The Atlantic - Latest Comments in Bamboo earrings, at least two pair

Re: Bamboo earrings, at least two pair

Erez Rothem - Diamond Master — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 17:44:45 -0000

Ther video above hsa been removed, what was it about...

Re: Bamboo earrings, at least two pair

T Harris — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 03:56:26 -0000

Tessa we will have to disagree.

Threading is by far the most efficient way to remove hair, and gives you the best shape. BUT it is also two - three minutes of PURE agony, worse than any waxing or tweezing.

Horrible. Necessity.

And to co-sign with some above folks, Palin's shoe game has been so on point. And if I was an RNC donor I would be LIVID that this is where my money was going- whether she needed a makeover or not.

They really could have spent a fraction of the cost at Banana Republic and gotten a good tailor to take it in. Terrible fiscal management here [/end tongue in cheek].

Re: Bamboo earrings, at least two pair

Tessa — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 21:45:17 -0000

What's an eyebrow threading? Sounds horrible.

Scott, I can't stop laughing at this. It does sound horrible (LOL, can't stop) but it's actually not that bad. "Threading" is an alternative to waxing; it's sort of like tweezing, using two threads to pluck out the hairs.

Re: Bamboo earrings, at least two pair

OGWiseman — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 19:02:37 -0000

Nobody hates Sarah Palin more than I do, but I'm with Campbell Brown on this one. Sarah Palin's appearance is part of her job. Most of the male commentators I saw had raging boners the week she got on the ticket, and that's not an accident. Part of her package as a politician is embodying a non-threatening ideal of femininity, and that includes dressing well and being attractive. Since it's part of her job, in my opinion it is only appropriate the campaign pay for her clothes and makeup. Did she spend too much money? She certainly spent more than I would have, but it's not for me to judge a question of degree like that. I think it's wasteful for both of these campaigns to hire private planes, but if that's what they think they need they are well within their rights to do it.

Re: Bamboo earrings, at least two pair

Insert nom de blog here — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 18:41:52 -0000

Beth: I had to de-lurk just for that comment! That Newsweek cover was just AWFUL. What the heck are they paying for? And apparently she needed a speech coach, too?

Well, whatever. They could drop $1 million in Dior and Palin will still be frozen over riffraff.

Re: Bamboo earrings, at least two pair

jaye — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 18:08:22 -0000

I think the point about Palin's sexuality is a good one. I read in some other blogs wondering whether it was a good thing that Palin came across as a powerful, sexual woman, and didn't try to hide it. That Hillary portrayed herself in one manner that was powerful, but that didn't mean that was the only way to exert power. The problem I have with Palin's pretty or sexuality, is that there's nothing to back it up. She's clever but uninformed. She's aggressive but ignorant. She's powerful but she's also incompetent.

So contrasting her to Rice, who I do not like, but I would never say that she wasn't capable or competent. So the knee high boots worked on her...because she was already so incredibly smart and competent, that adding a symbol of female sexuality only added to her power. She's already obviously a serious woman, so the boots don't take away from that. Palin's obviously superficial understanding of world politics and economics is painful, and to watch her try to bluff her way through foreign policy questions is insulting to women. The boots add to her superficiality, they add to the growing image of her as being all style and no substance. Watching her strut away from reporters in those boots...it made her look young and inexperienced.

I know that the Repubs are also always calling Obama young and inexperienced...but nothing in his manner, in his answers to reporters, in his tone of voice...nothing ever SEEMS young and inexperienced about him.

Re: Bamboo earrings, at least two pair

jt — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:38:11 -0000

So, did Palin at least buy American? I don't know fashion at all, but I'm hoping there was some French stuff mixed in there...

Re: Bamboo earrings, at least two pair

JMS — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:22:17 -0000

Slate sent a reporter fake shopping to Saks and other high priced stores to see if she could spend $150K. She had to use a lot of the money on jewelry, which is sort of cheating as far as I'm concerned, since jewelry is the one area where you can easily spend 10s of thousands of dollars on one item (remember the estimates of Cindy's convention outfits? by far, most of the cost was from jewelry). Also, she wasn't buying wedding dresses or ball gowns.

Of course I don't think the $150K was just on Sarah's wardrobe. There were clothes for the rest of the family (and probably Levi), stuff for the baby, and I think this also included hair and make up. And as some have pointed out, Sarah's old clothes seemed to range from tacky to dowdy. Not exactly starburst evoking stuff, so she pretty much had to start from scratch to get that red state vixen look.

Re: Bamboo earrings, at least two pair

moppet — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 12:47:54 -0000

Those shoes are great too, Beth. God. Now I have to go shoe shopping.

"Now, if I discovered that the Obama campaign went out and spent $150K on designer outfits and make-up for Joe Biden, I'd probably not donate to the Obama campaign again. Who wants to see their hard-earned money spent on something like that?"

For REAL. Because Joe doesn't look that good.

Re: Bamboo earrings, at least two pair

BelleIsa — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 12:29:15 -0000

Who cares!? There are so many more reasons to be angry with Sarah Palin then her very expensive clothing. Sure this doesn't fit with "the story," and perhaps I'm being narrow-minded, but who genuinely believed that Palin, or any of the candidates, don't wear designer clothing?

If she was wearing cheap clothing, it's be a problem. If she didn't dress up and play on her femininity, there'd be a problem. Sure she could have gone to Macy's or Target...but who cares?

Let's get over this and go back to being disgusted with Palin for reasons that matter, like all the ridiculous things she says, and the fact that she's completely incapable of being the nation's VP.

Re: Bamboo earrings, at least two pair

Scott — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 12:17:01 -0000

What's an eyebrow threading? Sounds horrible.

Also, why is anyone comparing what the Obamas spend on their own clothing to what the RNC has spent on Palin's? The Obamas, like just about everyone else in the world, buy their own clothing, with their own money.

The RNC has spent donated money on Palin's clothing. Other people's dough. Republican donor dough. And enough money, according to Marc Ambinder, to buy a week of advertising in Colorado. I doubt those sound like the right priorities to a Republican Ranger or Paladin or Grand Wizard or whatever the Republican big money guys are called these days.

I've donated to Obama and I like when I come across articles that describe just how cheap his campaign is. Yes, the convention speech in the stadium with the fireworks was a bit over the top, but I trust that, on the whole, the Obama campaign is spending my donation wisely.

Now, if I discovered that the Obama campaign went out and spent $150K on designer outfits and make-up for Joe Biden, I'd probably not donate to the Obama campaign again. Who wants to see their hard-earned money spent on something like that?

I'm sure there are a few Republican knuckleheads still willing to throw money away this election cycle, but I can't imagine that they're thrilled to hear about Palin's $150K makeover.

Re: Bamboo earrings, at least two pair

Anna — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 11:55:05 -0000

I am a 29 year old with a master's degree. I make $16,000 a year. I clip coupons and watch for sales. I also manage to look pretty good doing it. This woman is just infuriating. It would be a challange to me to have to spend that kind of money.

To justify this kind of spending is to have contempt for women, to have contempt for our judgement and have a hugely overblown estimation of our need to shop.

What a gd disgrace she is.

Re: Bamboo earrings, at least two pair

Laura — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 11:52:19 -0000

I see this as yet another example of her handlers' lack of control over the message. Women in the public eye are judged on their appearance more than men. As a result, savvy women in the public eye are very thoughtful and deliberate about what they're wearing and what kind of an impression it creates. I'm a lawyer and I damn well thought about everything I put on when I was trying a case or making a court appearance --- I wanted to make sure that my clothes were consistent with the message I wanted to deliver. Palin's people should have thought about the message it sends when she's wearing outfits that cost thousands of dollars but saying that she's a Real American Jo Sixpack.

Re: Bamboo earrings, at least two pair

BP Beckley — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 11:49:28 -0000

Hicks:

But I don't think the expense should be the point. I think that it's hypocritical to issue screeds touting the "real America" and claiming to be from the same Main Street as her idolizing base...with $5K on your back.

So...."real America" isn't under any circumstances allowed to wear nice clothes? That's a perogative of "unreal America", and Sarah Palin wearing them is proof that she's not really part of "real America" in the first place? Does this not seem a tad snobbish?

If they were really all about the "We're you, you're us," they would have given her $5K and sent her to Loehmann's and been done with it.

Well, the whole point is that she's one of them whether she's wearing the nice clothes or not, and who wants to look at ugly clothes on tv? I ask you, YOU know the new clothes don't change a thing, so why shouldn't THEY know that? Yeah, they can't afford to duplicate it. There's all kinds of things people see on tv that they can't afford.

Hicks again:

THIS is how they believe women should dress, behave, be. Fertile in red pumps with nothing of substance to say except all spit and fire defending your bailiwick.

Defending your baliwick at all costs is the default human behavior. I see no lack of it in these comments.

jaye:

Don't pretend to be a working class mother, then insult all the real working class moms by spending the cost of a college education on shoes and skirts. And she's going to give it to charity? Really...so the real working class moms shopping at Wal-mart and thrift stores to make ends meet can buy her cast-offs? That's insulting...and if the women supporting her aren't insulted...I don't even know what to think of them.

I disagree, you do know what to think of them, with the emphasis on "them".

I love the outpouring of concern for working class moms in this thread. If Sarah Palin actually did dress like one, y'all would be cracking on her for that. If the working class moms actually end up voting for McCain, you'll be calling them evil racists for years.

Re: Bamboo earrings, at least two pair

lebecka — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 11:48:40 -0000

Oh, and which commenter said that at least they didn't need to buy her purses? I wish they had-- check at this white canvas totebag with the moose cartoon on it. Again, I ask you.

http://sparklepony.blogspot.com/2008/10/ugh.html

A relatively cheap faux-leather tote would look better than that.

Also for the gentlemen who liked the knee high black suede boots-- let this picture show you why they are so wrong.

http://sparklepony.blogspot.com/2008/10/palin-attempting-to-channel-condi.html

She's just not up to those boots, boys. Just looks cheap in them. Now check out the picture of Condi next to Palin's picture. Can you say Death Star? That's how a _real_ woman looks in knee high black boots.

Re: Bamboo earrings, at least two pair

Mary — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 11:41:05 -0000

I had noticed, before knowing the cost, that SP's style is a better balance of femininity and kick-assity than most female politicians I've seen. (Nancy Pelosi, who buys designer, still seems caught in that 80s-shoulder-pads must-have-the-shoulders-of-men thing.) Finding this balance is something I think about a lot, since I'm a graduate student of philosophy in a program 90% men. I don't want to just dress like a man--it seems like pretending. Also, you can actually be far more intimidating when you do dress in womanly style (sans hoochy, of course)--men get this dazed look in their eye: "a chick just destroyed my argument?"

But I thought SP's style, while a step in the right direction, was still more a combination dominatrix and dowdy--alas, you can combine these two--than was really right.

I second the call for Tim Gunn to weigh in on this. He could weigh the practical costs of high-end fashion while still being able to judge the ups and downs of personal style.

Re: Bamboo earrings, at least two pair

SeanH — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 11:39:40 -0000

But the narrative their campaign was trying to write was about her folksy charm, and how "just like us" she is. Except she just spent more on her clothes than I bring home after taxes in three years.

It also undercuts their we'll-magically-find-all-the-inefficiencies-and-cut-the-budget narrative, which is a point I'd like to see either Obama or someone with a big stump make.

"We're supposed believe McCain will reverse Bush's reckless spending policies when he's spending $13,000 a week on his running mate's clothes..." or some such.

Re: Bamboo earrings, at least two pair

Kathy — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 11:35:31 -0000

Thanks Christina for bringing up the Robin Givhan post. She had a very interesting point about high heel boots. They worked for Condelezza Rice (and yes Ta-Nehisi I read your Rice, Rice, Baby piece). However, Rice, no matter her political views, is not an anti-intellectual, she actually has a pretty impressive academic background. She can get away with the sexy boots because she built up her credibility. Palin has not. Sexy boots only underlines her vapidness. I know that it gives conservative (oh what the heck, most)men star-bursts, but it doesn't make anyone take her seriously.

Re: Bamboo earrings, at least two pair

Beth — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 11:34:13 -0000

The peep-toes are great, Christina, but I was talking about these: (or a better close-up here, photo down to the left)

And Hicks - I think the general reaction to Palin shows the RNC thinkers missed their mark a bit, for the majority of the country. I look at her and think "She's so pretty. Look how pretty. Oh, pretty shoes, too..." Then she opens her mouth and, on a very base, almost child-like level, I feel betrayed by the prettypretty mommy spewing such un-pretty things. So they got the outside right - it's the bile-filled candy center they got wrong. IMO.

Re: Bamboo earrings, at least two pair

thatgirl — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 11:28:31 -0000

I understand having a wardrobe makeover in the sense that she's in the public eye and she'd probably get mocked for looking provincial or frumpy but to go so overboard like that?

I just can't conceive spending that amount of money on myself for any reason when things are so bad for everyone else. As far as the style thing goes, I have to admit I don't represent the white female population as a whole because I hate shopping, do not have a shoe collection and tend to hit the thrift store/clearance racks when I need to look decent for work.

I think what got me was the photo of her kid with the Louis Vuitton bag. WHY does an 11-year-old need one of those?

Re: Bamboo earrings, at least two pair

moppet — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 11:20:40 -0000

Also, I'd also really love to know what charity these outfits will end up at. I will get my ticket to Alaska now and hang out at the Wasilla Salvation Army if need be. Though sadly, I've got a bit too much "junk in the trunk" to handle those skirts, I think.

Re: Bamboo earrings, at least two pair

moppet — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 11:01:56 -0000

Beth, were you talking about the red peep-toe heels? They *are* great. If nothing else, she's bringing together American women over our common love of great shoes, and really, isn't that all that matters now? Nothing else going on in the world to pay attention to...

If ya'll haven't seen it already, Robin Givhan, the fashion writer for the Washington Post, has a great take on all this. Google it up.

Re: Bamboo earrings, at least two pair

scruncher — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 10:58:39 -0000

That's $2,000 a day. Yes, it's too much.

Re: Bamboo earrings, at least two pair

Hicks — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 10:50:55 -0000

Beth, you bring up an interesting point about the RNC person who did the shopping and picked these clothes; and further the brain-trust that picked Palin as the nominee. What it says, and what has always bothered me about the Palin pick, is that THIS is how they believe women should dress, behave, be. Fertile in red pumps with nothing of substance to say except all spit and fire defending your bailiwick.

Re: Bamboo earrings, at least two pair

Beth — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 10:36:12 -0000

$150 for a couple of months is stupid, but I don't really care and think this is yet another stoooooopid issue that the press loves to cover but that makes no real difference to anyone.

One observation: It's obvious that the RNC person who actually did the shopping has NO clue about how average (for lack of a better word) businesswomen dress - because cimilar clothes could have been bought for at least 1/4th the cash. For the record, the boots are meh and the red heels are freaking AWESOME.

But here's what keeps coming back to me, above all the rest: They spent like $13k on hair and makeup artists. THIRTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS, and yet she wasn't ready for her Newsweek close-up? Trust me (and I'm sure the ladies of all political stripes will back me up here) - for $13k, the beautician damn well better do a decent upper lip wax.

I mean REALLY. I can get an eyebrow threading in this city for $7. WTF is wrong that they can't manage it for $13,000?