The budget is coming up, with ramifications to the fashion industry. So is fashion week, of equal importance. Then in Ottawa, the municipal elections are also coming up, which leads to the question- how to dress when running. We'll be asking a female and a male candidate running for office, what do they wear? On a tv interview, how do you dress, for example? As a public relations agent, I am very familiar with this problem in my line of work.
I am a former campaign manager, for a male candidate. We picked a black suit, white shirt, no tie outfit for debates, and polo shirt-khakis for casual. Here we were trying to make a young candidate look as serious as he actually was.
It is essential that the outfit and appearance isn't so off-key as to distract from your message. Some people even manage to get the outfit to add to the message, and are incredible at it. These will be interviewed.
Elegance should be effortless. Suits are wonderful and versatile. I live in them. However, there are other options for dress, and I should ask female long-time candidates what they wear
Tips: If you are the one female candidate, NEVER wear skirts lower than ankle length during debates. Why?
In community debates, there is usually a table without a table cloth that you are sit at facing a group with chairs. It cuts off the candidate's face from their legs. You see a series of black cloth, and then a pair of female legs in tights, which never looked more contrasting and distracting. This was a scenario in a couple of debates, where the men in the audience seated in the front were paying more attention to the stark contrast of the female candidate's bare legs against a sea of covered male legs than what candidates were saying. It is important that you stay on message.
On television interviews, NEVER wear red. It bleeds into the screen, can dance around, promote static, etc. You can wear a black jacket and red shirt/tie, as long as it does not touch the edges, but the least amount of that colour possible is advised. Also, do NOT wear a white shirt alone, without a black jacket. Your face will be lost, as it often resembles the screen on the back.
Ladies, no long earrings, or they will dance back and forth and distract the viewer from your message. No long necklaces or you may subconsciously fiddle with them when you are nervous, as many female CEOs are caught in this situation on television.
Your assistant should always carry a comb at all times. If there is an interview, or even talking to your constituents, and your hair looks like a mohawk combined with a magpie's nest, you can be rest assured your message will be ignored in favor of the strange new look the hat or wind created.
The key is to stay on message. Your look should not distract from your message. Men, that means you may have to wear make up. HDTV cameras are nasty and expose every flaw. If you are a man and either have a) large hollow visible pores b) visable pink or red acne c) sunburn
you HAVE to use television make-up. You want people listening to your message rather than examining the discolouration on your face, like the mole in Austin Powers III. If you are a campaign manager, do your utmost to convince your candidate. A colleague had a client with a mild sun burn that looked great in the daylight. On national television his face looked like a pink and ivory Ying and Yang symbol. He refused make up. It was his right, and he wasn't running for office, so he didn't care. When you run for office, it makes a difference if they hear the other candidate's message but forget yours entirely.
If you have redness, get a green cream conclear. Then get a foundation that offers good coverage. The best is cover-fx of any foundation for coverage. It was intially only available in hospitals for burn victims but now is available at shoppers drug mart, $40. If you are a man with only a couple of appearances, go to a shoppers drug mart in advance of the event, and ask for an assistant to apply it to you, and explain that you need television make up.
As for suit shirts, men, button up the first two buttons, keep the bottom button unbuttoned, and pull your coat tails behind you and sit on the for the best look. This way, your suit stays still and minimizes any belly, maximizes shoulders. Now one or two button suits are most current. Double breasted is the least current. What a man should avoid is wearing a tie and unbottoned suit- very distracting. As for ties, I heard rumours that pink men's ties with a green scottish plaid print are in fashion again-they are so ugly that they will distract the audience.
If you wear a pink tie, you should have Asian or African blood, so that your face is yellow or black to pull it off. Like wise, if you are Asian, avoid wearing yellows, they sallow your complexion. If you are tan or black, avoid black as it dulls the skin and looks bad enough to be distracting when close to the face. White shirt, black jacket looks amazing on dark skin. Pale ivory skin- avoid ivory shirts- they look deadly. The rule- the tone should contrast with your skin colour so that people ignore the outfit and focus on you. You do not want people to keep on wondering why is the outfit out of place.
As for women, the reverse of the rule applies to suits. Top button is open, and second is recommended. Third is closed. It is pinned back by fingers, then and sat on for TV cameras. Shoulder seams should be on the shoulders, and shouldn't move around when buttoned up. If it is all buttoned up, one looks far too stiff. For both men and women, the slim fit is the best fit. A baggy suit makes anyone not only look fatter, but too poor and clumsy to be able to afford proper clothes. Higher arm-holes add length to the torso. Nothing says I can't afford to buy a proper coat than getting one several sizes too big with arm-hole length to fit two of your arms. Ill fitting suits are distracting.
Pants- its not the length that matters, but that it doesn't display the top of your socks when you sit. The pockets should not be visible. Also, visible pantylines are distracting and unprofessional. Men, that means boxer briefs. Women wear thongs or boxer briefs.
Good news is that there are used clothing stores, Used Ottawa and Kijijji.com, Value Village that offer decent even brand name designer clothes on the cheap. If you are running for office, then you are not working and so you can't afford to splurge on clothes. It is not the outfit, but how one carries the outfit, and how it fits that makes the impression. The shape of the pant is more important than the colour or brand it should flatter you. Try on many first.
Ties- they should be proportional to the collar of your shirt, so super-wide ties go with Seventies collar shirts. Avoiding the wide extreme is best as it does look funny. There should be a dimple under the knot, and the tie shouldn't be lower than half way around your belt.
Sweaters look elegant with suits- but should always be light weight. Warm winter underwear is and one sweater is better than wearing several sweaters under the suit jacket. Never wear them over the suit jacket!
Women. Do NOT wear any fishnets. Even beige ones. They distract from the message. Keep the nails neat and tidy. Red nails are elegant, a hint of French sophistication. French manicures should be avoided at all costs!!! For those of you who don't know, they are the weapon of choice of strippers and porn stars, and will immediately associate you with that in the minds of male constituents, and even queer females. Sorry, had to pass that on. Do not wear skirts above the ankle without opaque tights. If you sit down admist mainly other male candidates, the eyes will be on your legs unless tights are opaque.
The thing a man or woman will regret the most is uncomfortable shoes. You are walking all day. Kitten heals, the one or two centimeter kind are the most comfortable. Pure flats will eat the back of your foot. Carry comfortable shoes in a bag- men this applies to you too- sneakers in a bag. Even if you don't have much money, if you invest in anything, it's comfortable shoes.
As a woman, you might be sexy, you might be beautiful, but you have to keep the focus on your message and not your body. That doesn't mean you shouldn't be feminine nor sexy. Just don't be distracting. That means red nails are okay, but not French manicure. Short skirt with thick opaque tights, but not mid length skirt with see-through tights. The only fishnets that are acceptable are when candidates from Nova Scotia are on a ship bringing the marine catch of the day. Yes, you can wear a low cut shirt, if it's a man's oxford shirt, but not a low cut v-neck that reveals most of the chest. Same length of a cut, but different look. One is sexy and the other is distracting. The sexiest thing a woman can wear is a turtle neck. It is subtle and not distracting. A woman doesn't have to be sexy, but for those who are frilly, feminine or sexy in real life need to know how to translate the look.
Finally, no long hair doesn't have to be up, but NEVER do the hair flip. again, subtle and sexy is okay, but never porno-graphic.
Do not dress too expensively, or you'll look corrupt! If you have a BMW, unless everyone else in your riding has one, hide it as much as possible. Your assistant could ride it but not you. No designer labels should be visible when near constituents. It shows taste and that you are not running to spend their money but because you care about their concerns. Similarly, head of charitable organizations, even if they have the money, shouldn't be running around in BMW while soliciting donations. This also applies to everything that you send in the mail- your literature should be on recycled paper but not too expensive or flashy so that people don't think you waste money, and in a large font, 12 point minimum, so that seniors can read it. Canada's population is aging, so it's important that seniors can read it.
Good luck running and don't forget to have fun!!!!
-Maria Al-Masani
You will be running all day and show up at several events.
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