧和紐約時裝周上的每一名計劃師(對後者大概更加熟習)。
不外，希拉裏和拉夫·勞倫的互助大概有個缺點。作為候選人，希拉裏盡力展示本身與中產階層的接洽和對他們的懂得，她身穿這身褲套裝所舉行的演講也主如果關於縮小收入差距，然則拉夫·勞倫是一個相對於昂貴的品牌。穿戴、愛好拉夫·勞倫的每每是重要高管和金融奇才這種人，對這部門人她若幹有點否認。
希拉裏所穿的褲套裝屬於拉夫·勞倫女裝精選系列(Ralph Lauren Women’s Collection)，而非價錢相對於廉價的勞倫拉夫勞倫系列(Lauren Ralph Lauren)。精選系列的女裝均價幾千美元。好比一件細條紋羊毛外套，在網店上的售價2450美元，大部門選民買不起。
大概這也無傷風雅，選民也願望本身支撐的候選人看起來有點總統氣質，總的來講便是穿好點。不外，人們環繞克林頓夫人睜開的浩瀚故事中，有如許一種意見：她和本身宣稱所代表的人群缺少接洽。在我眼裏，和一個有名高級計劃師互助，大概會給敵手留下痛處。為何要冒這個險呢?
不外，大概打扮題目及其潛伏的性別輕視，對大部門人來講太甚敏感，不敢說起，除我如許的時尚界人士。
我小我的設法主意是，假如我在她的競選團隊裏制定打扮計謀，我大概會發起經由過程希爾瑞(Theory)如許確當代品牌來完全防止授人口實。希爾瑞以褲套裝、職業裝和普通化著名。該品牌的首席履行官安德魯·羅森(Andrew Rosen)是一名時尚富翁，從救濟紐約時裝區開端，造詣了一番奇跡。
不外，那只是我小我的意見。坦率地說，假如拉夫·勞倫終極成為克林頓衣櫥中的重要品牌，我不會覺得不測。假如競選能躲避人們對希拉裏的精英主義的責備，這個品牌將讓她看起來很自負，在國際舞台上絕對具備說服力。
據一名談話人說，拉夫·勞倫已“常常”和希拉裏互助了 。
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