Sarah Palin shops resale in real life
Sarah Palin's $150,000 campaign wardrobe has been dominating the news the last two days, but off the campaign trail, it seems the folksy politico isn't a Neiman's shopper -- she regularly peruses the racks at designer resale store Out of the Closet in Anchorage (ironic, considering her stance on gay marriage).
Wearing discounted Valentino and Versace still doesn't put Palin in the financial realm of an "everyday American," but it's a step down from the spanking-new designer threads she's been sporting on the trail.
Retailer Christos Garkinos recently hosted the owners of the Alaskan store at Decadestwo, the designer resale store he co-owns with Cameron Silver in Los Angeles. "I was saying that Alaska's been in the news a lot, and they said that Palin shops at their store all the time," he said. The Out of the Closet owners ended up "buying a ton of stuff," but the L.A. retailer -- a staunch Sen. Barack Obama supporter who recently married his longtime partner -- said he was so skeeved out at the thought of Palin wearing clothes bought from his store, he donated 100% of the sales to the Obama campaign.
A salesperson at Out of the Closet in Anchorage (no connection to the charitable thrift store chain of the same name) confirmed that Palin is a regular customer, but declined to discuss her sartorial predilections. I'm guessing skirt suits.
-- Emili Vesilind
Photo: AP Photo/Charles Dharapak



Sarah Palin has repeatedly denied getting the mythical $150,000 in clothes. Maybe the RNC spent that money but it went to someone else, it did not go to her.
Posted by: JimAK | October 25, 2008 at 09:56 AM
Well, the last gasp of the Bush debacle may be how they have ruined this great everyday American. First the keep her away from the press, turning the worst interview she has done in the main view Americans have of her. Now this. It turns out Bush handlers did all the shopping and just handed her the clothes. She had no idea they had racked up such extravagance.
Expect to see an entire wardrobe on EBay this November, with proceeds to go to Downs Syndrome research or something like that.
She's already starting to go rogue. It won't be in time for 08, but before all you haters write her off, look at how much Hillary turned it around. Go Sarah Go!!
Posted by: Vern | October 25, 2008 at 09:59 AM
You people are a joke!!!!
I can not believe that everyone can be outraged about something as ridiculous as this. However, Obama can give $800K to Acorn and spend Millions on stage sets and no one blinks an eye.
Please! Please! People of America put whatever you are drinking/smoking down and WAKE UP! Stop acting like sheep and start THINKING!!!!!
I can not believe how many people in America are just plain DUMB!!!
Posted by: JP | October 25, 2008 at 10:19 AM
"She didn't shop for the clothing you freaking idiots. I hate the way you punks in the media distort things to make her look bad."
You're telling me she didn't know? She acquired $150,000 worth of clothing WITHOUT TRYING ANY OF IT ON?
I don't know a woman in the world who would believe that. Women's clothing pretty much has to be tried on. Many things that are the right size aren't comfortable on a particular body because of the cut. Not to mention that some things just don't look as good in the dressing room as they did on the rack. A particular color may be unflattering, even though it's a nice color.
Sarah Palin's clothing is very flattering and it fits her perfectly. I just don't believe it was selected blind for her by someone else.
But even it was, what about "Thanks, but no thanks"?
And what about the charges for her makeup and hair? Does someone just come and do that while she's asleep?
Posted by: Anne W. | October 25, 2008 at 10:28 AM
Palin didn't buy the 150k of clothes. It belongs to the RNC.
It will be auctioned off at the end of the campaign and will make a million bucks easy.
Anybody who knows Palin, knows that she and Todd are frugal.
The travel costs of the governorship in Alaska is running roughly at 20-25% of the cost under Murkowski.
The woman is a fiscal conservative not only with the state spending but with personal spending.
But, the facts don't come out during the campaign because journalism is dead in this country.
Posted by: Tom | October 25, 2008 at 10:36 AM
Let's see Obama, Biden, McCain, and Palin are against gay marriage, yet Palin vetoed a ban on benefits for gay partners. Seems like a pretty middle of the road position Palin has. I guess unlike "compassionate conservatives" she's just a conservative who has real compassion.
America after 4 years of Obama you'll be beggin for Sarah Palin. She stuck it to the oil companys and cut taxes. She slammed the GOP and the Dems over corruption. She didn't play along and get corrupted like Obama, Biden, and McCain.
She's a western conservative. Personally Christian, but governs libertarian. She will be a wonderful President and leave everyone the hell alone. She'll give back our money, shrink the federal government, and leave the social arguments to the states.
Can't we all just agree to let California be California and let Texas be Texas. The Feds need not deal with marriage, abortion, or schools. They'll just screw it up.
Posted by: Newagegop | October 25, 2008 at 10:44 AM
I guess you expected Governor Palin to show up dressed in snow shoes and a parka. This is just part of the left wing elitism and hypocrisy. It just so happens that the clothes will be donated to charity. There are two parts of the Democratic Party, the super rich that could spend this kind of money on an evening dress to go to the Academy Awards, and the poor that they keep filled up with lies and class warfare philosophy so they can stay in power. The Democrats have never done anything for the poor, even though they claim to be the party of the little guy. They have, however, done many things to damage our economy; according to Bill Clinton, the latest is their blocking of the reform of Fannie and Freddie.
Posted by: DL13 | October 25, 2008 at 10:55 AM
What does Out of the Closet have to do with gay marriage? Go to OotC's site. There's nothing about homosexuality or gay marriage. However, the site does mention HIV.
Is Emili Vesilind linking gay marriage and HIV for a reason?
Posted by: GEAH | October 25, 2008 at 11:14 AM
Hmmmmm.
You liberals are extremely amusing about this. $150k for clothes for Palin? OMG!
Nancy Pelosi regularly wears a single necklace worth $117,000 dollars. Just the necklace.
Curiously enough Sarah Palin is the ONLY non-millionaire of the candidates.
But that would be too much logic for you folks.
Posted by: memomachine | October 25, 2008 at 12:01 PM
This is not journalism. This is not fair or impartial in any way. Why is there not one word about what Joe Biden has been given during his VP run? Without both sides of the issue, this is nothing more than junk food news.
Posted by: Joanna | October 25, 2008 at 12:45 PM
If "everyday Americans" weren't wearing discounted designer clothes, there wouldn't be designers. Are you so out of touch with your countrymen that you think most of them really do buy their clothes exclusively at Walmart? Normal people have a range of clothes--the more formal stuff tends to be of higher quality/better brand name. Very few people have no good clothes. I'm a truck driver, but I've got a Brooks Brother's suit, and a pair of Allen Edmonds oxfords in my closet--which day-of-the-week American am I?
Posted by: Jake Barnes | October 25, 2008 at 01:12 PM
Yes, the focus on clothing is so important. Much more important than the threat of socialism, brought to us by the most radical left-wing, slickly dishonest politician to ever make a run for the white house, who only wears custom-made suits and shirts. Soon the government will be telling all of us what clothes we can wear, as well as what we can eat and how warm we can keep our houses in winter. Listen to the speeches of The One. Let us worship him so that he can make all of our choices for us. No longer will we obscess about someone's wardrobe; we will be too worried about our own futures.
Posted by: maryo | October 25, 2008 at 02:32 PM
Wow, its funny how groups come from being oppressed to spewing bigoted intolerance. No bias here. Move along. I'm so tired of this crap, I guess that makes me a racist or something..
Posted by: Gary | October 25, 2008 at 02:48 PM
We are worried about Sarah Palin spending campaign money on luxury clothing? This amazing woman is running as Vice President of the United States of America. Designer clothing is appropriate and no different than the money spent on paying fancy political writers and auditorium fees, etc. It is all about appearance and looking your best while representing the most awesome country in the world. Just because she is looking out for the middle class people - it doesn't mean she needs to shop at K-mart. The celebrities spend that much on designer gowns for their award ceremonies - and many them are representing the garbage of this country.
It is a disgrace to see what our news media is doing to this good woman and her family. Has anyone taken the time to see what she has done for the state of Alaska, as their acting Governor? Or are we too busy being lured in by fancy speeches and one sided news media. I live in the State of Illinois - Barack has done nothing for our state. He has simply pushed aside all that is good. He is just a good speaker and that is it. Look at the real records and see what McCain has already done. At the risk of being unpopular he has done what is right for our country rather than siding with the republican stance. Our country needs a leader like this - one who puts his country first. This great man gave us five years of his life sitting in a prison camp, lets give him four years back.
There are soldiers out there losing their lives for our freedom - at least take the time and look into the what the candidates have done or have not done - truly know the issues. You'll sleep much better knowing you didn't settle. The pretty boy needs to wait his turn!
McCain/Palin - good for the people, good for the country!
Posted by: Joanne Diehl | October 25, 2008 at 03:30 PM
We have seen how grossly inept, foolish, and yes, vapid Sarah Palin is once stripped of her teleprompter and talking points. Those with the common sense to raise this point are now called "haters" by the right's dwindling number of True Believers. This is a class that includes conservative pundits George Will, Kathleen Parker, and Peggy Noonan, individuals who saw through her idiocy *despite* ideology.
My wife has a theory that Palin will make a grab for the 2012 ticket, this on the basis that the GOP will go spasmodic in its attempts to apportion blame for the 2008 elections. Their conclusion will be, not that they alienated the center, but that they didn't get enough of the base out. There is some merit to this: Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight.com recently revealed that McCain is lagging his Democratic opponent in percentage of same-party voting.
http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/10/sorry-jim-pumas-are-dead.html
McCain is getting 85.3% of the Republican vote, which is far down from the 93% Bush got in 2004. The Rovian spin on this could very easily be, "well, we didn't pander ENOUGH to the evangelicals". Putting Palin at the head of the ticket would make sense with that very blinkered logic, but it would drive the GOP into irrelevance for at least another generation.
Posted by: Rob McMillin | October 25, 2008 at 04:47 PM
egads. i'm not voting for McCain/Palin, but the level of vitriol directed against her is astonishing. ease off, people, she's not evil incarnate. attack her policies, but don't take cheap shots at her. y'all make me embarassed to be an Obama supporter. she didn't buy the clothes, the GOP did. face it, if she came out looking dowdy and cheap you would all attack her for that too.
Posted by: tarbubble | October 26, 2008 at 11:39 AM
A woman is running for VP and everyone gets crazy about the clothing and accessories she wears.
Who do you think buys Obama's wardrobe and McCain's wardrobe? It is always the National Committee for their party.
This is SEXIST and it needs to STOP. What the RNC choses to do with their party resources, is party business.
I'd like to see some coverage and resonses about the ISSUES facing our nation. This is ridiculous.
Posted by: J G Newman | October 26, 2008 at 06:46 PM
I think that Sarah Palin should focus on other issues rather than how she looks. There are more important things going on in our world and the money she is using can be better spent. What does it matter if you're wearing such an expensive designer focus on the problems we are facing. Your wardrobe should be one of the last things on your priority list.
Posted by: Melissa L. | October 26, 2008 at 07:54 PM
In less than one week, we will find out who will be our Commander in Chief for the next four years. There are new controversies surrounding both the Democrat and Republican camps. For instance, there has been a lot of talk all over the news and media reporting that the Republican National Committee spent about $150,000 on new clothes for Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin. This story has not only attracted the attention of many Americans, but has stirred a flood of negative publicity. Although both Palin and Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama have spent a large amount on clothing alone, some people have been quick to target the Alaska Governor. However, we are living in a society where looks, more than anything else, are what we base our judgment of people on. If you have one candidate who is dressed in designer clothing, and somebody else dresses in attire distinctly from a clearance rack, the latter will not be taken seriously. They spent a lot less on Sarah’s wardrobe than Obama spends on TV commercials. And look at the attention Sarah Palin is getting with her wardrobe. It doesn’t seem like such a bad political move. Anyway, America should not make a decision on who to vote for based on clothing, especially since the future of our country is at stake. With this in mind, vote for the candidate that supports our freedom for human rights and personal financial responsibility, such as the continued rights to no fax payday loans.
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Posted by: Payday Loan Advocate | October 29, 2008 at 12:30 AM
With just less than one week until the election, controversies surrounding both the Democrat and Republican camps continue to emerge. The most recent media storm has focused on the $150,000 that the Republican National Committee spent on new clothes for Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin. Even though the story has generated a mountain of negative publicity and anti-Republican attacks, I refuse to let it sway my opinion. One has to consider that both Palin and Democratic Presidential hopeful Barack Obama have spent thousands on clothing, and it shouldn’t change the direction in which the vote is cast. I mean, we live in a society based on image and possessions; if a candidate didn’t spend money on her wardrobe I can only imagine the criticism she would receive then. If one candidate donned designer outfits and the other dressed in frumpy clothes, Americans would have much less respect for the latter candidate. Plus, look at the amount of attention Sarah Palin is receiving from her wardrobe! It doesn't seem like such a bad political move because in the end, publicity is publicity. When it comes down to it, Americans should base their votes on the qualifications of the candidates, not the clothes they choose to wear. We should vote for the candidate that will protect our personal financial freedoms and the continued rights to no fax payday loans.
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Posted by: Payday Loan Advocate | October 29, 2008 at 03:55 AM