ITSO. . . In the Style of Kellyanne Conway. . .

NO THANKS . . . an opinion

There are features in this woman's style which are examples of how not to present yourself. Katharine Hepburn told Jane Fonda that it is ". . . not just what you have on and how you look, but your presentation as a human being in all levels was important." (Retrieved from a People interview with Fonda)

Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.

- Coco Chanel

And what is happening is slightly disconcerting to many of us. One can conclude that she is simply presenting the style, the mannerisms, the way of being that represents the man she is working for and essentially all those who voted for him. She supports him and has never wavered in that support. That is commendable. However, there were many through history who supported dictators and imbeciles who managed to be in or lead in government office. Enough of that rant . . . 

Five No Thanks Features in Kellyanne Conway's style . . . 

Vain trifles as they seem, clothes have, they say, more important offices than to merely keep us warm. They change our view of the world and the world’s view of us. 

– Virginia Woolf

Photo Source: A Reuters photo
retrieved on February 28, 2017 from MarketWatch (posted January 20, 2017)

1. No Thanks to dressing in a costume-look when attending an event other than a costume party. There are ways it could have been made to look less costume-y; however the best advice is to stay away from any hint of a costume look.

According to a MarketWatch  summary, Kellyanne Conway reportedly called her Gucci-designed red, white and blue coat, which she wore to the presidential inauguration, “revolutionary wear". Alrighty then . . .

To me, clothing is a form of self-expression – there are hints about who you are in what you wear. 

– Marc Jacobs

Photo Source: Retrieved  February 28, 2017
from DailyMail (posted January 7, 2017)

2. Jackets with frou frou are trendy and therefore become dated quickly making for a clownish appearance rather than a classic one. In this case, what appears to be a gold lamé jacket seems "off" when going for lunch.  She is often seen in red and it suits her. The clothing elements completing this beige base does not look "stylish", or "put together" properly. 

Maybe it looked ok in the mirror when she finished dressing but it certainly did not photograph well. This is something with which most of us do not have to concern ourselves. However, in an age when it seems the greatest selling feature of a phone is the quality of the pictures it takes, more of us are finding ourselves in photographs we wish never would have been taken. We all want to look our best in photographs so you would think, those in the public eye would be more careful.

Notice that this particular jacket offends at two levels: inappropriate for a noon luncheon (especially at the White House) and it doesn't appear to fit.

Photo Source:
Retrieved February 28, 2017 from the
DailyMail (posted July 5, 2016)

3. Kellyanne Conway has a fit figure and looks good in much of what she wears; however, there are many photographs that show her wearing something that appears to fit too small. When it comes to style, "fit" is everything. 

A non-clothing style feature in this photo is the importance of posture. But is it her posture or is it an under-clothing thing? Perhaps she just needed a better bra. Whichever it is, she should have worn a jacket over this dress. I am partial to jackets and I believe, just as men wear suits and jackets in business and formal situations, women are wise to borrow the look. Of course, wear a dress or skirt and shirt under the jacket but wear a jacket. Not only is it more formal, it also camouflages particular features. But be careful when choosing a jacket . . . 

Photo Source: Reuters Photo
Retrieved  February 28, 2017 from NYPost 
(Posted November 13, 2016)

Does this jacket not fit properly? It's hard to tell with this particular style. When it is worn open as it is here, it looks like the fit is too small and so the wearer hopes that it will be passable if it is left undone. No Thanks. It was better done up as in the photograph on style point #2.

Clothing can be expensive but if it doesn't fit well, it will look cheap.  Cheap clothing that fits well is truly more stylish.

The only real elegance is in the mind; if you’ve got that, the rest really comes from it.

– Diana Vreeland

Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak.

 – Rachel Zoe

Photo Source: Retrieved February 28, 2017 from DailyMail

4. There are many famous quotes about style that go beyond what one is wearing. Kellyanne Conway appears to be wearing an appropriate dress for a meeting but maybe a jacket would have added an element of formality to match the gathering (but not the jacket she chose to wear in the previous two photos). In this example, her choice of clothing is less important than what she is doing. Why was she going through unflattering contortions to take a photo? Her physical position on the couch seems incongruous to her professional position and as others have noted, disrespectful to the visitors. Simply, she should be attending to the business happening in the oval office, not to the photo op. Someone took the photo of her; perhaps she should have left the official photographer to do his or her work. No Thanks to her lack of proper behaviour in a formal setting.

Clothes aren’t going to change the world, the women who wear them will.

– Anne Klein 

5. In her role of White House advisor, I expect more . . . more decorum, more thoughtful expression, more intelligent responses, more respect, more of what one aspires to be and not of what one is embarrassed to watch.

To have style definitely has less to do with what you wear. It is how you speak, how you carry yourself, how you behave and how you treat other people. So here's a big No Thanks to Kellyanne Conway's style from one Canadian's perspective.