Althouse: Maybe Hillary's giant-gaping-collar costume was supposed to remind us of Jackie Kennedy and Audrey Hepburn.

June 9, 2015

Maybe Hillary's giant-gaping-collar costume was supposed to remind us of Jackie Kennedy and Audrey Hepburn.

That's Neo-Neocon's theory, and she's got the pictures to prove it.

Maybe that's what Hillary's stylists were going for, but it badly misses the mark because of the glossy fabric and the menswear collar. And because it's a blouse. Jackie and Audrey are wearing jackets — jackets made of stiff fabric, probably wool. There's no shirtliness about their garments. Jackie's neckline has the look of a folded-over cowl and Audrey's is as plain as possible, like a sliced-off pipe. Both women look encased. The neckline seems wide so they can retract their cute heads into the shell if they needed to for protection. It's darling (possibly) but not at all presidential.

44 comments:

Rusty said...: Ann. I knew Jackie Kennedy. And Hillary Clinton is no Jackie Kennedy.; 6/9/15, 3:10 PM
Rob said...: Shirtliness? My advice: don't get on Hillary's shirt list.; 6/9/15, 3:11 PM
Wince said...: For the two attractive women, those collars also served as hickey guards.

Not an issue with Hillary.; 6/9/15, 3:11 PM
Jaq said...: I was thinking that at the time. There was one commenter, PB&J, who remarked that we were making fun of an aging woman, but the remark:

The largeness of the collar emphasizes the slender and feminine beauty of the whole. Don’t try it unless you’ve got similar characteristics.

is the key. The style emphasized aspects of her appearance that made her look old and haggard. Why she made that choice is the real question.; 6/9/15, 3:14 PM
Jaq said...: Perhaps she imagined that the collar highlighted the necklace and she looked like this:

Princess Leia necklace.; 6/9/15, 3:17 PM
Brando said...: If so, it's a complete misfire. Jackie Kennedy and Audrey Hepburn were widely credited for a sense of style--even JFK critics had to admit his wife had good fashion sense.

Hillary though is starting to look like the kooky aunt that everyone feels sorry for. Which could be what she's going for--she's at her best when she earns pity.; 6/9/15, 3:20 PM
Jaq said...: Maybe she is just making room for that neck bob of hers.; 6/9/15, 3:23 PM
Big Mike said...: @Althouse, while you're focused on the ridiculous collar, I'm even more concerned about the color and the fabric. The medal and ribbon basically disappear against the dress. A guy would know to choose a white shirt and dark suit so that the medal and ribbon would jump out.; 6/9/15, 3:26 PM
Wilbur said...: How many voters today could identify either of these women?

So they were going for a look to remind voters of two 50s-60s icons? Why not shoot for Giselle McKenzie? Dorothy Kilgallen?; 6/9/15, 3:27 PM
Anonymous said...: Both Jackie and Audrey had beautiful, wrinkle free necks. HRC, not so much...; 6/9/15, 3:36 PM
lemondog said...: And Marilyn Monroe; 6/9/15, 3:42 PM
Ron Winkleheimer said...: I think neo-neocon is probably right. But we are talking Jackie Kennedy and Audrey Hepburn at their peak. They made the clothes look good, not the other way around. Hillary is at the point in life where clothes should be chosen to conceal flaws, not show off advantages.

I am reminded of an episode of the Simpsons. Homer is made an executive and is getting fitted for a bespoke suit and is holding in his stomach. Homer's assistant admonishes him to "let it out" and then points at the tailor and instructs him, "you conceal it!"; 6/9/15, 3:44 PM
Ron Winkleheimer said...: Hillary is at the age where she needs to be wearing scarfs. That is no indictment on her. Old age hits all of us.; 6/9/15, 3:48 PM
Bay Area Guy said...: I don't commonly think of Hillary in the same class as Ms. Kennedy and Ms. Hepburn. In fact, I usually think of Hillary as one of the baby boomer women who thoroughly rejected Ms. Kennedy and Ms. Hepburn as lightweight, non-working, show horses, who depended on men.; 6/9/15, 3:52 PM
TA said...: It isn't the collar that gets me. It's the face. Is she going to make it to election day?; 6/9/15, 3:57 PM
traditionalguy said...: IMO the rare giraffe's neck look is a thing of beauty in a woman showing balance and delicacy as a pedestal for a face with a world class smile. The thick neck is masculine, not ugly but not pure feminine. Hillary cannot change her persona by changing her clothes. But it's fun to watch her hang on like a bulldog to money and power.; 6/9/15, 4:02 PM
SteveR said...: Its just a fact that she can't look good, no matter what she wears. Just like she can't sound good no matter what she says. But she starts at 47% and has nearly all the MSM poised to destroy her opponent(s).; 6/9/15, 4:09 PM
NorthOfTheOneOhOne said...: I'm surprized I haven't seen anyone reference Mars Attacks! yet.; 6/9/15, 4:14 PM
Eric the Fruit Bat said...: My advice would be for Hillary wear rugby shirts.; 6/9/15, 4:33 PM
Hagar said...: Hillary! has no clothes sense and does not much care, so she relies on whatever they call the people who does this sort of work for politicians and other celebrities to make her up for the occasion at hand.
She may not have one of her own - they cost money - but uses the services provided by whatever organization it can plausibly be billed to.; 6/9/15, 4:35 PM
Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 6/9/15, 4:53 PM
Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...: Hillary would look great in a jumpsuit. I'm picturing something with flirty black and white horizontal stripes. It may not be slimming but it would capture her inner essence.; 6/9/15, 4:55 PM
retired said...: Women are their own worst enemies. Here's Althouse attacking her doppelganger, who she will vote for next year, Over her nutty wardrobe. I don't care what the president wears as long as it's not a virtual Mao Jacket.; 6/9/15, 4:59 PM
damikesc said...: "Maybe Hillary's giant-gaping-collar costume was supposed to remind us of Jackie Kennedy and Audrey Hepburn."

Democrats: The Party of NEW ideas.; 6/9/15, 5:12 PM
Skeptical Voter said...: Give Ms. Hillary some props. Over on another blog (commenting on giant collars for Jackie O and Audrey Hepburn, one commenter said that a "giant collar won't do anything for a termagant".

That's the first time I've seen that word used correctly. It's a little old fashioned, and maybe out of style, but it fits Hillary to a T. Good to know that Hillary is bringing the old words back.; 6/9/15, 5:19 PM
David said...: Hillary is in terrible physical shape. No fashion is going to fix that. She just looks unhealthy.; 6/9/15, 5:51 PM
Anonymous said...: She will lose the election if only voters who could remember Audrey and Jackie voted for her.

Why does she want to remind voters how old and how outdated she is? Young voters may vote for mommy, but will balk at voting for the crotchety granny.; 6/9/15, 6:04 PM
Jaq said...: I think we ought to remember how gallant Democrats were in there opposition to Sarah Palin and raise our level of discourse.

We need to forget the apologies she made for her husband, the serial sexual harasser, and probable rapist, swallow hard, and support her because, gosh darn it, she was a good wife to Bill and she deserves to be president!

We need to forget her little war in Libya, which is expected to produce 500K refugees attempting to cross the Mediterranean this summer.

We need to forget her advocacy for arming the "moderate" rebels in Syria, (ISIS).

We need to forget that this is just the primary, and supposedly the oldest political party in the oldest democracy is stronger than ever, but there is nobody better than Hillary. And if she doesn't win, there will never be a woman president ever!

So if you have a vagina, vote for her, and give Bill a blow job and keep your mouth shut about it afterwards or we will have to run your reputation through the mud so even your mother won't like you!; 6/9/15, 6:14 PM
Henry said...: BODYLESS HEAD IN TOPLESS DRESS; 6/9/15, 6:51 PM
David said...: It's the turtle look. Passivity. Draw back into that shell until the danger passes.; 6/9/15, 6:57 PM
Michael K said...: It is painful to think of Sarah Palin and HRC at the same time.

Hillary is what Diana Oughton would have looked like at 70 if she hadn't blown herself up.; 6/9/15, 7:40 PM
pm317 said...: OMG, give it a rest! Althouse; 6/9/15, 8:05 PM
Fabi said...: '...lightweight, non-working -- depending on men.

In other words: Hillary!; 6/9/15, 8:56 PM
Browndog said...: What the fuck?

Again, still...

I get the "I have my quirks, this is my blog..", but holy moly-

Meade...do something!; 6/9/15, 9:12 PM
RecChief said...: how dare anyone compare Hillary Clinton to Audrey Hepburn?!; 6/9/15, 9:19 PM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: + unlike those other ladies, Hillary is ugly.; 6/9/15, 9:20 PM
Louis said...: Will there be a Hillary and fashion tag if she is elected?; 6/9/15, 9:39 PM
Anonymous said...: Clinton is wearing a suit jacket with 3/4 sleeves. You can see she has a black shirt underneath. The material is stiff or it would not be standing up the way it is. Agree that the shininess of the fabric is unbecoming. Kennedy is also wearing a suit jacket with 3/4 sleeves. You fail to mention the other women are not wearing necklaces. The necklace in addition to the ribbon/medal are just too much going on. Simply removing the gold necklace would improve the outfit 50%. Clinton has zero sense of style and should replace whoever buys her clothes and selects her outfits.; 6/9/15, 9:48 PM
Anonymous said...: The picture of Hillary reminds me of the tiny-headed alien pawnshop owner named Jeebs in the Men in Black movies, played by Tony Shalhoub.; 6/9/15, 9:49 PM
ObeliskToucher said...: "Talk about my outfit, not Benghazi or email -- please!"; 6/9/15, 10:12 PM
Bay Area Guy said...: Mathematically speaking, the (1) ratio of the neck circumference to the collar circumference is too low, while the (2) wrinkle quotient and shrill factor are far too high; 6/9/15, 10:25 PM
Michael said...: Hillary's looks like a horse or ox collar. Maybe she's going to be pulling a wagon.; 6/9/15, 11:33 PM
JackOfClubs said...: I was thinking maybe one of the Quizarate Priests from Children of Dune.; 6/9/15, 11:39 PM
rcommal said...: You've neglected to describe the necks (the ones protruding through the collars of *whatever*). There are necklines and there are necks. What use is there in analyzing necklines without reference to necks, not to mention otherwise?; 6/10/15, 3:01 AM