USA: FASHION - Politicians learn to take command from the shoulders up with slight adjustments in their political style

Record ID: 278360

  • Title: USA: FASHION - Politicians learn to take command from the shoulders up with slight adjustments in their political style
  • Date: 11th September 2012
  • Summary: WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 07, 2012) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) LAUREN ROTHMAN, TREND EXPERT, SAYING: "Clean cut - his style doesn't give us anything to judge him on and that is exactly what a politician should be doing."
  • Embargoed: 26th September 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa, United Kingdom
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Fashion,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA6M5F9XSS1LOE1PRNPNE5723I1
  • Story Text: As election day draws closer, the candidates are pulling out all the stops to ensure a winning message is both heard and seen.

    "In politics you're capturing a message - that message usuallyright below your shoulders. So that look is important and getting the message with the visual cues to end at eye level is critical," Lauren Rothman, the founder of Styleauteur, a Washington, DC based fashion consulting firm.
    During an interview at Tysons Galleria mall outside of Washington, DC, Rothman said the most standard uniform for a male politician is a rich navy suit, red tie and white shirt, but she said the style of suit is changing.

    "Men only wore pleated plants and very conservative suits without a lot of personal unique touches and I've seen that evolve, I'd say in the last 6-8 years, where all of a sudden that image management in the political world has become infused a little bit by the fashion magazines," Rothman explained.
    However, the key to pulling off this look is a well tailored suit: "The trick to nailing the look is the fit, so it is all about the trim athletic fit."
    According to Rothman and other political watchers, Republican vice presidential candidate, Paul Ryan, has yet to master this trick.

    "Paul Ryan, who everyone is sort of talking about, not only his physique, but his looks, we've got two good looking candidates here that have a father-son kind of duo - he looks like he's wearing his grandfather's clothes," she explained.
    Another trend that has changed over the course of U.S. presidents is the tie knot and shirt collars.

    "Traditional and to this day we still a lot of men in narrow point collars, that's something that's going to come more this way. A spread collar tends to be very flattering for someone with some shoulders," Rothman told Reuters.
    When it came time to define the style of the current U.S. presidential candidates, Rothman was quick to praise President Barack Obama's look, calling it clean cut.

    "His style doesn't give us anything to judge him on and that is exactly what a politician should be doing," she said.
    Her assessment of Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney's style was simply 'well-dressed and rich.'
    "I think he shops his closet and it's a private bank account closet," she said, referring to Romney's background as a successful entrepreneur before entering politics.

    "He has had access to, whether it's great advice or just really good tailors or retailers to equip him to have that arsenal ready so that anytime he goes out he's got that wardrobe to match," she added.
    The job of President of the United States will be decided on November 6, 2012.
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