Sarah Palin's $150,000 Wardrobe Malfunction?

Sarah Palin, small-town hockey mom and everywoman? More like Sarah Palin, pampered princess. Jeanne Cummings at Politico reports that the RNC’s monthly financial disclosure reports reveal that the Republican National Committee has spent tens of thousands of dollars on the vice presidential candidate's wardrobe and accessories since she was nominated, including $150,000 in September alone.

So it seems you can take the girl out of the beauty pageant, but you can’t take the beauty pageant out of the girl.

Palin's clothes came from retailers such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s, Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus and Barneys New York, and expenses included nearly $5,000 for hair and makeup. Maybe this is actually her one-woman economic stimulus plan. Lord knows the retail sector needs it.

Still, voters must find it unfathomable for Palin, who has been presented as a woman “like us,” to spend that kind of money on clothes in these difficult financial times, to see her speaking so passionately about Joe the Plumber while plumbing campaign coffers for Valentino jackets and pencil skirts. And yet, they’ve eaten it up, tittering on chat sites about Palin’s Kawasaki eyeglass frames and her Naughty Monkey red peep-toe pumps. (See our earlier take on Gov. Palin's style here.)

Palin’s spokewoman is saying this is much ado about nothing, that we should be talking about more important issues. But can you imagine the outcry if it were revealed that Hilary Clinton’s rainbow of pantsuits was paid for by campaign contributions? Or if college kids’ $50 checks to the Biden/Obama campaign were putting those men in $5,000 custom suits? (Obama’s suits are by Hart Schaffner Marx out of Chicago, and cost in the $1,500 range.)

In Palin’s defense, being a woman in the public eye has its own kind of pressures. And it’s unlikely she has been stepping off the campaign trail to join the ladies who lunch for shopping sprees at Neimans. Instead, she is probably working with a wardrobe stylist, who brings her things to try on and choose from. But the issue of clothing and hair expenses has always been a land mine for politicians (John Edwards' $400 haircuts), and someone should have been sensitive to that.

You also have to wonder how it feels, as a woman, to have everyone know that you really have been dressed up and trotted out like a beauty queen for the American public to wag their tongues at. Caribou Barbie indeed.

-- Booth Moore, Los Angeles Times Fashion Critic

Photo: Republican VP candidate, Gov. Sarah Palin at a campaign rally in Carson, California on October 4, 2008. Michael Robinson Chavez/Los Angeles Times.

Comments

[pat]

Wow, what a joke of a paper. You guys can't find anything on Obama worth noting? email me and I will do your job for you. Oh wait you dont want to find anything on obama, you would rather write about pointless stuff like this. You should be fired, but you wont, because your boss thinks this is good journalism. You Idiot, I hope you realize what you cost your children and our future

[jake]

Give me a break. Women need a much bigger wardrobe than men. Otherwise everyone would complain that she was trashy or low class. I'll bet her outfits don't cost mich more individually. I'm an Obama supporter 100%, but this is just silly to discuss. Shame on you for the title of this article; it misled me into thinking this was actual news, and not melodramatic fluff.

[tmg]

"Caribou Barbie" Love it!

[SeaMex]

This is just more proof that McCain / Palin are out of ideas out of touch. I don't care how you dress it up. It just does not work for America.

[Menge]

Palin taking this country south before even get elected with her big tax payer money spending on her family’s clothing.

Come America stop voting for McCain and Plain

[Tre Epin]

Now. Turn about being FAIR play, if you remember what that is. How much does Barry Obama pay for his suites? Sarah Palin is the most qualifies person in the race and she is being treated like crap. Ask youself two questions:
1. Would she be treated the way if she was a man?
and
2. Why is the democrat party so affraid for this lady?

[AML]

It's not only the wardrobe, it's the shyness from press conferences, and the winking...would we stand this from a male candidate????
Back before the RNC, I could see through to the superficiality of Palin, but it did scare me to the core to watch her snarky address at the Convention. I knew a certain amount of people would buy the song and dance, but FINALLY the truth is coming out!

[Chris Mcdaniel]

Why solicit comments if you censor them and only post the pithy snipes that are AGAINST Palin, and not your liberal shill writer?

[G]

Palin has become more crooked in two years in office then most politicians do in their whole career. How can these "christian" voters turn the other cheek to all the on going investigations against her in her own state? Oh yeah, she was framed. Basically you are sending a a message to all the young Americans that it is OK to lie, cheat and steal as long as it's for the lords work. WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Going Insane With All Of This]

I'm a [ Democrat ] and I couldn't care less if she came out wearing Prada or Prado. She could get all her clothes from the NYC Knock-off Center and I couldn't care less. I care about the Issues.

- But -

The point is... DO NOT PANDER TO ME, DO NOT KISS MY ASS, AND STATE YOU ARE ONE OF US, YOU KNOW HOW WE FEEL DURING THIS ECONOMIC CRISIS WHEN YOU HAVE 8 HOUSES McCAIN, WHEN YOU GET $150,000k IN WARDROBE IN SEPT ALONE. McCAIN/PALIN, I HAD TO STRUGGLE TO CHOOSE WETHER OR NOT TO PAY MY COLLEGE LOANS OR PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE FOR ME AND MY FAMILY. I HAD TO SAY NO TO NEW SHOES AND WEAR SNEAKERS TO WORK THAT THE SOLES ARE FALLING OFF. I LOOK LIKE A SHMUCK GOING TO A JOB WHERE I SHOULD BE PRESENTING MY SELF JUST AS WELL AS WE PRESENT YOU. I LOVE THAT MY DONATIONS GO TO YOUR WARDROBE. WE ATTACKED KERRY FOR HIS $400 HAIRCUTS, DON'T BE UPSET WHEN THEY ACCUSE YOU OF YOUR EXPENSES WHEN YOU CLAIM TO UNDERSTAND WHERE WE COME FROM. I AM FURIOUS THAT YOU PANDER TO MY SITUATION AND CLAIM TO UNDERSTAND HOW THIS HURTS ME EVERYDAY, WHEN YOU HAVE A JOB THAT PAYS YOU A GREAT SALARY, GREAT BENEFITS FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY, AND YOU EVEN GET COMPED TO FLY YOUR KIDS AND SHOW THEM OFF LIKE LITTLE DOGS AND PONYS AND WE ALL GET SAPPY FOR YOU WHILE YOU GET DRESSED UP LIKE A BARBIE DOLL IN 150K WORTH OF CLOTHING ALONE. IF YOU WANT TO BE JUST LIKE US WHERE THE TWO OR THREE GOOD DRESS SUITS YOU HAVE. THEN YOU'LL BE JUST LIKE US.

[DeeBee]

Palin spouts about how when she becomes vice president she is going to champion the cause of adults/children with disabilities. If she really wanted to do that, then why has she not employed those same disabled people in the governor's office? This is something that Maria Shriver rasied when she was on Larry King the other day.

[Liberal Person with Blinders on]

tommyg

You might want to spell idiots right when you call people "iddiots".
but you're right. Joe the plumber shouldn't have been "riddiculed"... he should have been ridiculed.

Yeah.
We're the "iddiots".

[Tony]

This is absolute garbage of "Reporting". I find it not only completely biased, but foolishly one sided and yet another attempt by a liberal to stir hate and anger.
Lets leave this one unless we plan to start putting the pricetags of all of Obama Bin Bidens suit racks up on display. I just purchased a new suit last week and even a mid-range (with shirt, tie, shoes, shirt etc.) cost ME about a Grand.
I know for a fact that the stuff Obama buys is WAY above what working people buy and i would bet dimes to dollars he has well over 100 suits that he wears and probably 200 more sitting a closet somewhere. But nobody is interested in that right? nobody cares that a guy whos job pays 180K per year and whos wife is unemployed (unless you count working on his campaign which i dont) makes over 5 million dollars per year? Not to mention his campaign spending. Anytime McCain chews a stick of gum the liberal media demands to know where it was purchased and the source of the money. But we all look the other way when our celebrity politician with no experience spends money like water on his campaign.
In any case, the "writer" and "Editor" who allow this kind of crap to be published should go back to their institutions of Learning (even if it did stop at middle school) and demand a full refund as you were taught NOTHING.
In any case, Why are the liberals so worried? you have already PURCHASED this election! McCain is WAY behind. You have already succeed in selling our country off to hussein and his band of friends "over there". Now they know they got "Boys" in the white house. Its okay. In a few years i can look at all of you and say "i told ya so".

Enjoy the meal libbies! its all on you!

[Liberal Person with Blinders on]

tommyg

You might want to spell idiots right when you call people "iddiots".
but you're right. Joe the plumber shouldn't have been "riddiculed"... he should have been ridiculed.

Yeah.
We're the "iddiots".

[Marie Antoinette]

Sarah Marie Antoinette Palin:

Economic crisis
World crisis
People loosing their jobs
People loosing their heathcare

$150,000.00 shopping spree for palin

What a disgrace.

[Suzanne]

I was wondering how (and why) a governor from up in Alaska could look so chic and keep so up-to-date fashion-wise. I honestly thought this was her own wardrobe.

The Republicans get an A for effort. Oh well, you can dress her up, but you can't let her give interviews.

[Tim Linge]

gee i wonder who you morons are voting for.

[ben]

It's always nice to see someone use the phrase "libral news iddiots." Some might think that person should be "riddiculed," but I certainly don't. On the contrary, I think that person's ideas and views and actions should be emulated, so our country can become a better place. A Pro-American Place! In nice clothes.

[Brian]

Oh my gosh!! Nobody has ever spent so much money! Never mind the banking scandal, caused mainly by Democrats. Get a life L.A. Times, you guys are so biased in the media.

[Tim]

Iranian caviarto
Hey looser . it is Caviar, and if you followed the news, that was a false report. get your facts right looser...Dumb republican . how can you even begin to think she would make a good President is scary, being in charge of this great country (Sarah Palin) Oh my god help us all

[Ron]

Hmmm, lets do some accounting of the hundreds of millions that Obama's camp has spent. I bet Michelle got a few dresses and Obama a few suits on the contribution money. Get real, this is one-sided journalism. Let's investigate the Democratic Candidate's accounts before the election and see the truth!

[fred]

goes with the lipstick on the pitbull...

[Shelley]

This article is outragously sexist. Why don't you run an article on the price of Obama or Biden's suits or special meals? No you wouldn't do that because that would be trival, but its ok for you do make it an issue for Palin.

What is outrageous is that you are focusing on the fashion expenses of a political leader rather than economic and social issues.

Maybe you don't agree with her politics but must you degrade all woman of power and inspiration with an article like this?

[bobcr]

tommyg,

It's hypocrisy that pisses people off. And, between $30000 for trips to her house 40 miles from Anchorage, $21000 for inappropriate travel expenses for her kids and $1500000 in clothing, Sarah seems to be living high on the hog at public expense. Sounds more like the Conservative Elite to me.

[Javier Perez]

"Spend, baby, Spend", this is your chance to live your fantasies. You got two more weeks in heavens. Praise the Lord!!

[Chang Caine]

I'd say "caught with her pantsuit down".

[workinpoor]

TommyG:

Liberals prefer to be annoyed intelligently. Please learn to spell:

L-I-B-E-R-A-L, not L-I-B-R-A-L.

Oh, and while you're putting down liberals , please remember that if it weren't for us, you wouldn't have any right at all to vent your feelings, mispellings & all.

[GodWho?]

Interesting. Brings out the fem in all of us, yea? Even "You libral news iddiots" guy TommyG (the anti-spelling man). The news is, fyi... that we've got a lot to say. If you haven't heard it yet, you will shortly. Better pack those bags, hike those 2 dollar suspenders up.... we're coming to your town shopping.

Barack Hussein Obama '08

[Mike]

you little saudi princess you, you don`t care about alaskans tax payers, i just read about your abuses there, you don`t care about john mc cain`s supporters money , but..i`m on the other side , who cares..i love your screw ups.

[Sam]

You have to remember how much Obama spent on his campaign. Come on he BOUGHT his air time in NBC, advertising in video games...list goes on and on. How much money does this guy have? And the reporters talking about $150,000 wardrobe? Be realistic here.

[Veronica Vila]

Hey! Will she be auctioning this wardrobe on Ebay once her 15 mins of fame are up? Could find some deal ladies!

[Guy S.]

I recall SO much righteous animosity when Clinton or Edwards get their haircuts ....

I'm sure the rabid hate-shouters at the McCain/Palin rallies won't have a clue what hypocrisy they are about to display ...

But hey: McCain said he likes being the Underdog ....

Do Underdogs win election if they are still the Underdog after the polls close ?

Just wonderin'

[Plain Jane]

May I ... that's not a tax payer credit card that is a give away. I love the GOP version of welfare. It never changes. Steal from the poor and give to the rich.

[yvette sedlewicz]

Well, I guess the RNC really did try to put "lipstick on a pig". Guess what? It is still a pig!

[mush]

the absolutely absurd thing about all this is that the conservatives started the idea that spending big money on appearance was something to belittle. remember john edwards' $400 haircut? how much derision that engendered? how limbaugh still calls him the "brecht girl"? please tell me how $400 comes close to $150,000?

[Mike]

Tell that to Joe the Plumber.

[eel pie]

This is really a non story but it does make me think. You can dress up a monkey in an expensive suit but at the end of the day all you have is a monkey in an expensive suit.

[PalinIsAJoke]

I find it appalling that the so-called champion for 'Joe Six-pack' spent more in one month on CLOTHES than I EARN in entire YEAR - and I have a bachelor's degree from a highly-competitive liberal arts college, that I earned in 4 years by the way without transferring every year.

Talk about a dilettante. This woman can never, ever, frame Obama as an elitist again.

Except I expect she still will - becuase a good portion of the electorate will still believe her...

[Charles]

RNC can spend what they want on Sarah Palin. The State Government of Alaska paying for traveling expenses of her family and children is a different matter. The latter just shows why Governor Palin is not ready to reform DC politics.

[NFogler]

To tommyg,
Us liberal people are still regretting the Bush compaign as you can tell by the markets today DUH. Keep voted for Bush-like & see where America goes.

[Patrick]

I am shocked and dismayed! With a snappy dresser like Cindy McCain around (didn't her outfit at the convention cost in the neighborhood of $300K?) why is Sarah Palin doing it on the cheap. Come on Sarah, get with it. You need to be spending $150K per outfit. Only then will you be truly embraced by the "anti-elitist" McCain supporters.

[GEAH]

So, this is what passes for "issues" and "news" at the LA Times.

Ever wonder why your advertising and circulation has collapsed?

[RichStradler]

Sheesh! America as we've come to known it is literally burning, and the LA Times does an article on what? A VP's clothing bill! Did anyone notice that we had another bailout almost as big as the last one passed last night without anybody asking? No... but did you see what the GOP spent on Palin's wardrobe? Well yeah but... fiddle away Nero fiddle away.

[steve]

Hey PALIN will you be shooting any wolf pups in the head (read trooper gate report) in your Wall St outfit. Maybe RNC can get a you a gun to match your outfit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[GEAH]

"I wonder when the reports of Michelle Obama's donated coture freebies from Oprah's designer will be mentioned by the adoring press ..."

Mary, you're a racist!

[Gabe Guzman]

I wonder how many families you can feed with $150,000.

[Marvin the Plumber]

Just take a peek behind the mask (read without make-up) and you will see the "I gotcha" grimace!

[jack]

Hey Palin, while dressed up in your Wall St outfit, don't forget the lipstick.

[Vote Republican]

How much does Obama pay for his suits and upkeep? Who cares! Write something that we care about like how much Obama will tax all the rich hollywood Democrat actors to pay for more government.

[Commifornia]

Giving $800,000 to Acorn is much better. Money well spent on cigarettes and buying signatures. That's charity. Smoke um if you got um.