I noticed Alex Witt and Kristen Welker both opining this morning about the utterly horrid humidity they experienced earlier this same morning. Alex Witt even sort of conceded it wasn't something they'd ordinarily do - "we don't often cover fashion." That is one really worthwhile observation. Because to "cover fashion" does imply something slightly frivolous and superficial.
HOWEVER - in a case like THIS, it becomes quite a valuable insight to bring into the coverage. Witt AND Welker both, properly and accurately, mentioned the miserable weather - heat, AND evidently some pretty ungodly HUMIDITY. They also pointed out Hillary was dressed in another of her professional outfits as appropriate for any woman executive in a high-credibility position, especially a woman running for POTUS as the first major-party candidate. Clothing and apparel styles become important to the credibility quotient. She couldn't afford to show up at an event as important and serious as a 9/11 anniversary commemoration in shorts and a tank top. Nor could she afford to dress in a light, flowy pastel garden-party-style dress. The event called for subdued attire, respectful dark colors, and NO SUPERFLUOUS SKIN showing! No skin showing AT ALL.
At her age, I wouldn't expect Hillary to dress in shorts and a tank top to go out and pull weeds in her garden! She'd want to cover up to avoid sun exposure on her arms and legs. She'd probably wear jeans because gardening requires kneeling down on the ground a lot. And she'd probably wear a hat to keep the sun off her face and neck. I'm 63 and that's how I dress to go out on a hot day (and we don't have much of a humidity problem here in SoCal). Never without a broad-rimmed hat for maximum sun coverage.
But I'm not out there running for President and having to worry about things men NEVER would have to worry about. For example:
How do I look?
How's the rear view?
Heels too high? I've gotta be on my feet all day. Can't afford to wobble or lose balance or get heel stuck in a grating or something.
How's my hemline?
Pants or skirt? Which is easier to sit in?
Probably need jacket. How's the weight - fabric too heavy/too light?
Do my upper arms telegraph "age"? Better wear sleeves...
GENUINELY - does this make my butt look fat? SERIOUSLY, considering how catty the press can be, this actually IS an issue.
Will I be in the sun all day? Need a sun hat? Will that look too casual/"royalist" (putting on airs)/off-putting?
What colors should I wear? A typically somber 9/11 tribute would NOT be the place to wear hot pink or pastel prints.
BTW - I noticed how Nikki Haley dressed back during that period after the horrible church shooting in Charleston SC. She always seemed to want people to make sure to see her. She always wore "look-at-ME" outfits. Light-colored hard-to-miss suits in gatherings where everybody else is in dark clothing. She wore a blinding white suit for the event when they took down the hate rag. EVERYBODY else there, male and female, was dressed in literally a BLINDING white skirted suit. All it did was telegraph "ME!!! LOOK AT ME!!!! DON'T MISS ME!!!!" I kept mumbling to myself, "this AIN'T about YOU, girlfriend."
By contrast, mind you, Hillary herself chose a blinding white pantsuit on the night she accepted the nomination. At the convention. NOT a solemn occasion by any measure. And by contrast to the CONfederate flag-lowering, this occasion WAS about her. It was ALL ABOUT Hillary. Hillary was making history that night. It WAS about her. Why not wear a bright "look-at-me" outfit in an occasion like that! It was like being the Birthday Girl or the Guest-of-Honor or something. Not AT ALL similar to Nikki Haley's attention-hogging outfit choice which I felt was grossly inappropriate for the occasion.
Seems like total superficial frippery, but a prominent woman actually HAS TO think of this shit. Men don't have to deal with it. It tends to be a non-issue with men (unless of course you're Al Gore and some smart-ass wants to make shit out of your wearing earth tones). Just throw your business suit on and that's that. And nobody cares that much. A man would have to show up either nude or in a Peewee Herman costume to get shit for what he was wearing.
Just remember - the shit someone like Kate Middleton has taken when her skirt accidentally blows in the wind and the Queen is there to indicate displeasure because she thinks it's too much. Hell, by now, Duchess Kate has to have weights sewn into her hems to keep her skirt from billowing up in a gust of wind! Like her grandmother-in-law has had to do, and Will's late mom had to do. That's how nit-picky SHE has to be. Or she has to wear something like a coat dress, or something with a tight skirt or heavier fabric that isn't loose or airy enough to catch the wind. And Hillary would have to face the same superficial concerns if she wore skirts and dresses all the time, too.
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