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Volume 38 Issue 5
November 7, 2000

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Election Fashion 101

BY JORDAN CURRIER
MESA LEGEND
Submitted November 7, 2000

The personality of a tie, the size of a man’s cufflinks and the color of his denim are all perfectly legitimate criticisms for a handful of MCC fashion students, who agreed to break down the fashion do’s and don’ts our 2000 presidential nominees committed throughout this year’s election.

Press photos of Al Gore, George W. Bush, Pat Buchanan, Ralph Nader and Nader running mate Winona LaDuke were shown to a small group of MCC fashion majors.

Nader running mate Winona LaDuke

Photo Illustration by MESA LEGEND staff

The photos all came under both scrutiny and praise.

Teresa Kopaz, 29, an apparel merchandising major, believes that a candidate’s public prominence makes them obligated to look their best at all times. "If (voters) know you’re trying to hold an important position and you look like you just rolled out of bed, they’re not going to listen, even if you have the best things in the world to say," Kopaz said.

Laurel Nuzzo, 20, is a fashion merchandise management major and was able to quickly sum up her thoughts on Gore’s press photo. "I think it looks like a student portrait from high school," Nuzzo said. "He’s wearing all denim, very conservative, very boring and plain."

"I think he at least needs a white shirt, a little something to break up the monotony," said Kimber Brown, 17, a fashion merchandising major.

Al Gore

Pat Buchanan

Ralph Nader

"He’s trying to look very wholesome and very American. I mean, that’s an American pastime–wearing all denim," said Sarah Kelly, 20, a fashion merchandise management major.

Kopaz applauds Gore’s ability to wear suits practically. "Every time, he has the same suit on, but a different colored tie," Kopaz said. "So, keeping the same suit– it could either be he’s stingy and doesn’t want to buy a new suit, or it could be that he’s frugal with his money and sees he doesn’t need a new suit, and just changes the look with the tie, which is practical."

"That collar is horrible," said Kelly of Nader’s suit. "The tie is not tight enough. It’s a wrongly-tied tie – a very political tie. It lacks character."

Nader’s vice-presidential running mate, Winona LaDuke, received the most negative criticism.

"She’s not everyday Jane," Kelly said. "She ran for an office that not everybody could hold. This is an elite spot. I think that she should be a little more put together. She needs some kind of color that brings out her, and doesn’t drab her down like that brown, velvet..."

"Thing," said Brown, quickly completing Kelly’s thought.

"He looks like a real-estate agent," said Amber Wood, 23, an apparel merchandising major, of Buchanan’s suit. "While it’s conservative, It does show a little more personality, and a little bit more pizzazz."

Kelly, comparing Buchanan’s suit to Nader’s, said, "See the difference in knots? See how nicely (Buchanan’s) knot is tied?"

"The big, chunky, gold cufflinks are a little much," Kopaz said.

"Guys so rarely get the chance to accessorize, it’s showing personality," Kelly argued.

"That’s a very well put-together suit," Kopaz said of Bush’s attire. "It fits him well. The shoulders are falling right, a very good knot on that tie. This is the way it’s supposed to look," Kopaz said.

Kelly, who believe’s a candidate’s image is important, offered a wise piece of  fashion advice to ordinarily stuffy politicians on the campaign trail: "Wear it well."

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