Kirsten Gillibrand is en Vogue

New York's junior senator works it in the pages of Vogue in a fabulous winter-white coat and camel sheath dress, both by Michael Kors. (All photos credit: Vogue)

New York Senator Kirstin Gillibrand is easily the chicest politician on Capitol Hill, and now her sartorial savvy has been made known beyond the Beltway. Gracing the pages of November's Vogue, Sen. Gillibrand struts her stuff in Michael Kors, Dolce and Gabbana and more.

We've talked about Gillibrand's senatorial stylishness before. She dresses the part of a senior politician representing the home of America's fashion industry, the perfect mix of power dresses, separates and suits, elevated by an innate understanding of what makes a quality garment and what works on her. And though she abides by DC's more conservative "rules," as one Nanette Lepore PR flack put in the Vogue piece, her style is still so much more than standard DC fashion fare.

Her petite frame, blonde hair and fair skin certainly belie her political demeanor, but she knows her fashion and wears it well.

A great wardrobe, an adorable family, a giant office in Russell Senate Office Building... What's not to be envious of?

And the article in Vogue couldn't paint Sen. Gillibrand in a more flattering light. In an interview with POLITICO, writer Jonathan Van Meter described her comfortable ease, her sharp wit and her ambitiousness. But Van Meter also got some juicy bits: Since having her second child in 2008, Sen. Gillibran has lost more than 40 lbs. of baby weight through strict diet and lots of tennis.

Van Meter also said that Sen. Gillibrand "wasn’t worried about how it was going to be perceived. And I loved how she wasn’t concerned about that. Some women lawmakers refuse to be fashionable and [Vogue Editor-in-Chief] Anna Wintour thinks, 'Well, why can’t you be?'"

So, DC politicians, take note: You can be powerful, successful and still stylish. In fact, it might be beneficial to your overall communications strategy. After all, how many other members of Congress can boast six-page spreads in Vogue in their news clips?

Sen. Gillibrand strolls through the halls of the Capitol with some dedicated aides and a beautiful Dolce and Gabbana jacket and dress.

Political Prowess vs. Sartorial Splendor

Credit: New York Magazine

Over the weekend, New York Magazine's The Cut blog featured this awesome photo of New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand cutting a rug at Saks during Fashion's Night Out. How chic does she look in her Nanette Lepore LBD and pumps? If you asked me, I would never guess she's a politician.

But her reason to look good is precisely because she's a politician, and it just underscores just how important it is to dress for the job you want. She says: "There was a press conference on a windy day where I didn’t look my best, and that was the picture my opponents used in negative ads for two years."

In the era of ratings-driven cable television news and 24/7 Internet coverage, looking polished at all times has never been more crucial for a politician - particularly females. Men only need to wear a standard, well-fitting suit, but women face more options and, honestly, far more criticism. Remember Hillary Clinton during the 2008 primaries? Same jacket, three colors. And Barack Obama faced not even a fraction of sartorial scrutiny now-Secretary of State Clinton did.

I can't say the double standard is necessarily unfair. On the red carpet, men can wear a killer Tom Ford or Burberry tux and be fine; only those that deviate wildly from the norm are scrutinized harshly. Celebrity women, generally speaking, ask to be judged by their sartorial choices.

But another group of women in the national spotlight - female politicians - ask to be judged by their ideas and issues, and, often, the superficial aspects get in the way. But a well-coiffed and styled woman looks more put together. It really is PR 101. First impressions are extremely important. After all, if you can't manage to control yourself and your appearance, how can you be expected to do the same for your constituency? Why settle for merely functional when you can be fabulous? (Thanks, Neiman Marcus, for that gem.) Show your voters you take pride in yourself - more than be bare minimum. Show them you can go above and beyond what is expected into what is exceptional. Secondly, why give anyone - opponents, media, even friends and family - a reason to tear you down - particularly for a reason as cosmetic and frivolous as that?

And finally, one of the best parts of being a woman is the vast range of options with which we have to express ourselves stylishly. Fashion allows us a point of view to which men have limited access: Are you a free spirit or more classic? Are you girly or edgy? Given the crucial importance of the sound byte, we can't discount the significant value of what an image of a politician looking impeccable can do for her political career. Clothing choices often speak volumes when words aren't necessarily an option. Take Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who often wears purple suits - a symbol of royalty, the suffragettes and perhaps bipartisanship (ha).

I admire Senator Gillibrand for being so upfront about her stylish predilections. In a way, it's sort of brilliant political move: Fashion is a huge industry for her state and its constituents, which she noted on Friday, saying "We want to enhance this industry. It generates ten billion dollars in salaries. It's a fundamentally New York industry! We have double the number of designers that Paris has."

But is it necessary in the political world to discuss these things? Not really, as long as you look OK talking about what matters - the economy, national security, etc. As most other female members of Congress show - particularly members like Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine or Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington - if you are knowledgeable and thoughtful on the issues, your fashion choices become tertiary.

Want to read more about politically-minded fashionistas? Check out some of my favorite blogs on the subject:

• Capitol Hill Style
• The Style of Politics
• Politics and Style

And we can continue to look to the ever-stylish FLOTUS for fashion inspiration. Michelle Obama dresses for her body and often looks impeccable (let's ignore the heinous sweater she wore in France last year). Visit Mrs-O.org to check out her latest looks.

PS. Want to steal Senator Gillibrand's look? Pick up a similar Nanette dress here. Want to rock her black pumps? Try these Louboutins or Kate Spade heels.

Pandas and Politics: Gubernatorial Gaffe

Fashion is a passion of mine, but my bread and butter is the political world. This new segment, which will appear at my discretion, features politics and pandas, the cutest animal known to mankind and also the most expressive.

Photo Credit: AP

This inaugural "Pandas and Politics" post is dedicated to Jan Brewer, governor of Arizona, at first most famous among non-Arizona residents for implementing the strictest immigration laws in the US, but now better known for completely flubbing her opening and closing remarks in a recent gubernatorial debate. 


Watch her crash and burn here.


Personally, I feel pretty badly for Governor Brewer. Most people lose their trains of thought one time or another, but most gaffes don't end up on Good Morning America, MSNBC and all over the Internet. To make matters worse, this morning, I Googled "so embarrassing can't watch," and Jan Brewer was the first result. 


Let's give Governor Brewer a break and see what else might you have missed in the political world this week.

• President Obama decided the Oval Office needed to look more like a rec room, and the New York Times has pictures of the dowdy do-over in its cleverly titled piece "The Audacity of Taupe." FYI - none of it was done on the "taxpayer dollar," Robert Gibbs thoughtfully assured us.
• We can all be glad that the White House has ruled out a follow-up to the not-so-successful stimulus bill, The Hill reports.
• In an election year that has the GOP poised to win big at the polls, nearly 300 women are candidates in gubernatorial and congressional elections. The Huffington Post asks, is it the "Year of the Businesswoman"?