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Party spent $150K on Palin clothes
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-10-23 09:34 NEW YORK -- Who knew looking like a hockey mom was this darned expensive? Certainly not Wanda Routier, a proud hockey mom in Hewitt, Wisconsin, who spends her time in sweat pants, turtlenecks, ankle boots and heavy coats.
"I was put off by it," Routier said. "I mean I know they have an image to project, but that's a lot of money when we're talking about the economy the way it is! And the burden on ordinary Americans." But another hockey mom defended Palin. "I can certainly imagine her clothes would cost that much," said Page Growney, a mother of four in upscale New Canaan, Connecticut. "What did you want to see her in, a turtleneck from L.L. Bean?" As much of the world knows, Palin introduced herself at the Republican convention, in what's been widely reported to be a $2,500 Valentino jacket, as a "regular hockey mom," and boasted of having saved Alaska's taxpayers "over-the-top" expenditures like her luxury jet, her personal chef, even the ride to work. She has often talked of "real Americans" and "Joe Six-Pack" and projected a folksy demeanor in her vice presidential debate. "Let's do what our parents told us before we probably even got that first credit card," she said in that debate. "Don't live outside of our means." The average US household spent $1,874 on clothes and services in 2006, the last year for which figures are available from the government's Bureau of Labor Statistics. So her detractors were naturally having a field day with the revelations, first reported on Politico.com. They included a whopping $75,062 shopping spree at Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis, one for $49,425 from Saks Fifth Avenue, $4,902 at Atelier, a stylish men's store, and even a $92 romper and matching hat with ears for baby Trig at Pacifier, a Minneapolis baby store. "Nothing says Main Street quite like Saks Fifth Avenue," wrote Talking Points Memo's David Kurtz. The episode naturally raised questions about the propriety of using party money for such expenses. The Republican National Committee said the clothes belong to the committee, while John McCain's campaign said the clothing would go to a "charitable purpose" after the campaign. It also sought to deflect the issue by criticizing the media attention. "With all of the important issues facing the country right now, it's remarkable that we're spending time talking about pantsuits and blouses," said McCain spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt. But many thought the remarkable thing was the expenditures themselves, which also raised a cultural and sartorial question: Can a candidate who portrays herself as a woman of the people spend this much on clothes and remain credible? "She presents herself as Josephine Six-Pack, and I'll tell you this, Josephine Six-Pack wouldn't spend $150,000 on her wardrobe," said Lesley Jane Seymour, editor-in-chief of More magazine. "I'm all for 'shop 'til you drop.' But to be spending profligately when you're saying you're just one of the people, well, that's just bad marketing." One stylist, though, thought $150,000 was not excessive for a woman in such a prominent place. "Everything is relative," said Gretta Monahan, fashion adviser on "The Rachael Ray Show." "Sarah Palin's goal is to be the vice president of the United States and that's a pretty damned big job. The better your image is, the better people will receive you." |
