Carolyn Solar |Staff Writer|
Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has been critiqued on her fashion choices for as long as she has been in the public eye.
Whether it is her androgynous style, her use of hair scrunchies, and the occasional natural makeup, Hillary Clinton is notably criticized more often for her style than any of her male front-runners.
In the run to become the next president the media wants not only a woman who is educated and passionate, but they must be a style icon, too.
It seems that regardless of what she wears, she is criticized.
In this campaign, she is teased for wearing pantsuits and chunky jewelry rather than something more subtle.
Clinton has pointed out that fashion is not her top priority, yet the media still acknowledges her fashion choices as another topic of discussion.
For a woman in politics it seems like Clinton “can’t get it right”!
“If Hillary is comfortable and confident when she wears her pant suits, people shouldn’t mock her,” said student Marissa Gonzalez.
“If I feel like I look good today, it is no one’s responsibility to tell me my outfit sucks,” said Gonzalez.
Women, not just Clinton, are often faced with a struggle to look a certain way in the media.
Whether they are slut-shamed for showing too much or called out for being “frumpy” for not showing enough skin, the public still focuses a large attention on weight, hair, makeup, and outfits, regardless of the skills that have made them successful.
A reporter named Karl Stefanovic conducted an experiment to make a point about the double standards women face in the public eye.
Stefanovic wore the same outfit for a year. Not one viewer acknowledged this or even seemed to notice that he wore the same thing day in and day out. Meanwhile, his co-host constantly faced criticism for her choice of clothing.
“I’m judged on my interviews, my appalling sense of humour – on how I do my job, basically. Whereas women are quite often judged on what they’re wearing or how their hair is,” said Stefanovic to Fairfox Media.
Some believe that women have to work even harder to be taken seriously as professionals in their field.
“As someone who aspires to be a newscaster, I find it appalling that despite my knowledge and skill, what matters most is whether my shoes match my scarf,” said student Alexandra Hernandez.
“I am getting an education so I can be successful in this world and it’s crazy to think that something as minor as my outfit could hinder my success,” said Hernandez.
Other students disagree.
“I think if you are good at what you do, people can overlook your style. Mrs. Clinton is still doing great in the campaign and we still hear about amazing reporters regardless of their style,“ said student Maria Lopez.
In her most recent debate, Clinton wore an all black pantsuit with a small pearl necklace. Her outfit was not the topic of discussion in news outlets like it had previously been.
Perhaps she gave in so people would focus on her message.
Regardless of why Hillary decided to tone it down, one of her messages in this political campaign is equal pay for women, but when it comes to smaller issues like clothing, women are still not equal.
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