Fashion Flubs at Fla. GOP Debate (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | GOP hopefuls sounded off on the issues at Thursday's GOP debate in Orlando, Fla. Though the men had it easy in the wardrobe department -- it's hard to mess up the standard dark suit -- several of them committed sins against fashion with their choice of tie. Michele Bachmann, the lone female contender, stumbled with her choice of shoes. When looking presidential is part of the game, the candidates may regret the following sartorial slip-ups.

Michele Bachmann

Tsk, tsk, Mrs. Bachmann. Still with the Mary Janes? Shoes do make the woman, and we won't be taking you seriously until you invest in a pair of power pumps. Here's a tip: If stilettos aren't your thing, you can get away with kitten heels as long as the rest of the shape is suitably power-oriented.

Now, about your jacket. While red is the oft-recommended power color for women, we didn't care for strait-jacket structure and the high, closed collar. They make you seem stiff, rigid and closed, and that thick fabric could have repelled bullets. Next time, try something a little more open around the throat, with some tasteful jewelry as an accent.

While we're at it, please consult a primer on how powerful women stand. During the waves at the end, the men all had it right with their feet firmly planted, shoulder width apart. You, on the other hand, stood like a prissy schoolgirl with your feet welded together. The stance for a woman involves putting the left foot slightly forward with the toe pointing straight ahead. The right foot is some six inches back at a 45 degree angle.

Mitt Romney

Really, Mr. Romney, as the frontrunner, couldn't you have consulted a stylist about your tie? Yes, you get points for the impeccably tailored dark suit and the flag pin, but when a tie is your big-deal accessory you must get it right. Ties are tricky. Too much contrast and they draw attention away from your face. Romney's tie, with its bold blue stripes on a silver background, did precisely that.

Gary Johnson

Johnson's tie was clearly chosen to match his soulful baby blues. In fact, we wonder if some fashion-savvy female picked it out for him. Frankly the tie is almost perfect except for one thing. Though the narrow stripe avoided Romney's attention-stealing pitfall, it was a bit too narrow, creating a nausea-inducing moir? effect for the camera.

Ron Paul

While Mr. Paul's tie looked like silk rather than vintage polyester, its width gave us twitchy '70s flashbacks. The color was good, and the narrower double blue stripe on yellow almost saved it from the Romney contrast problem. Almost.

Herman Cain

Cain was one of three candidates opting for yellow as his dominant tie color. The other two were Jon Huntsman, who did it right, and Ron Paul, discussed above. We don't know if it was the too-light shade or the sheen on the fabric, but something about Cain's tie caused blinding glare for the camera. We might have listened better if we didn't have to avert our eyes every time he spoke.

Doing it right

So who did it right? Rick Perry, for one, with a crimson tie that was perfectly proper, if ever so slightly boring. Huntsman's yellow was warm and vibrant without stealing his thunder, and Santorum's blue-on-blue stripe was picture-perfect. Newt Gingrich was predictable in conservative crimson, and while we approve of the color fashion-wise, we wonder symbolically about candidates who choose red. We're guessing it's a nod to Old Glory, but red does come across as ever so slightly -- dare we say it? -- socialist.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20110923/us_ac/9174917_fashion_flubs_at_fla_gop_debate

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