Fashion Expert Challenge

[hedgehog]

All right - for all you experts out there - what do you suggest for us matrons to wear? I'm talking about those of us women over fifty with bodies that have headed south. We've heard all the snide comments about Pickles and Mrs Alito. I'm not sure that there are any decent clothes for women of a certain age and shape, so let's have some examples. It's time to put up or shut up.

[AngryAmish]

1. Exhibit 1 - the quiet dignity of Janet Reno

[hedgehog]

4. I'm fashion blind, but,

1. Janet is tall and slender

2. she's wearing a suit just like the others.

I'll allow that a poor selection of fabric can turn a suit into a nightmare. Janet's suits are simple and smooth while Mrs. Alito's is cluttered and stiff.

[GumboYaYa]

2. It is all so petty....

wear what makes you comfortable, damn the critics. Who cares what someone is wearing. It is the content of their ideas and the nature of their spirit that matters. Criticize Ms. Alito for supporting anti-feminist ideas, but criticizing her for what she wears seems to make us no better than the other side.

[RebelOne]

15. It seems to be the mind set of many posters at DU.

They don't like a person's political views, so they attack the wife's looks and clothing. Very juvenile, if you ask me.

[Neecy]

3. easy

Classic, simple lines, solid colors, natural fabrics. Avoid wearing symbols of British imperialism over your heart.

[GirlinContempt]

5. 'headed south'?

can you be more specific?

[hedgehog]

7. Things tend to settle with age.

[GirlinContempt]

8. If you're talking about Alitos wife

She looks just fine in this pic
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Alito-family.jpg?a

[LeftyMom]

6. Stuff that's cut nicely in solid colors (not shiny)

Laura Bush's worst fashion sin (she commits so many) is that her custom-made clothes aren't cut to fit her body well. They look too small about half the time and her jackets usually fall right at the widest part of her backside and make it look bigger than it is.

I'm not anywhere near her age, but as a mother myself I do have some familiarity with asssfat camoflage.

Most of the older dem women dress well. Barbara Boxer always looks both dignified and feminine, and Hillary Clinton's got much better at dressing the part as time goes on (she wasn't too bad at it to begin with but looked a bit severe at times.)

[hedgehog]

9. I think you're on to something.

I thought it was the suits, but now I think it's the fabrics and the cuts. Is it possible that these women are getting taken in by prestige labels, as in, "my suit is ugly as hell, but it cost $600"?

[LeftyMom]

11. I don't know about Mrs Alito (I didn't watch the hearings)

Laura Bush gets her stuff custom made by some designer in Texas. If she used someone local to her she could get more frequent fittings and alterations which could help the fit issue, but either she's got horrible taste in fabric and the designer won't stand up to her, or the designer's got the visual equivalent of tone deafness.

Honestly I think she'd do better if she went shopping for off the rack with a woman with a good eye for clothes and the honesty to tell her what makes her look fat.

[hedgehog]

13. Maybe that's what people in Texas like.

As far as fabric goes, I mean. I have no idea bout the fit.

[Yollam]

10. I have no idea what Mrs. Alito wears...

But Pickles' clothing doesn't bother me in the least. I really couldn't care less what any politician or their spouse wears. It seems rather a superficial thing for "liberals" to be snarky about...


But then, I think most of it is just for levity and having a little fun at some stepford wife's expense.

If Howard Dean's wife came out wearing the EXACT same thing, we'd all be cheering her for her class and poise.


And it runs both ways. The Freeps love to go on about "Hitlery's" supposedly haggard/dykey/fat/whatever appearance, but when one of their own shows up looking the same or worse they're lining up to kiss their butt.



Remember this beauty?


It's all just silly partisan potshots that add up to nothing of substance. I wouldn't take it too seriously. Most American women of her age would love to look as nice as Pickles does most of the time.

Boy, but she does pull an odd face now and then...

[hedgehog]

12. That photo reminds me of the tabloid shots

Take enough pictures and you'll catch anyone with a weird expression on his/her face. It's a cheap shot and really unworthy of us when we've got plenty of real ammo in stock.

[Flaxbee]

14. keep the bottom half dark and simple... black skirt, black pants

...dark grays and chocolate browns. Sometimes a lighter gray can work well, if the pants or skirt fit really well. Jeans can be difficult - need to avoid the "Mom Jeans" (ever see that SNL skit) look of super-high waist and mile-long rise (often these jeans are so badly cut the pockets on the butt are tiny and set up high right near the waist thereby making butt look HUGE).

Anyway, my sweet mother is now built rather like a bird - very slim legs, but rounded belly (I think of a robin when I see her - three BIG babies seem to wear a body out!) - but she's very very conscious of how she looks/dresses and always looks really sharp with darker, slim slacks (wide legs and big pant cuffs are tough esp. if you're 5'5" or under) or a pencil skirt (usually wool or wool blend knit so the waistband has a little give) and then a simple blouse, or sweater (cardigan) or very very simple jacket (no double breasted jackets for her).

She also wears simple, well-fitting (with a flattering neck, not just a Hanes) t-shirts under sweaters, or a nice blouse with an open neck (she's shortwaisted to so a v-neck sweater (with t-shirt under) or an open-necked blouse give more of the illusion of length/height).

And then proportionate shoes - super flat flats often look sorta weird (esp. with business attire) but even a 1/2 inch on any shoe - boot, wedge, pump, loafer - can make a very big difference in the entire silhouette.

Sometimes you just need to get a bunch of different items, and spend some time in the dressing room trying stuff on - bring a friend you trust to be honest and have him/her comment (constructively!) on what you try on. ;-)

(edited for punctuation/grammar)