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Samantha Cameron - words fail me

238 replies

PuffPants · 14/03/2012 23:16

Why has she dressed so badly for this US trip? From the old mac she wrapped round her at the airport to the utterly hideous curtain she appears to be wearing at the state banquet tonight. I am embarrassed for her. Michelle Obama may be twice her size but she is ten-times better dressed.

OP posts:
Francagoestohollywood · 20/03/2012 10:46

But Thomas overseas we already look at Alexa Chung, Kate Moss and the likes as style icons, not KM!

thomasbodley · 20/03/2012 10:50

Ali Grin I wouldn't put her in off-the-peg Next. I'd get in the same Savile Row tailor who makes Simon Wolfson's suits Wink.

Next is in massive trouble but it still clothes 16% of the British population - you can't let a brand like that die. KM would be the shot in the arm it needed.

thomasbodley · 20/03/2012 10:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

thomasbodley · 20/03/2012 10:54

Bugger, really shouldn't have put that, I'm too easy to out here. Will delete.

Francagoestohollywood · 20/03/2012 11:38

Thomas, I see what you mean. I am in Italy now, and to be honest the Italian fashion market is rather bizarre, and if it gets KateMiddletonized, where the hell will I be shopping?

Kate Moss still has lots of appeal here. She is still fronting some major campaigns of Italian brands, you know those "pronto moda" high street chains, like Liu Jo...

Next, Oasis, M6S, really should work on their fabrics and style. So depressing.

MarshaBrady · 20/03/2012 11:43

Next really do need to sort themselves out. If they are in dire straits it's because they are dire.

Yes depressing style and fabric, and the thought of KM representing the UK in them, more so.

BettyBathroom · 20/03/2012 11:49

I think Sam Cam's styling issues are probably a direct result of her position as Ambassador of the British Style Council - she is not dressing to suit herself and it shows in how she looks in the outfits that have been chosen for her - she is dressing to represent the whims of the BSC.

Chubfuddler · 20/03/2012 12:58

I shouldn't worry Thomas I haven't the least idea who an 18 year old would think the mutts nuts.

Bonsoir · 20/03/2012 13:00

Every country has its own high-street brands that cater to local tastes (the UK is not alone in having a high street - it's just cheaper than most because British women don't want to spend a lot per item of clothing). And then there are global high street brands (Zara, H&M, Benetton), and then there are mid/upper high street national brands than can have international appeal because they follow a more globalised look than the cheaper brands catering to local tastes. KM has adopted the latter and good on her, though, as MarshaBrady rightly says, KM mustn't overdo it!

Bonsoir · 20/03/2012 13:03

KM couldn't anything at all for Next, and Next would do KM an awful lot of harm.

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 20/03/2012 13:04
Grin
mathanxiety · 20/03/2012 18:28

Pipsy -- David Cameron has also been a parent for a while and has also lost a child yet he manages to be PM and look ok in his suit.

Sansucre -- I think her problem is that she goes for fashion as opposed to style. The two are not mutually exclusive, but she tends to go for the out and out fashion instead of developing her style. SamCam should dress in clothes that photograph well and that suit her as an individual. They should be like makeup; you should see the face and not the paint. With the clothes she chose for her US trip, you saw the clothes.

British fashion looks horrible if it is not worn well by the wearer. She isn't doing any favours to what she represents if she slouches and looks like a dress wearing a woman who seems stiff and out of her element. MO, otoh had an instant galvanising effect on JCrew and the other brands she wears, because of what she brought to the clothes just going about the business of representing the corporate brand (I agree with ThomasB here) and demographic she represents.

thomasbodley · 21/03/2012 08:26

Claps mathanxiety.

On a human level, I feel desperately sorry for Samantha Cameron in many ways. She's the product of a very unhappy marriage, she's nursed a child through a dreadful illness, she lost that child in shocking and desperate circumstances and must still be full of grief for him. A difficult role in a contentious environment is the last thing she needs. She's a creative director of a stationery firm; quietly designing in an office is a world away from hanging out with Mobama at the White House in front of the world's press.

But for whatever reason, she's decided to wants to support her husband and be by his side in his corporate role. Men can rarely force their wives to do anything - Camilla Parker Bowles does the minimum number of public engagements she can get away. And the simple fact is, if you want to be taken seriously, you've got to look absolutely appropriate for your profession, your level of seniority, and your audience. If you work in fashion, it's fine for your clothes to be noticed before you are; if you're involved in international diplomacy, it isn't.

And male leaders don't escape style criticism - if you're as old as I am, you probably remember Michael Foot and the amount of ribbing he used to get. Pratibha Patil is the female President of India, and when her husband wore a pullover under a pinstripe suit during a state visit to the UK, he was ripped apart for it in the Indian press.

Tony Blair had a huge amount of media and presentation training, as did Gordon Brown. They both looked dreadful before the Labour Party invested in branding - and the public appearance of their staff was as important as their new logo.

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