The Politics of Hillary Clinton’s Hair

Amusing little article from The Financial Times, of all places….

From Vanessa Friedman’s Fashion Blog.  Link at bottom.

It’s worth clicking the link just to see the picture…

Over the last few days I have become increasingly struck by what seems to me a serious shift in the US political weather – and no, I am not talking about the Tea Party (I think everyone else has talked enough about that). I’m talking about Hillary Clinton’s hair. Or, to be more specific, the lack of talk about Hillary Clinton’s hair, despite said crowing glory getting ever more lengthy, and then styled (or not, to be accurate) in ever more striking ways.

During the recent meetings at the United Nations General Assembly for example, the secretary of state sported both an Alice band and one of those odd clawed hair grips. It was a surprising style choice for a sixty-something woman in any setting, not to mention one in a significant position of power, where the default style choice has almost always been short, helmet-like and sprayed (see Angela Merkel, or Hillary herself during the 2008 campaign). Yet no lippy commentator, from Jon Stewart to Maureen Dowd, said a word.

If you think about Hillary’s past issues with hair styles and the electorate, especially as seen during her time as First Lady, or even think back to her complaints on the hustings that male politicians never have to deal with the same scrutiny on their clothes/beauty choices as she did, this is actually quite a big deal. It might even suggest that – gasp! – pundits have gotten over their obsession with female politicians’ hairstyles (they have other fish to poke fun at, like those Tea Party people).

Of course, it could also simply mean that Hillary has gotten over her own neuroses about what her looks might or might not say about her ideas – she’s comfortable enough in her current position to not need the extra armour of appearance — and since she no longer cares, neither does anyone else. Or it could all be a sneaky ploy to appear girlishly non-threatening in order to smooth over contentious relationships with other sovereign states (see her meeting with Ehud Barak and the Alice band). But honestly, I think something more stereotype-shattering is going on. Here’s the test: if she can manage a scrunchy back in Washington without eliciting any comment from the bleachers, I’ll be convinced.

via The politics of Hillary’s hair | Material World: Vanessa Friedman’s Fashion Blog | FT.com.