By Jocelyn Noveck
Associated Press
Published: 11/21/2006
Excerpt:
"The emperor has no clothes," House Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi once famously said about President Bush.
Well,
actually he has some fairly decent ones, but it's been Pelosi's clothes -- stylish, well-chosen and nicely cut, of the Armani variety -- that
have garnered attention since she became the most powerful woman in
American politics earlier this month.
Why do we focus on
Pelosi's clothes and not those of our president, or any male in
Washington? Is it inherently sexist, detracting attention from her
obvious accomplishments? Or is it merely a reflection of the obvious
truth that, while clothes matter for both men and women, female attire
is more noticeable, more expressive and more interesting? ...
... Of course it isn't just in politics: on the night CBS's Katie Couric
debuted as the first female solo anchor of a network evening newscast,
her short white jacket (post-Labor Day, some critics noted
disapprovingly) was analyzed as much as her performance. ...
