"On the wardrobe: Like it or not, the way female politicians dress will always be analyzed more than the threads of their male counterparts. Both Sarah and the McCain campaign have been VERY cognizant of this fact. For Sarah's part, she practically trademarked her hairdo, glasses, and red powersuits in Alaska (and the first two nationally...I'll come back to the third). It was definitely a great look, but it was also done relatively cheaply (personal frugality is also a Palin trademark). On the other hand, the campaign people have put her through something of a makeover, encouraging her to buy expensive designer clothes (usually leather jackets of the sort often worn of Cindy McCain). I have nothing against these as occasional campaign expenses (especially for the convention), but they undermine the down-to-earth Palin persona and frankly they are just not Sarah. While I am actually a big fan of Cindy McCain's fashion sense, I think I'm going to hurl if that look continues to be applied to Sarah.
Why does this even matter? Because my guess is that the clothes will likely be the first thing to go if Sarah is to reinvent herself on her own terms (a reverse-makeover, if you will). Not that Sarah has to start shopping at Wal-Mart, but I think that "Revenge of the Red Powersuit" (also apparently on display today) is a quick and easy way signaling the public that Sarah is back in the driver's seat. It it really relevant, no; but symbolism is a big part of getting your message across.
Sarah Palin's Future: Look for a Reverse Makeover
