that dress is not for her. scary! on someone else in hollywood it might work--i'm thinking charlize theron--but hillary...no way. not even a nice try.

she so needs a stylist...like last week..poor thang..

Great post, Liberty. I'm not loving Hill's dress here, but really, her sense of style shouldn't matter, right?

Well I'll hand it to her, she's found another use for side impact air bags.

You know if she started dressing well then she would get flak for caring too much about her appearance. Sure Nancy and Condi dress better but they are also not running for president. If they were Im sure they would receive a lot of criticism too.

Its a lose lose situation for Hilary and I think everyone should back off the wardrobe and focus on what really matters

BTW Anna Wintour is a fur wearing hag who has been rocking the same horrible haircut and look for decades. She needs to shut her mouth and realize that Hilary is not running for best dressed in the nation. I always want these people who criticize Hilary on her wardrobe walk in her shoes for a day or two to feel what the pressure of being the only female candidate in a man's political world feels like specially what it feels like to be ripped apart for every single aspect of your appearance

I agree JessNess. I think she should stick to her pantsuits. She'll be criticized no matter how she dresses, so in the end it doesn't matter.

I can see the perspective your coming from JessNess, but remember dressing better doesn't mean dressing sexy, slutty, or inappropriately. What she is wearing in the photo above is not inappropriate it just doesn't look good on her. There are a host of other garments she can wear that would make here look fierce with out looking wrong.

Yeah this dress is hideous Im not denying that...there is no denying that But overall I feel for the lady. Remember that time she wore a cardigan and had the tiniest most microscopic line of cleavage and it was headline news everywhere. She just cannot catch a break

Nancy Pelosi is hot. She's powerful AND feminine, works well. Hillary...what a travesty. And that hair...*throws up*

True, JessNess, true. I can only speak for my self by saying that my criticism of her dress is all in good humor. What wears doesn't make a bit of difference to me and as far as I'm concerned has no bearing on her intellect and her abilities.

If anyone is actually going to make an intellectual judgment about her professional abilities based on this they need their head examined.

I just do not think that being feminine should mean always being well dressed and having great hair. I think you can be powerful and feminine wearing what Hilary does. Feminine to me is more of a state of mind than dress.

If she is comfortable in the way she looks, no matter how ugly we all think it is, then that is all that should matter.

Bravo JessNess! I agree.

Men don't get as much criticism as women do concerning their looks, and that's absolutely unfair. I don't think Hillary's style is great, but who cares really. I like female politicians dressing femenine, that's for sure, but that doesn't affect my opinion on their merits as politicians. I don't always agree with Hillary, in fact I disagree with her most of the time, but she's a strong female and should be more respected.

I'll cast my vote along with JessNess, women who pay "too much" attention to their appearances are often branded as superficial or diva-ish. I see that in my workplace.

And men get it too, sometimes. Haven't there been snarky remarks made about John Edwards' haircuts and Huckabee's weight loss?

Snarky...
I love the way that word sounds.

Oh, and that dress is awful!

I could care less how she dresses, it is the policy she supports that is important.

I am pretty disappointed in Hillary. I used to support her, but prefered Obama...but I have caught her out right lying too many times. It makes me pretty dang sad.

Sigh. "I tend to think that attacks on Hillary's style are often cloaked attacks on her figure and by extension her gender. These critiques don't apply to male candidates."
...So create another forum for the same old same old? I had hoped we were past this!

Well Hilary has never aced in the fashion department, but I really don't see how that affects her as a person. It's amazing how people read into looks these day (albeit there's nothing wrong with looking your best) but I doubt that Hilary would be preocupied with following the lastest trends.

I hope she has her tax returns and White House papers up those sleeves.

JessNess, I agree with you completely. Give me a break! This is all so irrelevant.

"...but I have caught her out right lying too many times. It makes me pretty dang sad."

Old news, unfortunately.

"I am pretty disappointed in Hillary. I used to support her, but preferred Obama...but I have caught her out right lying too many times. It makes me pretty dang sad."

Jillness... my brother says the same thing. He told me "I know all politicians lie, it comes with the territory. But what I don't like about the Clintons is they get caught lying."

Hillary's usual appearance is fine with me. Her hair is always neat and nice, plain tailored pantsuits, nothing to distract from the business at hand. In good taste (not counting this photo).

Men have it so easy. You never hear: Obama's tie is so ugly, McCain's shirt shows his figure flaws.

Well since the topic has shifted more towards societies obsession on looks I would like to make a point in saying that although yes "heterosexual" men tend to get a pass in general in this department. Homosexual men rip each other to shreds where this matter is concerned and trust ladies it ain't pretty.

Other than the sleeves, the dress isn't bad. And to be honest, I actually like Hillary's pantsuits.

I'm an Obama girl, but I still respect Hillary and the good she did for our country as First Lady, and the good she could do if she becomes President. Frankly, as far as I'm concerned, I don't think her clothes should make a damn. What matters is her brain and her goals for this country.

Seriously, is America really as superficial as the rest of the world accuses us of being that we'll bash a presidential candidate based on their clothes rather than taking the time to look at their platform? Ugh.

OMG. i have, have HAVE to comment on this because anna wintour is spot ON. EVERY female ruler THIS CENTURY and before NEVER gave up her skirts for "powersuits" or even pantsuits. some modern examples include julia tymoshenko, the prime minister of ukraine, german chancellor merkel, former prime ministers benazir bhutto and margaret thatcher. i'm sure there are some more less well known ladies (the former rulers in india and bangladesh) and the current president of liberia, ellen johnson sirleaf.

NONE of these WOMEN stopped wearing skirts or feminine clothing, they all EMBRACE it. i'm ASHAMED of hillary's implication that "femininity" cannot go hand in hand with power. all these women prove otherwise! moreover, i'm more offended that she WORE SKIRTS BEFORE. so are you trying to say that as a wife, you skirt yourself up, but as a senator it's just pants? should i send you some shoulderpads to complete the look? IT'S OKAY TO BE PROUD TO BE A WOMAN AND EXPRESS THAT IN THE WAY YOU DRESS. i mean, you did it before, right?

and to the guy who said that men get a pass--not true. dole dyed his hair to look younger and generally the better (or more youthful) looking candidate wins. (JFK anyone?)

Ummm....maybe Hillary likes pantsuits and isn't trying to make a political statement with her clothes. Maybe pants are easier to campaign in. Maybe since it's winter she wants to be warm. Maybe she doesn't want people trying to take pictures up her skirt when she exits a vehicle. Maybe she's trying to cover up vericose veins. Maybe as she's grown older she likes her legs less. Maybe she's put on weight.

NOPE. The only bygone conclusion is that she is making a statement that powerful women can't wear skirts. hmmmm.....

She should wear skirts because those pantsuits, NOT powersuits, are atrocious. They DO NOT flatter her, especially the brown ones *gag*, they look so mass-produced. She doesn't wear them well at all. Oh, and did I mention the hair? Mullet-lite anyone?

IT'S OKAY TO BE PROUD TO BE A WOMAN AND EXPRESS THAT IN THE WAY YOU DRESS

But why do you have to be in a skirt to be feminine or considered a woman? To me that just seems like "1950's June Cleaver let me bake you an apple pie and have dinner on the stove by 5" ideals. Wearing pants and a pantsuit can be just as feminine. Thank god we live in a time now when women are actually allowed to wear pants in public.

I really think that our society needs a revamping of the idea of femininity. Wearing a skirt does not make you feminine. Hilary is a strong woman who has held her own among a world of men. No one should be ashamed of a woman because she wants to wear pants.

i'm more offended that she WORE SKIRTS BEFORE. so are you trying to say that as a wife, you skirt yourself up, but as a senator it's just pants?

Women change their ideas on what they like to wear ALL THE TIME!Maybe she wanted to wear skirts when she was seen mostly as the first lady but now that time has pass and she has a new job she favors a pantsuit. This does not make her any less of a woman. I find it ridiculous that of all things to be offended of not wearing a skirt irks you the most.

She seems to be comfortable in pantsuits so why not just let her be. CLOTHES DO NOT MAKE THE WOMAN!!!!!! NOR DO THEY DETERMINE HER FEMININITY !!!!!

BTW I would just like to mention that all of the women you mentioned who are in power and wear skirts (although Im sure they do wear pants also) come from other countries where their ideals do differ than ours.

For example former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto comes from a different religious background that requires different clothing. Also she was prime minister in a country who has the largest population of Muslims which has a strict dress code for women

Benazir wore pants also, she was wearing pants the day she died. I believe it was a salwar kameez. Look it up, if you don't know what it is.

I would also like to mention that I think its funny that people only focus on her clothing and think oh its not a skirt or its completely ugly so she is not feminine. Everyone seems to completely overlook the fact she is always made up and presentable. Her hair, no matter how bad the cut, is always styled. She always wears some sort of jewelry (usually a necklace)and has makeup on. Also this is a woman who often and confidently wears red lipstick something a lot of women cannot do.

Usually being presentable in this way is considered feminine yet people only focus on her suits. If anything it shows that she has a good balance between feminine and powerful. Although I personally think that being strong in a man's world with compromising yourself the way she has is very feminine

Indielove- So Benazir was powerful and also wore pants, grant it was culturally a different style and implication but still pants

somehow i just KNEW i'd get quoted by jessness. but you're COMPLETELY MISSING THE POINT.
what i'm saying is that SHE'S making a statement by switching from skirts to pants. laura bush wears pants, no one's commenting on her. why? because she also wears skirts. the reason i mentioned as many women as i did was because they come from VERY DIFFERENT CULTURES FROM EACH OTHER. meaning that femininity is a global perspective that we as women ALL share. benazir is a pants wearing lady, to be sure i'm aware of pakistani/desi/bengai cultural/native dress. but it's also what WOMEN wear. (before you point it out, yea i know that men have a form of this dress that LOOKS similar that THEY wear. sheesh, yall are some nitpicking mofos!)i'm muslim, i'm aware. you can find MANY photos of benazir without even any headcovering, because that's "something their religion requires" please go out and meet some muslims. it'd prolly be nice if you could meet some non indo/arab ones (you know, the MAJORITY that the media pretends doesn't exist) but i'm getting off topic.

i'm focused on skirts because it's something SHE MAKES A POINT OF HERSELF!! i mean i wasn't sure why they made a big deal out of the fact that her official portrait is with her wearing pants until i figured out that she'd buried her skirts FOREVER. WHY? i think this is a MORE THAN VALID question. why get rid of the skirt? why not just wear whatever? i think it says a lot that she has chosen (especially for her generation) the "uniform" of men in politics over women's traditional dress, which in our culture is a skirt.

Women change their ideas on what they like to wear ALL THE TIME!Maybe she wanted to wear skirts when she was seen mostly as the first lady but now that time has pass and she has a new job she favors a pantsuit. This does not make her any less of a woman.

but it proves my point exactly.

I am quite the quoter and I don't mean to miss the point you are trying to make

When I mentioned Benazir's dress I guess I was use to images of when she was in Pakistan and in more traditional garb. I do know Muslims and am fully aware that not everyone follows the traditional dress code.

I would say though that in this day the uniform of women is not the skirt anymore. If anything the pant trumps the skirt in popularity. What is nice is that every single one of us has a choice. I guess to get back to my original point is if she did start wearing skirts she would get so much flak for it. She really just cannot catch a break so she is just following the easier route by wearing a tailored paint suit. Does it make her less feminine? No

Personally I would like our society to be more acceptable of a woman in Hillary's position to dress as "feminine" or un-feminine as they like without consequence and backlash

No one comments on what Laura Bush wears because she is not running for president. Before Hillary entered the race she did not receive anywhere near the amount of criticism as she does now. There would be occasional comments about her clothes but frankly no one cared even though she was wearing pant suits all the time in Senate. Its all about the situation here

I used to wear skirts. I don't wear skirts anymore. I found they're inconvenient when running or sitting on the ground. I don't wear shorts anymore, either. And I live in California. Personal preferences all around. Statements? Not so much. Would be silly if they were. Am I running for President? No. And if I were? My preferences wouldn't change unless they were going to anyway, and my wardrobe wouldn't change until then, either.

I'm glad that, as women, we're not required by society to make room in our lives for the less convenient garment if we don't want it to be there. At least, I don't *think* we are....

Let's let ourselves off the hook, no? Choice is good. And I heartily respect Hillary Clinton's choice, as well as Laura Bush's.

Also: skirts ≠ femininity. I'd find it most offensive for someone to imply that because someone else has made a choice not to wear skirts as often, they're suddenly not accepting or showing their "femininity".

What is "femininity", anyway? Who defined it so? How the heck is contingent on clothing?

dude, skirt=female. that's why men (aside from kilts, sarongs and other traditional wear-this is america right?) DON'T WEAR THEM! men wear jewelry plenty (in my culture anyway--seems like on this side of the pond it's just a wedding ring and watch, that's if you can even consider a watch jewelry)

meh, doesn't seem like you're ever going to understand what i mean. i'm offended because she doesn't wears skirts AT ALL. most of us (not ellen degeneres of course) wear a skirt or two even if pants are the majority of our wardrobe. i just feel (and this is still my personal opinion) that her not wearing skirts ever again is sending a message to women that in order to be taken seriously you need to dress their way. i DO NOT GET IT. to me it seems part of this whole look: blonder, shorter, pants! i mean to never wear a skirt ever again? ever? it was SUCH a part of her wardrobe before that it IS a big difference from someone just throwing out those two skirts they have in their closet because they never wore them anyway. she had waaaaaaay more than two.

oh yea, people commented on hillary's awful outfits when she was first lady, so that's why i brought up laura bush.

i still can't agree with your statements on muslims and tradition, clothing and gender. but that's a thesis i'm not ready to write here. after all, islam really IS a religion of peace =)

so yea, that's my piece. i just at least had to TRY....

I still think that the idea that to be viewed as female you need to wear skirts is ridiculous. Like I said before its completely 1950's June Cleaver. There are plenty of women who are female and feminine and never wear skirts or dresses. Growing up I use to wear shorts ALL the time and now I never wear or even own them does that make me less of a woman?(and yes I realize skirts and shorts are different)

Luckily we live in a time where we do have a choice. For the longest time pants were only for men but now we can wear trousers and jeans and be equal to men on a wardrobe level. Hillary has made the choice to wear pants instead of skirts. That was her personal choice for whatever reason. I do not think that her clothing preferences should affects someone's opinion about her. There is more to a woman and her "femininity" than what she wears and its sad that in this age we still connect the two.

Believe me I understand that around the world there are cultural differences in what makes a female and how she should appear but I will always believe that being female and being feminine should not be defined by your clothing

BTW Madinat- I know we both have different views on this but I wanted to say thanks for being nice. People are usually quick to attack so I appreciate your calm manner

Ugh, y'all. Hilldawg doesn't wear skirts b/c she's got short, frumpy legs and calves. They don't look good on her.

If I was running for office I would likely switch to pantsuits as well. Not all of us care to run around doing everything with skirts on. I'm sure she has not ABDANDONED skirts LIKE FOREVER!!!! Lol. I'm sure she'll wear a lovely ballgown to her inauguration ball.

And just because a man here or there gets picked on for his hair color or weight loss or whathaveyou, does not mean the entire state of his existence and political views are being put on the chopping block, as is the case for Hillary so many times.

It is so sad that this is an issue in this day and age. She's not a celebrity running to Starbucks with her 2 pound carry-around dog and sunglasses the size of Rhode Island. She's a politician. I wish people would let this rest and grow up and stop judging people on the color of their skin or pantsuit and start judging on character.

Seriously, who cares and if you do why. Maybe Hilary dresses for Hilary. Maybe she sees something and think wow that looks great and I love it and I am going to wear it. Is this really a debate or news worthy. We are such an obsessive society that must rip someone a new a**hole just because they are not like everyone else. She is not attending fashion week, she is not walking the runway, she is not a model or in the fashion business. Her business is politics and she dresses the way she wants to, not the way people expect her to or what every other political woman dresses like. That is why people have their own personal style whether or not you agree or disagree.

Seriously, as long as she looks put together, who cares what she wears? I mean, I wouldn't want a president (male or female) who looks like they just rolled out of bed or anything, but beyond that, it doesn't really matter to me how a person dresses. (And, for the record, I'm not really a fan of Hillary's, but the reasons have nothing to do with how she looks.)

As for her wearing skirts less, I don't think it really has anything to do with her making a concerted attempt at to be more masculine; I think there are so many others explanations for it. Other people mentioned most of them, but I'm going to mention some again. Maybe it's easier to campaign in pants. I know I wouldn't want to be getting in and out of buses, etc. in a skirt, wearing nylons that kept riding up, and worrying about getting runs in them. Also, it's cold. She marched in the St. Patrick's day parade in Pittsburgh recently. I would much prefer to wear a professional pants suit and be able to walk comfortably, rather than freeze in the cold weather. Lastly, as someone else mentioned, she's getting older. Hillary is a few years older than my mom, and I have noticed my mom wearing skirts less and less in recent years, partially because she is less comfortable with how her legs look. There's nothing wrong with changing your look as you age. Bill Clinton entered office what, 15 years ago? I doubt there's a woman (or man, for that matter) who hasn't changed her/his style in the last 15 years.

Also, barring the dress in this picture, I really don't see anything bad about the way Hillary dresses. She's running for president, not sitting in the front row at Paris Fashion Week!

Sorry for the rant!

Tedious maternal nag. Best description of her ever!

I dont think she needs a make-over now, I think she needed one a LONG time ago.

At this point, whats the difference. She was never an attractive lady, there's really nothing you can change about that.

Well, one thing's for sure... A makeover certainly couldn't HURT!