Well Suited
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reaking glass ceilings can be hard, especially when the ceiling you’re breaking is the highest office in the free world. Men have ruled this country for too long; women are far underrepresented in our government, our businesses, and in almost all leadership roles. However, the 2016 election cycle markets progress—a step in the right direction. A step made while adorned in red, white, and blue. There is no denying the misogynistic rhetoric that clouded this election cycle, most of which came from the president-elect. Unfortunately, the outside world contributed the rest in all shapes and colors. Hillary Clinton was nitpicked in a way her opponents were not. While her policies and beliefs came into question, so did her looks, and her stance as a mother and wife. The clothes on her back were not just fashion choices—they became statements, apparently equivalent to the policies she proposed, in many listener's minds. Aside from the obvious, there is another reason this election cycle will go down in history: a candidate’s sartorial choices have never before
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Text: Marisa Dellatto Illustration: Morgan Wright
dominated the public’s attention like they did this year. Clearly, this discussion sparked from sexism. It’s no secret that women are judged much more for their looks than their male counterparts are. While most of the Republican candidates showed up to each debate in similar dark navy suits and red ties, it was Clinton’s outfits that were spoken about on the news the next day. Although Bernie Sanders, who became famous for his unapologetic, raspy rhetoric of reform and unconvention, donned the same oversized suit jacket and unkempt hairstyle for each public appearance, it was Clinton’s pantsuits that became a running joke. The fact that this fixation on clothing showed up along the campaign trail as the country chose the first female nominee from a major political party was not a coincidence. Clinton has been in the public eye for most of her professional career. She was a boho-chic law student, wearing bold, wide-rimmed glasses only a hipster could love. It was the time of flower power, and her long hair and frills were evidence of the freethinking she participated in during this era of education and self-discovery. Her wedding day choice—an ivory, empire waist, bottom-tiered dress with EM MAGAZINE
a collar and bell sleeves—screamed ‘70s. It was understated and modest, perfect for the Clintons’ living room ceremony. Her clothes continued to change with the times, as did her career and title. As the first lady of Arkansas, the “Annie Hall” look dominated Clinton’s closet. Mixing masculine pieces with the extremely feminine, she compromised these starkly different aesthetics to be professional yet approachable. In short, she dressed like the ideal politician's wife. As an impassioned first lady of the country, Clinton’s now-signature monochromatic look arose. Her style became more streamlined, and branched off from first ladies before her. She was no Jackie O—Clinton famously donned the same bubblegum pink as the sweetheart widow, though with her own twist in a tweed blazer, as she uttered the chilling “Women’s rights are human rights” speech in China. Her looks became more tailored and finessed, a clear sign that she was not simply a doting wife, but an important political figure ready to roll up her sleeves. As the senator of New York, and, later, the secretary of state, her clothing was even more tactful. The