Am I a bad feminist to always look at what Arlene Foster is wearing...

[Juells]

...and think she has either a great dress sense or a great stylist? I don't like AF's politics, but whenever she appears on TV I find myself scrutinising what she has on, and admiring her.

Her expression is always that of a bulldog licking piss off a nettle, but by God her haircut is good, and everything she wears suits her in an invisible kind of way - you're not distracted from what she's saying by unsuitable jackets, fancy silly shoes, huge necklace etc..

Runs for the hills

In the last 12 months, Foster appears to have lost a lot of weight, acquired an easy care hair style and got some new bright coloured clothes. She looks younger, to my eyes.

One thing that I like about T May is that she clearly enjoys fashion and isn't afraid to try new things. Because, y'know, women who do Proper Sensible Jobs can also like good clothes, make up and hair

(But don't ask me - I'm a self professed Bad Feminist )

Yeh I like it that Theresa May is woman in a senior job who isn't afraid to enjoy and even take risks with her clothes. We may not like the same things but I always imagine that if I ever got stuck in a lift with her, we'd at least have something to talk about.

Arlene Foster has been taken in hand and definitely been scrubbed up and she scrubs up well.

Theresa May has toned down her look a bit- she's still very elegant but she used to go for more eccentric clothes.

Nicola Sturgeon has taken years to get there but she is usually very elegant and stylish too.

I get seriously annoyed at the idea that caring about clothes/style means one is some sort of airhead and there is some sort of moral superiority in buying all your clothes from the men's wear section of an army surplus store.

Oh and JamieBravo your comment says more about you than Arlene Foster.

I agree with May on hardly anything, but I do admire her ability to brazen out anything without seeming to absorb the judgement being heaped on her personally.

I mean, she is ridiculous, and presiding over a terrible government, and she has arguably questionable judgement and a very awkward manner, but she could stare down the barrel of a gun and calmly wave at all the onlookers as she passes it by, and that's a very admirable quality I've rarely seen in women in the public eye, though it's something I'm more familiar with in 'normal' women.

Theresa May looks fantastic in this outfit

Am I a bad feminist to always look at what Arlene Foster is wearing

No you aren't but there are a couple of posters who definitely are.

I'm so glad I'm not the only person who'd quite like to know where Arlene Foster shops, I like that slightly severe polished look. I like what Michelle O'Neil wears as well, and more than once they've been wearing complementary colours in photos . I'm from NI so I know politically it's a nightmare and Arlene scares the bejayus out of me but at least the clothes give me something else to think about.

I wish Theresa May would be a bit more adventurous with her haircut, I used the same hairdresser once (it's just a local salon in her constituency nothing fancy and I didn't know she used it) and he is technically very good but he managed to make me look 5 years older and im really looking for a haircut that does the opposite.

Lass - trying to work out if you are joking or not! Also I have googled AF and have yet to find the stylish looks of which you speak! Can you post a pic?

On a slight tangent, if you're interested in the intertwining of fashion and feminism may I recommend Mrs Pankhurst's Purple Feather by Tessa Boase? It's a really fascinating investigation of how the Suffragette movement interacted with, of all things, the RSPB and the early animal rights movement. Millions of birds were hunted to provide for the milinary trade at the time and thousands of working class women were employed in the feather trade providing fripperies for the middle and upper classes. The two movements both drew from and antagonised each other...it's well worth a read.

Jaimebravo I very much share your fears. Those that didn't live through it will never understand

I love Theresa May's dress sense.

I remember when the Scottish referendum was on, a MNetter commented that Nicola Sturgeon could do with sorting out her 'base' as it was unflattering, and now whenever I see Sturgeon on telly I just have to say 'base, base, base, base' out loud!

I get seriously annoyed at the idea that caring about clothes/style means one is some sort of airhead and there is some sort of moral superiority in buying all your clothes from the men's wear section of an army surplus store.

Couldn't agree more. And I am a feminist, and not the liberal sort.

When Helle Thorning-Schmidt was prime minister of Denmark, I used to love looking at the way she dressed. www.google.co.uk/search?q=danish+female+prime+minister&rlz=1CDGOYI_enGB738GB738&hl=en-GB&prmd=insv&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjYx5CE69TeAhXtkYsKHY_BCFwQ_AUoAXoECA0QAQ&biw=320&bih=492&dpr=2

I couldn't get over the fact that Helle Thorning-Schmidt had the Kinnocks as her in-laws

I liked the contrast neckline on this dress www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-45628195 I know it won't be to everyone's taste

Lass - trying to work out if you are joking or not!

About what Theresa May and Nicola Sturgeon looking elegant? Arlene Foster scrubbing up well ?

Some posters on here being complete hypocrites? No,not joking about any of them.

JamieBravo' s posts are disgraceful. If she wants to discuss Foster's politics start a thread on it. Comparing AF to Robbie Coltrane is pathetic

I think Theresa May looks good in the red but I like David Cameron's coat even more. I bloody love a really well cut men's overcoat.

Lass - trying to work out if you are joking or not!

About the Theresa May picture - I like some of things she wears but that looks really unflattering.

Why do you think feminists aren't allowed to be interested in clothes?

Two words: Christine Lagarde. Killing it professionally and SO elegant.

I used a stylist recently, it was great! I’m trying to think laterally about how to quickly solve problems in my life. The problem is I want to be able to shop quickly and efficiently and get dressed quickly, like a professional man can, but society holds me to a different style and standard. And I love nice things and am at an age where I feel like I can have them if I want. But realistically finding stylish, flattering clothes takes a lot of time and knowledge and effort, which I don’t have. Conveniently, lots of people have a passion for clothes and shopping and style and you can pay them to do it all for you! They are happy, I am happy, it’s all good.

Why do you think feminists aren't allowed to be interested in clothes?
Not sure if you mean why as in, where did I get this idea from or why do I think it happens? If it's the first, whenever the subject crops up there's always at least one poster (obviously not all) loftily announcing that they have more important things to think about. There was a thread in the summer about the royal wedding frocks that was a classic example or more recently, one on Grazia magazine. It's not just that they're not interested in clothes, it's that they feel they need to tell the world they're not interested.

I've seen this attitude all my adult life. I was cold shouldered by the women's group at uni because I liked clothes and 44 years later, I get the sense that little has changed.

As for why it happens - I think it's looked down on because it's seen as a women's interest, which is actually a pretty misogynistic idea so I find it particularly depressing to find it on here.

I've had a bit of a crush on Christine Lagarde for a long time.

Not really getting the Arlene Foster thing particularly. Her clothes are very ordinary. But her haircut it certainly a vast improvement. She was starting from a v low base!

I have googled AF and have yet to find the stylish looks of which you speak! Can you post a pic?

There aren't any full-length photos of her online that I can find. It's mostly from seeing her on the news that I've noticed her clothes. She looks solid.

Now that I think about the 'feminist' thing, I think it's more that women shouldn't judge other women by how they look or present themselves. That's quite difficult though, as we all have our own taste in clothes.