Let me start off with this disclaimer. I don't have any ties to the fashion industry, except working at "The Gap" 20 years ago when I was in college. I'm not a fashion expert by any means whatsoever. I have watched some episodes of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," and "The Devil Wears Prada." However, that doesn't qualify me in any way to make astute judgments regarding clothing and fashion. However, I do think I know what looks good, appropriate, and generally tasteful.
Disclaimer #2: This is a non-Palin diary.
So with all of those things in mind, I ask you, what the hell was Cindy McCain thinking when she wore this last night at the opening of the Republican Convention?
I mean, could you transmit any better to the world how out of touch your are with the common person by wearing a gold lame, Cruella DeVille collar type of dress. Where are the 101 dalmations? The whole dress reeks of wealthy condescension, along the lines of Miranda in "The Devil Wears Prada:"
Now, I remember during the Democratic debates, when Dkos bloggers were not kind to Hillary for wearing this one night:
Did the GOP learn nothing from that? Not to wear vampiresque collars to a wide audience? I guess not.
Now compare Cindy McCain's convention dress to the classy but understated outfit that Michelle Obama wore during her premier at the Democratic National Convention:
Honestly, there is no comparison. Michelle understands the importance of visuals in winning over public opinion. In fact, her style has been compared (rightly so) to Jackie Kennedy:
Mikki Taylor, Essence magazine’s beauty editor, said that Michelle’s fashion choices were not by chance.
"There are many ways of communicating, and I think that with Michelle, she’s aware of all of it," explained Taylor.
"It’s not just what you say, but it’s how you show up to say it."
Taylor said Saturday’s outfit was smart, chic and simple. "And when we flash back to the ’60s, those are the terms that come to mind when we think about Jacqueline Kennedy."
"Simple" is a word often used when describing Michelle’s style, both on and off the main stage.
She recently told Vanity Fair, "What you see on the trail is probably who I will be as first lady, because that’s really who I am."
"Michelle Obama goes beyond where Jackie O left off."
Branch described Jackie’s style as "shockingly simple to a lot of people." She was pared down and studied, said Branch, "but it was also very sort of newly elegant. She created this sort of new elegance in her simplicity."
Now to be fair, I did not have the stomach to watch the Republican Convention, so I'm not sure if this happened or not, but did any of the McCain children appear on stage with their mom, Cindy? The Obama children were so adorable with Michelle on stage. It was a genuine photo-op. Was Meghan McCain there? Could it be that Meghan also does not have any fashion sense? Exhibit A:
Or were the right wing Republicans worried that she might wear a Jhihadist scarf to the convention? Exhibit B:
So in this slick, image-conscious, marketing and media world, did the GOP miss the boat (again) with presenting Cindy McCain to a wider audience? It just kind of boggles my mind.