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About That Wardrobe . . .

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Blog Related
Posted on Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 05:47:41 PM EST
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The story of the Palin family wardrobe.

This is an Open Thread.

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    About That Wardrobe . . . | 48 comments (48 topical)

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    Well, at least it's in the Style section. (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by steviez314 on Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 05:51:58 PM EST


    I would be happy to let (5.00 / 2) (#3)
    by vml68 on Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 06:02:43 PM EST
    Lisa Kline shop for me. She has great taste.

    A wardrobe in three days? (5.00 / 2) (#5)
    by Fabian on Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 06:06:49 PM EST
    I am impressed.  And I am a bit disappointed in the lack of planning by the campaign.  That's really short notice!

    Parent
    No kidding. (5.00 / 1) (#10)
    by vml68 on Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 06:24:32 PM EST
    I recently had to buy a formal gown for an occasion and it took me three weeks of looking online online and five different malls before I found something I was satisfied with. I loathe shopping and usually pick the first thing that is relatively decent. I can't imagine buying a whole wardrobe in three days.

    Parent
    I can do a whole season in one afternoon (none / 0) (#11)
    by Jeralyn on Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 06:31:37 PM EST
    In fact, that's how I usually do it. (But I've never worn or bought a formal gown.)

    Parent
    More power to you. (5.00 / 1) (#14)
    by vml68 on Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 07:02:15 PM EST
    I love having beautiful clothes and shoes. I just don't like shopping for them. Part of the problem is that I am petite (height and weight) so finding something that fits right and is attractive is hard to find. If I see a blouse/pants I like, I buy them in every color they have!

    Parent
    Jeez (none / 0) (#19)
    by Zorba on Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 08:06:37 PM EST
    three weeks of looking for a formal gown?  It took me one day of mall blitzing (a definite fail) and then two hours online, and I am tall and plus-size, which is also not easy.  Thank goodness for Bloomingdale's online!  The gown was attractive, fit great, and Bloomie's made it awfully easy to return if it had not fit.  The price was also attractive (the gown cost less than the rental on my husband's white tie and tails, and I got to keep the gown).

    Parent
    Have you seen the designs for (none / 0) (#25)
    by vml68 on Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 08:51:45 PM EST
    gowns made in petite sizes? I wear a 0P and sometimes a 2P. I don't have trouble finding attractive cocktail dresses but most of the more formal wear is designed for ladies of a "certain age" and I have a while to go before I hit that age bracket....:-)

    Parent
    Oh, dear (none / 0) (#26)
    by Zorba on Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 08:58:27 PM EST
    Yes, I can imagine that someone of your size and age could have a problem.  Although, those of us who are larger also run into problems- formal gowns can tend to resemble mumus, or something appropriate for a great-grandmother.

    Parent
    I love how it never occurred (5.00 / 1) (#4)
    by Maryb2004 on Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 06:06:36 PM EST
    to this dressup consultant to go to, I don't know, Macy's instead of Needless Markup.  At least for the kids' clothes.  And the husband's.  How was anyone on TV going to know where Todd's suit came from?  And they obviously had their own tailors standing by for alterations.

    Yep, I'm sure there were no time pressures (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 06:14:53 PM EST
    at all on her...

    Parent
    From the article...... (5.00 / 2) (#7)
    by vml68 on Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 06:18:10 PM EST
    With less than 24 hours before the Palins' national debut on the tarmac, it was decided that the luxury retailer Neiman Marcus, which has a store in Minneapolis, offered the best available selection for the circumstances.


    Parent
    And it was a holiday weekend (none / 0) (#8)
    by Cream City on Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 06:20:09 PM EST
    This article explains a lot.  The buyer did what she was told to do, against odds.  It was the campaign that lost control of it all -- and let half of the ticket hang for it.  Teh stoopid.

    Parent
    Do you have any clue about (5.00 / 1) (#32)
    by gyrfalcon on Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 12:23:58 AM EST
    how horribly cheap clothes stand up to the hard wear of a business trip, never mind a campaign?  Give me a break.

    Parent
    Not to mention that when you (5.00 / 3) (#38)
    by vml68 on Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 08:00:22 AM EST
    have spotlights on you and a hundred camera flashes going off, the last thing you want to be wearing is ill-fitting, cheap looking clothes.

    Someone said to me once, "Clothes don't make the man, but they do make first impressions."

    Parent

    Almost makes me nostalgic (5.00 / 1) (#13)
    by Radiowalla on Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 06:42:09 PM EST
    for talk of Al Gore's earth tones and Hillary Clinton's cleavage.

    I weep (5.00 / 3) (#31)
    by ruffian on Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 10:08:04 PM EST
    for the high pressure life of a stylist

    As for her fee of $54,900, reported in campaign filings, it also covered an assistant and some expenses. She said the high fee was justified because styling the Palins was a last-minute holiday weekend assignment that had Ms. Kline sleeping no more than a few hours at a time. "It's very hard to put a figure on a 24-hour day," she said.

    Not bad pay for a 3 day weekend, even if it were split 50/50 with an assistant. Must be tough going three whole days with only a few hours sleep at a time.  

    But I missed the part of the article where Palin instructed her to only pick out clothes with inappropriately tight short skirts. Instead Kline picked out the kind of clothes she picks out for all of her professional woman clients. I'm sure Kline is also leaving out the story of how Palin asked her to 'tart up' the Valentino jacket.

    That was nuts, eh? (5.00 / 3) (#33)
    by nycstray on Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 12:33:02 AM EST
    Since when did wearing a pencil skirt skimming the top of your knee make you a tart?!

    I don't wear "professional" clothes, but I thought Palin looked comfortable and was able to be herself unrestricted by her clothes while at the same time being dressed "appropriately" for the different situations.

    Parent

    Kline chose (5.00 / 1) (#34)
    by gyrfalcon on Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 12:33:50 AM EST
    that career, but you choose a career like that largely because it pays very well.  Me, I'm the opposite.  I quit a high-pressure well-paying job for low pressure, low pay, but peace of mind and a life I can call my own.  Each to his own.

    Parent
    Deja vu? (5.00 / 1) (#35)
    by gyrfalcon on Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 12:41:56 AM EST
    Does it strike anybody else as strongly as it does me how reminiscent this stuff is of the lies and gross distortions that were perpetrated about the Clintons -- the supposed trashing of the White House and Air Force One, and especially the "looting" of White House antiques and the "gift registry" -- as they were leaving the White House?

    Got to give it to the Republicans, I guess, that they're just as willing to trash one of their own with lies as they are Democrats.

    It's official (none / 0) (#2)
    by CoralGables on Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 05:52:45 PM EST
    It's Palinpalooza 24-7

    And judging by the number of comments today, the price doesn't even have to be reduced here to make it a best seller.

    It's about clothes (none / 0) (#16)
    by Militarytracy on Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 07:43:34 PM EST
    I can't help myself.

    Parent
    But were there (5.00 / 1) (#24)
    by CoralGables on Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 08:50:05 PM EST
    Rainbows on the shopping list?

    Parent
    Who hired her? (none / 0) (#9)
    by Jeralyn on Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 06:23:36 PM EST
    At the time, credit for the shopping went to Jeff Larson. Here are the expenditures. The $75,0000 to Neiman Marcus and $49,000 to Saks was paid through Larson on 9/10. There's very little payment directly to Kline. There are also exenditures to Macy's, Barney's and other stores.

    Lisa Kline's payments are 9/25, probably reimbursement for her expenses for the RNC. There's one for $725.00 for a car service, not too much for clothes.

    As to Jeff Larson,

    Larson is the Karl Rove protégé who's a principal in the robocalling firm of FLS Connect (the "FLS" stands for Tony Feather, Jeff Larson, and Tom Synhorst*, all veteran Republican political operatives). Larson's firm is the same one that launched the scurrilous robocalls against John McCain in 2000, and that McCain has now hired to make robocalls connecting Barack Obama to Bill Ayers. He's also well known in Minnesota for leasing his basement apartment at a steeply discounted rate to embattled Republican Senator Norm Coleman. Evidently, Larson also has quite the eye for women's fashion. Even hateful liberals would have to admit that Palin dresses awfully nicely.

    So was Larson taking credit for Kline's talented selections?

    not the impression i got. (5.00 / 2) (#12)
    by cpinva on Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 06:32:40 PM EST
    So was Larson taking credit for Kline's talented selections?

    he appears to be strictly "he of the hefty credit card limit", having nothing to do with the actual selections themselves.

    perhaps, one shouldn't wait until (almost literally) the last moment, to decide on a running mate. if you're going to do that, pick one that comes already packaged, not a nobody from nowhere.

    i'll give ms. palin this one, it sounds like the campaign managers (with sen. mcain's help) screwed up.

    Parent

    Who buys a $2500 jacket from Saks (none / 0) (#15)
    by Militarytracy on Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 07:42:27 PM EST
    and then restyles the whole thing?  Perhaps she got it on Sarah and then noticed that swoops of fabric needed to be removed, buttons replaced, and sleeves shortened to 3/4.  It should have been taken back.  It's excessive, and not what I would call alterations either.  Alterations don't tend to change style, only fit of the style.  Based on that I don't think this was what I would have termed a pro.  And she had no designers on speed dial that weren't going to jump at dressing Palin?  I bet the women of Wall Street know where to buy a jacket three days before Labor Day. I think she did a poor job considering what she was paid for her services.

    3 days before Labor Day (5.00 / 2) (#21)
    by nycstray on Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 08:07:49 PM EST
    is the Friday that everyone is exiting the city. She mentions in the article that most of her connections weren't available that day on that short of notice.

    Remember, she was buying clothes on the fly for a woman she had never seen in person. The alterations weren't really that extensive. The fabric in front could have overwhelmed Palin where as another person of similar size might have pulled it off better. Styling is fluid, not exact. You don't take things back, you make things work in the moment and then deal with everything else when the job is complete. That jacket may have been the best color and basically best looking on her with the alterations. Do you recall the images of Hillary's outfits being held up against the backdrop before her selection was made for her convention speech? A Wall Street woman might know where to get a jacket, but would it be 'right'?

    Parent

    My grandmother was a tailor (none / 0) (#22)
    by Militarytracy on Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 08:16:51 PM EST
    I grew up sewing.  Considering that the item was a jacket and not simply a blouse it would require professional steam pressing during altering and considering that the jacket was lined so the lining must be altered too, it was extensive and I still struggle to call it alterations.  Pro stylists dress people very often that they have never met in emergencies.  She could put together a couple of outfits to buy herself a couple of days in real time, and then completed the whole wardrobe process without all this "stress" that she claims was there.  Items could have been transported to Palin if she was on the road or an assistant could have taken them to her if the stylist was not able to.  This woman had time to create a "photo look book" but she didn't have time to do anything else?  Sorry, I ain't buying it.

    Parent
    And this is a quote from the article (none / 0) (#23)
    by Militarytracy on Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 08:24:28 PM EST
    that is contained in the photo spread.  The stylist didn't write it, I can't tell who did but I completely agree with it.

    Most of her bracelet sleeve jackets are so generic-looking that they could have come from any of the favored designers of Washington politicians: Oscar de la Renta, Escada and St. John.



    Parent
    I would think that was a plus (none / 0) (#28)
    by nycstray on Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 09:28:34 PM EST
    since she was portraying herself as 'different'. Bad enough we had the "scandal" over the price, just imagine the fainting spells if they could attach names to all her outfits  ;)

    I used to work as a stylist. Quite different from sewing or tailoring. That's one job I certainly don't miss . . . . Oy.

    Parent

    As a stylist (none / 0) (#39)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 08:30:01 AM EST
    Do you think that the Palin stylist did a decent  job?  Me personally, I would call her a professional shopper with a seamstress. Would you have a done a better job and what would you have done differently?

    Parent
    Actually, I know a woman (none / 0) (#29)
    by Inspector Gadget on Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 09:34:31 PM EST
    who makes a very nice living just remaking the exceptionally expensive shoes and clothes for the ultra-wealthy locals. She once showed me a pair of $1900 boots she was preparing to cut into just to add some ribbons because the woman who bought them actually wanted a pair of boots she saw in a magazine and couldn't find them.

    Parent
    There's a ton of money in it (none / 0) (#44)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 10:13:58 AM EST
    once you have the clientele that wants it done. With the upcoming economic crush I suspect there will be a lot of "wealthy" looking to remake what they already have too.  But they are remaking what they already have.  This woman bought a very expensive jacket and then immediately remade it and she claims that time was an issue.  I can promise there were other jackets out there already made that would have serviced just as well and they did not cost 2500. It's a bizarre story to me.

    Parent
    No, I'm actually talking about (5.00 / 1) (#48)
    by Inspector Gadget on Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 02:28:36 PM EST
    women who purposely buy exceptionally expensive clothes and shoes that are "close" to what they want, then have this woman remake them into it...that can be simply because it was the color and fabric they wanted.

    Being around the ultra-wealthy is always a trip :)


    Parent

    Even if the restyling takes an hour... (5.00 / 2) (#43)
    by sj on Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 09:55:10 AM EST
    ... or two, that is still less time than schlepping back to the store and re-shopping.  (Returning an item is time consuming and I'm sure would be delayed.)

    Alterations don't tend to change style, only fit of the style.  Based on that I don't think this was what I would have termed a pro.

    Odd, because based on that is what makes me view her as a consummate professional.  A good fashion stylist is just a step down from a fashion designer.  May not have the vision, but they have the "eye".  They can take what you have as a "starter kit" and work with it.  It's easier when they have time to do professionial shopping, but restyling something unsuitable that you already have, and turning it into The Right Thing is an awesome skill.

    Parent

    I completely agree with you (none / 0) (#45)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 10:30:58 AM EST
    A good fashion stylist is just a step down from a fashion designer.  May not have the vision, but they have the "eye".

    She claims that time was a HUGE factor though, and if she is a good stylist she knows what the current collections are made up of and who sells what.  Business attire often isn't in collections and she would have known who sold the best there too. So even though it was close to Labor Day, she would have known people and what was available from whom and even who sold what to what retailers since she claims she had to go "retail".  Only the RNC could have such poor stylist assets.

    Parent

    And the jacket she ended up with (none / 0) (#46)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 10:33:18 AM EST
    was unremarkable.  So much effort for something unremarkable is not a skill to me :)

    Parent
    Here is a photo of the altered (none / 0) (#47)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 10:50:31 AM EST
    jacket.  Valentino would probably tell you that they completely ruined it too :)  It doesn't seem to hang very well in this photo, the press on the front looks like it isn't holding either.  I think this is +$2500 of sadness, but the eye of the beholder and all :)

    Parent
    But if money is no object.... (none / 0) (#17)
    by Radiowalla on Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 07:50:20 PM EST


    Parent
    The stylist says that wasn't what drove (none / 0) (#18)
    by Militarytracy on Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 07:56:14 PM EST
    this binge buying, time was of the essence....except it takes an hour to buy a jacket and days to completely remake a jacket :)

    Parent
    Where does it say that they had to remake (5.00 / 2) (#37)
    by vml68 on Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 07:51:02 AM EST
    her jacket? Changing out buttons and shortening sleeves does not take days. A really good seamstress can do it in less than half an hour.
    Now if they were taking a size 10 jacket and remaking it into a size 4, that would take time.

    Parent
    Shortening the sleeves of a lined item? (none / 0) (#40)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 08:33:23 AM EST
    Made from suit fabric....with the pressing required and then also adjusting the lining and reattaching it?  I don't see how anyone could have done that in half an hour.

    Parent
    I had suit pants with lining (none / 0) (#41)
    by vml68 on Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 08:46:42 AM EST
    shortened in 1/2hr once so I am assuming that sleeves that are probably half the width can also be done.
    I don't recommend doing it unless it is an emergency situation because of the cost of the service... :-)

    Parent
    Trousers wouldn't need such pressing (none / 0) (#42)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 09:24:17 AM EST
    unless they are cuffed.  If they are cuffed that wouldn't be a quickie job either but easier than jacket work.  Otherwise, in trousers a softer look at the hem is desired and a regular iron can do the job and usually preferred because hems are the most common alteration in suit clothing.  In jackets you have to contend with interfacing issues too at the lapels, collar, shoulders, the swoop would have been attached to a shoulder and the lapel I'm guessing or maybe shoulder to shoulder.   Where ever they removed the swoop of fabric, the seam would have also needed to be closed and a jacket must appear impeccable, it isn't a quickie job like hemming trousers can be.  If the swoop was from shoulder to shoulder, the seam at the top of shoulder gets a lot of scrutiny too and there is usually extra padding there in the way of whatever mending or altering needs done, and fixing the lining in that area properly would not have been a simple job either.  I remember my grandmother always soft pressing everything too, then there was a final fitting before she used the commercial press because once you use that it is very difficult to remove that press....it's there like forever and ever.  And I'm never allowing BTD to suck me into a clothing discussion about Palin again.  She can go naked now and there are no cameras we know of recording it :)

    Parent
    This just happened in the kitchen (none / 0) (#20)
    by Militarytracy on Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 08:07:39 PM EST
    and it involves clothing.  Joshua was in a school play today and he played a Senator.  As usual he comes home and then removes as many clothes as possible without shaming all of us.  He walks into the kitchen in his underwear and a light blue long sleeve button down shirt.  His sister tells me all he needs is socks on.  I didn't get it at first, so I asked her what she meant and she said if he had socks on he'd look just like Brad Pitt in that old movie called um.......'Footloose'.

    Hahahaha (none / 0) (#27)
    by Repack Rider on Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 09:11:03 PM EST
    Ha

    Ahahaha...

    snif

    It couldn't happen to a less intelligent, more vindictive and incompetent bunch. Even it the rap is unjustly pinned on Palin, it's the inescapable and indelible image the world associates with her.  Quick, what do we remember about Imelda Marcos?

    We all know how it happened,  There are "can do" types around a campaign who will Get The Job Done and deal with the fallout later.  Somebody plunked down a credit card and found a stylist and said Get The Job Done and The Job Got Done.

    And then there was a s#!tstorm with Palin the focus.  In light of the incredible fail she brings to every attempt at real governance as well as to the McCain campaign, feeling sorry for Palin over this minor injustice would be like feeling sorry for Al Capone because his wife cheated on him.

    I agree w/Ms. Kline. Sarah Palin looked (none / 0) (#30)
    by oculus on Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 10:02:35 PM EST
    great.  (PS All you out there who are not a size 4 or 6--I think you are just jealous of Ms. Palin!!!)

    Some of us small sizers (5.00 / 3) (#36)
    by nycstray on Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 01:03:57 AM EST
    are jealous also ;)

    Parent
    About That Wardrobe . . . | 48 comments (48 topical)

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