April 10, 2011

Christiane Amanpour

Spencer:  We start with Christiane Amanpour, who throws her hat into the ring early for the honor of Garment District 2011 LVP.  (That's "Least Valuable Player," for those who spend too much time watching CSPAN or E!, and not enough time watching ESPN).  Interviewing Obama Advisor David Plouffe on the budget fight, Christiane is doing her best to show that she doesn't take sides, by rocking a jacket that fuses both tweed and leather -- and gives us the worst of both worlds.  Seriously, Christiane, I know this is a week of compromise on the Hill.  But if the compromise is between London Fog and the Hell's Angels, maybe it's best to send this one back to committee.

Mel:  I actually don't have a huge problem with the texture of the jacket.  I don't love it, but I think I see where she was going for, and I appreciate the effort to feminize her style a bit.  My primary concern is the jewelry.  In addition to what you can see in the above, I believe she's also wearing a silver-and-gold watch, a silver ring, and a gold ring.  It's also a little hard to see, but I think I noticed some silver threading in her blazer.  It's too heavy, it clashes, and she may be one of those people who doesn't really look great in either silver or gold (I suffer from this affliction, personally).  Also, not loving the pastel pink shirt.  I think it might clash with the gold more than it clashes with the jacket, but, regardless, the whole look just doesn't come together for me.

Adam: I like it. All of it. Except the earrings - they're an unmitigated disaster. Like one that Christiane would typically be covering better than anyone else, getting interviews from nearby families on what happened and how the children, against all odds, plan to carry on even after getting a good look at them. Beyond that, Ghost Rider 2 called. Nicholas Cage out. Amanpour in. (I would totally watch this, and you would too.)

David Plouffe

Spencer: There's no forgiving that haircut.  But David Plouffe is a man who knows how to wear a suit.  Perhaps tipping his hat to the President's dislike for red-or-blue divisions, Plouffe made purple the centerpiece of his look on "This Week."  The strong diagonals of his tie stand out against the simple-but-sleek modern cut of his black suit, adding a sense of power and confidence.  Between the budget deal and the official announcement of Obama's re-election campaign, it was a big week for the Administration, and we can expect to see a lot more of Plouffe as the President shifts into campaign mode.  With that kind of visibility, we can be glad that Plouffe looks dressed to win.

Mel: I like the tie generally.  Not sure that I love it on him.  I think purple can be a tough color to pull off, both for men and women, and I don't know that he really does it, but I think it's a stylish tie. I give Plouffe credit for recognizing that, and for stepping outside of the DC comfort zone of blue and red ties.  It almost works, and, knowing that he makes his living understanding image and optics, I'd say this inspires confidence.

Adam: The jacket's seriously bugging me here. Is that olive or gray? Either way, with that shirt and tie combo I would've gone with deep black. [See: David Gregory]

Spencer: I'll second Mel's comment about politicians over-relying on blue and red ties.  Yawn.  This is something I plan to tear apart in upcoming weeks.  Sunday show guests: you've been warned. 

Donna Brazile 

Mel: While there's nothing overly offensive about the way this outfit is put together, I don't like the monochromatic color scheme, and I really don't think I like it in beige.  It's fine, but boring.  And not even normal boring, like if she'd worn that shirt with a black blazer.  Beige-on-beige is a special kind of boring, and I'm disappointed with this choice.  

Spencer: I'm gonna get Donna's back on this one.  I think it looks classic.  Maybe if those beads were purple, it might add a splash of contrast.  But I think she mostly pulls this off nicely.

Adam: I agree with Spencer on this. I vaguely recall her wearing some weird, weird stuff in past morning shows, but this is very professional. Thumbs up.

David Gregory

Mel: Interestingly, I think that David Gregory's purple tie presents the opposite purple situation of David Plouffe's.  It's like they're bizarro Davids.  (I don't even know if I'm using that correctly.  Adam?)  But whatever - they're opposites.  By that I mean that I think David Gregory pulls off the color better, but I don't think his tie is as bold of a style statement.  It's a pretty safe pick.  I have to admit that I haven't met the press yet (it's up next after I finish blogging), and I can't quite tell if it's just a plain tie or if it has a sort of watermarked-looking subtle pattern on it.  If it's the latter, there's potential for more boldness points, though this can go wrong as often as it ends up being successful.  Overall, I say it's fine.  Nothing special, but not awful.

Spencer: Totally agree with you, Mel -- David Gregory manages to make purple look boring.  It's a color that can look dynamic with the right framing (see David Plouffe above).  You know who would've worn this tie better?  Tim Russert.  (That's right -- I went there.  Guess Gregory can't fill Russert's tie, either, much less his shoes). 

Adam: Mel used bizarro correctly. This makes me happy. No other comment.

Rep. Paul Ryan

Spencer: GOP wunderkind Paul Ryan may be smiling like a retarded version of Kermit the Frog, but after the week he's had, who could blame him?  Perhaps drunk on all of the kudos he's received for his "courageous" budget plan (don't get me started), Ryan looks rather pleased with himself.  But while deficit hawks may be giving him a gold star, that's no excuse for the gold tie we see here.  I'm generally not a fan of metallic colored ties -- I thought we'd gotten over that during the whole Regis fad in the early 2000s -- and I see no reason to make an exception for Ryan.

Mel: Again, I haven't met the press yet, so I'm going purely off of this screencap and not off of having seen this ensemble in action, but I'm okay with this.  It looks like a nice suit, and I think the tie works with it.  Spencer, I agree - I don't think I really care for metallic ties generally, but he seems to pull it off, at least in this photo.  Also, I think I generally see gold-hued ties with darker blue shirts.  I don't know that that's a go-to combination for him personally, but, assuming it is, way to set a budget-cutting example, Chairman Ryan, shopping in your own closet and creating a new outfit by pairing your gold tie with a different shirt.

Adam: I think if the head of the Budget Committee added some big green dollar signs to his gold tie, it'd be the best thing ever.  

Jim Cramer

Spencer: God, I hate to do this.  I really do.  But I am BULLISH on JIM CRAMER!!!! A big BOO-YAH to the light blue shirt-and-time combo, which pop nicely against the charcoal grey suit.  Bonus points for diagonal stripes, which add an air of decisiveness that almost make you believe this man knows what he's talking about.  Cramer's fashion tips are probably more valuable than his stock tips at this point, so find value where you can and BUY BUY BUY this look!!!!!!

Mel: I'm not sure what Jim Cramer, the Chris Matthews of the finance world, is doing on the Sunday political shows (given that we already have Chris Matthews), but I'm about to find out after I finish blogging.  Actually, I take that back, and I'll agree with Spencer here: what he's doing is looking fairly stylish in a light, slate-colored suit and pastel tie that is completely appropriate for our first week of spring weather here in DC.  Definitely buying.  

Adam: Something really smart is going to come out of that head. With an outfit like that, what could possibly go wrong? (P.S. Buy Bear Stearns. For reals this time! Pinky swear.)