What was he thinking?

The names of the men pictured below have been withheld, but one of them is currently governor of a state. Guess which one.

If you guessed the man in the attractive suit and tie, I’m sorry to have to tell you that you are wrong. Are you as shocked and dismayed as I am to see a current governor at an official event dressed in a horrid, worn-out denim jacket and drab olive sweater instead of properly representing his office, his state, and his colleagues at this event?  Even at ground-breaking ceremonies with shovels and dirt, men still wear suits!

What makes this scene even more egregious is the fact that this governor was there for a rally before election day.  How do you think the man on the left felt, running for election and having to be endorsed by…well, what looks like just some guy off the street who cares more about his own comfort than anyone else’s?

One of the biggest mistakes people make about “business casual” (in which this governor’s outfit doesn’t even remotely qualify), is to put their own comfort above those of their colleagues and clients.  It is arrogant to assume that you can dress any way you want and that people “won’t really care.”  Even if they can’t put it into words, people are affected by the way you dress, so you want to make sure they react to you in a positive manner!

Readers, what do you think about the manner in which this governor dressed at an election rally?

Dear President Obama,
Please stop wearing those blue “Bush” ties. They are too washed out to be power ties and are best saved for trips to Palm Beach and other places in the Deep South. You look ever so handsome in your red ties – let’s see more of them.

What do you think? Do you like baby blue ties or not? Put in your two cents worth.

A lot of so called fashion experts accused that were too loose, they were not slim cut enough, in other words they were not sexy enough.
I’m sure if he wore designer jeans that were skin tight and sexy, he would get complaints from the average American saying “it’s not fitting for the president to be in skin tight jeans and so sexy”.
I thought he looked perfectly fine. It’s not the job of the president to look sexy in skin tight jeans. He would look great in them I’m sure.

Fashionistas, leave Obama alone!

Dear President Obama,
You’ve taken a bit of flack for going to the theater in New York City without wearing a tie. The office of President of the United States is such a venerable one, that I think it demands a tie even at the theater in Podunk. You look so much more handsome when you wear a tie besides. Look what happened with those dot.com millionaires threw away their ties. They gave the rest of the world an excuse for throwing their ties away. “After all, millionaires don’t wear ties,” they noted. Please don’t give the men in this country another excuse for not wearing ties! After all, casual attire suggests a casual attitude, and I’m sure you don’t have a casual attitude about running this country.

Glad to see Michelle following her own instincts again and wearing purple. It’s a color that suits her, because it makes her face light up – and, of course, also because it’s a regal color! Ms. Obama is a source of inspiration for women throughout the country.

Yes! That is Presidential, Mr. Obama. Those red ties say action, courage, strength. Keep it up.

Nancy Pelosi, incidentally, is not in one of her usual jewel tones and needs to ditch the army fatigues colors.

Andrew Card, former Chief of Staff for President George Bush, blasted President Obama for dressing too casually in the White House. He feels strongly that the dress code for the White Hous should respect the office of the President.

Dear Mr. President.

I do, too. And I hope you don’t mind if I give you a few other pointers. Wear navy blue more. It is a better color for you than grey or black. Grey washes you out too much and dulls your skin. Navy blue gives you a healthy glow and makes you look handsomer, too. White shirts are the most formal, so that’s what I’d suggest you wear with your navy blue suit. Of course, for informal occasions, a blue striped shirt or a French blue shirt would look great. You looked so fabulous on Inauguration Day with your beautiful red tie; I hope you will wear more ties in the red family, including burgundy (for power), maroon and raspberry.

Biden versus Bono

Both Vice President Joe Biden and Bono wear navy blue “power” suits. Dark colors bestow authority, so they are quite powerful as well as elegant. In addition, blue is the color of trust, so both trust and power are conveyed.

The Vice President wears a crisp white shirt and red tie, while Bono has opted for a coordinated navy blue shirt with stripes, accompanied by an elegant purple tie. The Vice President would look equally powerful with the beautiful purple tie worn by Bono. However, Bono has teamed his navy blue suit with a dark shirt, so it is a “fashion” look and never acceptable for a serious business occasion. It would be a great sport shirt, and it would also look fine with a jacket and no tie, but it is not a business shirt. Worn with a tie in the right color, it makes for an interesting fashion look. However, if Bono replaced his deep-toned tie with Biden’s bright red tie, it would look loud and flashy. Instead of a fashion look, it would become a “going to Vegas” look.

Lastly, when a gentleman stands, he must immediately button his jacket. He unbuttons it when he is seated.

There’s been a lot of controversy and discussion about the ensemble First Lady Michelle Obama wore to the Inaugural Balls. Some say it’s yellow, some say gold, while othrs call it lemon grass. It looked like a warm yellow with subtle warm green undertones  to me . Experts noted that  the fabric’s shimmery surface made it appear to change color.  Even Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, would not commit herself to classify the color with a name. She noted the coat had “somewhat of a shimmery surface, which can pick up the light and throw the camera off.”

Most of the so-called color experts missed the whole point. Was the color warm or cool? Was it a pastel or  a primary-type color? Was it muted or clear? These are the questions that should be asked when it comes to  choosing colors for people, if looking better is the ultimate goal. Because she nearly blended into her garments, this coat-suit wore Mrs. Obama instead of her wearing it. Thus, the impact she generated was decreased.

Michelle Obama has cool skin, so the warm yellow-green fabric wasn’t as flattering to her as other shades of yellow. For example, a clear bright yellow that is one step down from the color wheel Yellow in terms or intensity and warmth. Her suit was also a pastel, and she looks better in clear, saturated,  primary-type colors such as royal blue, emerald green, purple, violet, fuchsia and magenta, to name a few.

Women are “instinctively” drawn to pastels, even though they do not necessarily make us look better. Nor do they increase our presence.  The darker the color, the higher the authority, so pastels convey low authority. There is a time and a place for pastels, but I think that it’s not Inauguration Day. Pastels are great for meeting your future in-laws. I would suggest wearing a pastel suit to traffic court when you get caught for speeding. You will look much more innocent than in a “power” color. It worked for me!

First Lady, Michelle Obama, looked absolutely divine in white at the Inaugural Ball last night.  A good color choice for her. However, since I do “thin slicing” I can’t help but comment on some of the little distractions I saw. First, the earrings were too long and thin, so they seem a little wimpy for the gown. Dangly earrings are distracting in general.

In terms of “line” my sharp eye couldn’t help but notice that the shoulder strap was a little out of kilter. It would have looked better had it not been so angular in appearance. Tapering it so that it was narrow at the top and broader where it attached to the gown would have created a more harmonious and flowing line. I’m no pro, but I tweaked the First Lady’s gown in my Photo Shop program, as you can see (middle photo.) On a whim, I decided to put a “beaded” flower (use your imagination)  on the shoulder of the gown (photo on right) to make certain the attention goes to the face. Tell me which “line” (gown) you like better, the first, second or third one. As it is now, the line of the first and original gown seems hard and square; it’s not as feminine as it could be. In fact, I consider it to be so out of sync that it takes the attention from the face of our beautiful First Lady.

The first rule in terms of “line” is to stand back and determine if the face is the first thing to gain attention – and hold the attention  – or something else. Which gown makes First Lady Michelle Obama the star?