Traveling pantsuits

I suppose this photo in today's NYT* could be interpreted as yet another example of the MSM's sexism: Hillary gives the greatest speech of her career and you focus on her pantsuit choices? But I choose to read this image in a different way. First, note that it's men - large, manly men, in fact - who are testing out the various pantsuits against the blue backdrop where HRC will be speaking. It's not HRC or Chelsea out there fussing over her attire, it's the people who work for her. Because she's got more important things to think about. Second, it reveals the pragmatism of women professionals everywhere: if it fits and it's comfortable, then buy one in every color. As a professional woman who just bought identical skirts in brown and black, I identify. Finally, HRC herself embraces the dilemmas of women candidates, as her joke about the "sisterhood of the traveling pantsuits" last night suggested. For me, what the photo does more than anything else is remind us of the constructedness of the spectacle. Does anybody really think these folks just wander out to the mic and do their oratorical thing?

I would like to see a little more coverage of the Obama Blue ties on the men, though. It really is the male uniform of choice for this convention.

*The image does not appear in online NYT, as far as I could tell. I scanned this from p. A15 of the hard copy. Photo credit: Mark Wilson, Getty Images.

Comments

[Stuart Noble]

I found your blog through your guest post at the Bag. I've a few reflections about the "Obama blue tie" if you're interested here, http://americaadrift.com/a-few-thoughts-on-the-politics-of-neckwear/