Washington Post on Condi's attire

(Go Condi!!) I thought AFer's would be interested in this:
washingtonpost.com
Condoleezza Rice's Commanding Clothes
By Robin Givhan
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, February 25, 2005; Page C01
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived at the
Wiesbaden Army Airfield on Wednesday dressed all in
black. She was wearing a black skirt that hit just
above the knee, and it was topped with a black coat
that fell to mid–calf. The coat, with its seven gold
buttons running down the front and its band collar,
called to mind a Marine's dress uniform or the "save
humanity" ensemble worn by Keanu Reeves in "The
Matrix."
As Rice walked out to greet the troops, the coat blew
open in a rather swashbuckling way to reveal the top
of a pair of knee–high boots. The boots had a high,
slender heel that is not particularly practical. But
it is a popular silhouette because it tends to
elongate and flatter the leg. In short, the boots are
sexy.
Rice boldly eschewed the typical fare chosen by
powerful American women on the world stage. She was
not wearing a bland suit with a loose–fitting skirt
and short boxy jacket with a pair of sensible pumps.
She did not cloak her power in photogenic hues, a
feminine brooch and a non–threatening aesthetic.
Rice looked as though she was prepared to talk tough,
knock heads and do a freeze–frame "Matrix" jump kick
if necessary. Who wouldn't give her ensemble a double
take –– all the while hoping not to rub her the
wrong way?
Rice's coat and boots speak of sex and power –– such
a volatile combination, and one that in political
circles rarely leads to anything but scandal. When
looking at the image of Rice in Wiesbaden, the mind
searches for ways to put it all into context. It turns
to fiction, to caricature. To shadowy daydreams.
Dominatrix! It is as though sex and power can only
co–exist in a fantasy. When a woman combines them in
the real world, stubborn stereotypes have her power
devolving into a form that is purely sexual.
Rice challenges expectations and assumptions. There is
undeniable authority in her long black jacket with its
severe details and menacing silhouette. The darkness
lends an air of mystery and foreboding. Black is
the color of intellectualism, of abstinence, of
penitence. If there is any symbolism to be gleaned
from Rice's stark garments, it is that she is tough
and focused enough for whatever task is at hand.
Countless essays and books have been written about
the erotic nature of high heels. There is no need to
reiterate in detail the reasons why so many women
swear by uncomfortable three–inch heels and why so
many men are happy that they do. Heels change the way
a woman walks, forcing her hips to sway. They alter
her posture in myriad enticing ways, all of which are
politically incorrect to discuss.
But the sexual frisson in Rice's look also comes from
the tension of a woman dressed in vaguely masculine
attire –– that is, the long, military–inspired jacket.
When the designer Yves Saint Laurent first
encouraged women to wear trousers more than 30 years
ago, his reasons were not simply because pants are
comfortable or practical. He knew that the sight of a
woman draped in the accouterments of a man is sexually
provocative. A woman was embracing something
forbidden.
Rice's appearance at Wiesbaden –– a military base
with all of its attendant images of machismo,
strength and power –– was striking because she walked
out draped in a banner of authority, power and
toughness. She was not hiding behind matronliness,
androgyny or the stereotype of the steel magnolia.
Rice brought her full self to the world stage –– and
that included her sexuality. It was not overt or
inappropriate. If it was distracting, it is only
because it is so rare.

(Go Condi!!) I thought AFer's would be interested in this:
washingtonpost.com
Condoleezza Rice's Commanding Clothes
By Robin Givhan
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, February 25, 2005; Page C01
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived at the
Wiesbaden Army Airfield on Wednesday dressed all in
black. She was wearing a black skirt that hit just
above the knee, and it was topped with a black coat
that fell to mid–calf. The coat, with its seven gold
buttons running down the front and its band collar,
called to mind a Marine's dress uniform or the "save
humanity" ensemble worn by Keanu Reeves in "The
Matrix."
As Rice walked out to greet the troops, the coat blew
open in a rather swashbuckling way to reveal the top
of a pair of knee–high boots. The boots had a high,
slender heel that is not particularly practical. But
it is a popular silhouette because it tends to
elongate and flatter the leg. In short, the boots are
sexy.
Rice boldly eschewed the typical fare chosen by
powerful American women on the world stage. She was
not wearing a bland suit with a loose–fitting skirt
and short boxy jacket with a pair of sensible pumps.
She did not cloak her power in photogenic hues, a
feminine brooch and a non–threatening aesthetic.
Rice looked as though she was prepared to talk tough,
knock heads and do a freeze–frame "Matrix" jump kick
if necessary. Who wouldn't give her ensemble a double
take –– all the while hoping not to rub her the
wrong way?
Rice's coat and boots speak of sex and power –– such
a volatile combination, and one that in political
circles rarely leads to anything but scandal. When
looking at the image of Rice in Wiesbaden, the mind
searches for ways to put it all into context. It turns
to fiction, to caricature. To shadowy daydreams.
Dominatrix! It is as though sex and power can only
co–exist in a fantasy. When a woman combines them in
the real world, stubborn stereotypes have her power
devolving into a form that is purely sexual.
Rice challenges expectations and assumptions. There is
undeniable authority in her long black jacket with its
severe details and menacing silhouette. The darkness
lends an air of mystery and foreboding. Black is
the color of intellectualism, of abstinence, of
penitence. If there is any symbolism to be gleaned
from Rice's stark garments, it is that she is tough
and focused enough for whatever task is at hand.
Countless essays and books have been written about
the erotic nature of high heels. There is no need to
reiterate in detail the reasons why so many women
swear by uncomfortable three–inch heels and why so
many men are happy that they do. Heels change the way
a woman walks, forcing her hips to sway. They alter
her posture in myriad enticing ways, all of which are
politically incorrect to discuss.
But the sexual frisson in Rice's look also comes from
the tension of a woman dressed in vaguely masculine
attire –– that is, the long, military–inspired jacket.
When the designer Yves Saint Laurent first
encouraged women to wear trousers more than 30 years
ago, his reasons were not simply because pants are
comfortable or practical. He knew that the sight of a
woman draped in the accouterments of a man is sexually
provocative. A woman was embracing something
forbidden.
Rice's appearance at Wiesbaden –– a military base
with all of its attendant images of machismo,
strength and power –– was striking because she walked
out draped in a banner of authority, power and
toughness. She was not hiding behind matronliness,
androgyny or the stereotype of the steel magnolia.
Rice brought her full self to the world stage –– and
that included her sexuality. It was not overt or
inappropriate. If it was distracting, it is only
because it is so rare.