What Dana Perino wore last week - YouLookFab Forum

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What Dana Perino wore last week

Anya

Hi Ladies,
Normally I don’t pay attention to what the White House press secretary is wearing, but watching the news last night I couldn’t help but wonder what was Dana Perino thinking last week when picking these two outfits. Just wanted to share this with you… I’m all for professional women wearing something other than suits, but to me her two outfits below look like a bit much for an official WH briefing… Do you think this is appropriate?
(sorry, the quality of the photos is not great. these are screenshots from an online video)
From the July 24th Briefing:

http://i44.photobucket.com/alb.....Perino.jpg

From the July 28th Briefing:
http://i44.photobucket.com/alb.....Perino.jpg

Anya

General

17 replies

Latest reply was from Anya

Nicole

Veteran

Anya, do you think the outfits are too dressy? It's hard to tell just by looking at head and shoulders...but I don't see anything wrong with it. Better than a black suit with a white blouse.

Ana

(website)

Veteran

I think they look okay. I love the little blouse with the stand up collar. Is there an official dress code for this sort of thing?

Bravo for keeping up with White House briefings. I should pay more attention to that sort of thing. At first I was thinking, "Who's Dana Perino?" I lost track after Ari Fleischer/Tony Snow.

Anya

Nicole, i wish i could find professional pictures, so that it would show better.
wrt to the white blose (second link) – I do like the blouse by itself, but, honestly, i thought that it was a bit frivolous for an official white house briefing.
wrt to the jacket (first link) - it's the pattern and its (pattern's) mustard color that bugs me. i don't think it's flattering at all, and the pattern seems kind of “loud” for the occasion…
Like Ana, I wonder if there’s an official dress code for the WH briefings… I guess not really

Tanya

Veteran

I do not particularly like the first outfit, but see nothing wrong with it. The blouse in the second one i actually like a lot. Unless she was breaking some official dress code, she is probably fine.

Anonymous

I may not have noticed it, but since you bring it up, I do think it is very casual for the occasion. If a man wore something creative in that situation I'm sure I would find it a bit odd. She broke out of the mold and I don't know if it is appropriate or not. I agree that the first picture jacket is not attractive, and the second picture blouse is. Usually they dress conservative so that their words are most important.

Alecia

Veteran

This is an interesting thread and it actually touches on a subject that I was thinking of asking Angie to address. As a lobbyist who looks and sounds young, I have found that wearing a suit suits me best in this setting. Helps lend me some credence from the get go. But at the same time, I really would love to incorporate touches of flair and youthfulness. And, of course, traipsing around the Capitol requires that it all be comfortable to boot. Does this recipe sounds possible?

Ana

(website)

Veteran

Hmm....well, if you want to wear a suit, why don't you try a more playful blouse underneath? Maybe one that has ruffles, or an interesting pattern or bright color?

Steph

Veteran

Anya, when I clicked on the photos I actually started laughing. I'm definitely with you--those outfits don't look at all appropriate, and the first one is just plain ugly.

I think that business formal dress is so interesting. Men are given very few options--they have to wear a suit, button-down collared shirt and tie. The most creative they can get is with stripes or checks in the suit, or the color of their shirt or tie.

Women have so many different options--skirts, pants or dresses, and then there are a million options for each style. But having all of those options means that you can still be professional and appropriate but show some individual style. Dana Perino definitely didn't manage that.

shell

i actually love both outfits. they may not be the typical washington powersuit, but maybe thats a good thing. id had just about enough of clinton and her mandarin collars, pleated trousers, and yellow pantsuits.

Sihaya

Veteran

Good for her for trying to break out of the box. I agree that the first outfit isn't my taste in clothes either. While the second blouse is pretty, it doesn't seem to look very flattering on her and think it needed at least a jacket or something over it to add some formality to the look.

Alecia - I echo Ana's comment. And I wonder if you might be able to add some flair with one small statement piece at a time - a piece of jewellery, a watch, shoes, etc.?

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Interesting. I love suits. I think they are highly under rated. They can look killer. I need to blog about that.

As far as these outfits go, I think there is room for improvement. I don’t like the cutesy sleeve on the white top. If it had been a straight three quarter sleeve you’d have equated her style with Jackie O. The outfits are a little frivolous for Western culture, but I like the colours and appreciate that she stepped out of the box.

Have you ever seen South African parliament dress? It will blow your mind. It’s pukka traditional and looks completely appropriate. Below is a picture of the first lady. Most female African parliamentarians dress in this way.

http://images.google.com/imgre.....n%26sa%3DX

Antje

Veteran

Interesting thread. While I agree with several previous comments that the particular outfits might not be the most flattering for her (she would benefit from Angie's help just like the rest of us :-)) I don't think there is anything wrong with the general style and for bringing more color, fashion, and interesting clothes to the job.
And I really want to cut women in politics some slack. They get criticized so much - remember all the reporting on Hilary's hair, outfits, weight gain etc.? The media are very sexist that way (noone talks about men that way), so I'd say let's give them a break and focus on their words and actions.

Julia

Interesting topic! While I don't see anything wrong with the outfits themselves, they do seem unusual for her role. As a political person at a press conference, you'd expect to see her outfit to convey trust, confidence and power, with or without stylish feminine touch. These two outfits are way too cute especially the sleeves on the second one as Angie pointed out. I wonder if she consulted with a good image consultant before picking out these outfits.

Rosie

Veteran

I LOVE the traditional garb you posted, Angie. I think one of the problems women in politics run into is that we don't have real cultural garb. Wearing it pays respect to the people and the culture, resulting in a highly appropriate look.

I think Perino's outfits are inappropriate. I think women can be very stylish and fashion forward in a suit or a dress. I am all for expressing personal style, but I work in a field that, like politics, is still traditional. Unfortunately, women still need to fit the mold, or they risk not being taken seriously. These outfits are too cutesy - too much of a risk. However, I really agree with Antje - we give women in politics such a hard time! They can rarely get it right. Not too trendy, not too dowdy, not too bold, not too boring...I think it might be one of the most difficult roles to dress for. I applaud Perino for pushing the envelope, but sadly, she shouldn't push it quite so much.

Jillian

While I don't think either of these looks works for her in this professional setting, I have to empathize with Perino. A few days a week I work in a more formal business environment, and I find there are few places that showcase fashionable business attire for women and few role models in fashion magazine pics. It feels like the vast majority of fashion is jeans-based these days. My current sources of inspiration and trends are: J Crew, BR, Michelle Obama, Theory, Tahari, sometimes AT. I hope Tim Gunn does SOMETHING to improve Liz Claiborne. Angie, I'm holding my breath for your post on suiting! In case it's helpful, here's how I'd describe the "downtown office" dress code for women I see at work in my office building and the surrounding streets: sometimes a suit (making a comeback as it always does in a recession), but more often slacks or a tailored skirt; a jacket, blouse, sweater on top; no cropped pants, no walk shorts, not sleeveless.

Antje

Veteran

How interesting, how come that suits tend to make a comback during a recession? I'm curious; can you elaborate?

Anya

Thanks for the great input, everyone. I also now look forward to Angie’s post on suiting.
So here’s an update from yesterday’s briefing :). As before, this is from the WH websites, so unfortunately we can’t see the rest of the outfit… I kind of like this jacket, but the collar/neckline seems tricky to pull off. If you have a jacket with a similar collar, what type of top do you typically pair with it?

http://i44.photobucket.com/alb.....erino2.jpg

and now with the sleeve detail showing:

http://i44.photobucket.com/alb.....erino1.jpg