Drama at the 2009 Miss USA pageant

Whether or not one agrees with Miss California USA Carrie Prejean’s views about marriage, she deserves respect for having the courage to stand on her convictions at the expense of a goal she had worked so long and hard to achieve.

Millions watched April 19 as a judge questioned the San Diego native about the controversial issue in the final round of the Miss USA pageant. Some were surprised when, in response to a judge’s question about same-sex marriage, she politely stated that she believes marriage should be between a man and a woman. The judge who asked the question, gay celebrity blogger Perez Hilton, later lambasted her for both her opinion and for not giving a politically correct answer.

Had Ms. Prejean lied about her opinion or not disclosed it, she probably would have won. Donald Trump, the pageant’s owner, said as much in a subsequent interview.

Well coached pageant contestants know that their chances of winning improve when they respond to politically charged, potentially divisive questions with noncommittal, vague answers. That Ms. Prejean, a 21-year-old model and college student, knew that yet chose to stand on her personal convictions at the cost of the crown is commendable. It’s especially admirable at a time when too many people have no convictions, let alone the courage to stand on them.

It wasn’t the San Diego native’s honesty that caused her to place second after Miss North Carolina Kristen Dalton. It was a flawed judging process that may have allowed one judge to tilt the outcome.

In the best scoring system, one or two judges on a moderately large panel can not sway an entire decision against or in favor of a contestant. With an adequate number of judges - Miss USA had 12 telecast judges - and the highest and lowest scores thrown out, the truest consensus of how the judging body thinks contestants should place has a way of emerging.

Another way to make judging most fair is to ask finalists the same questions, or interview them together in a group setting to gauge their conversational skills in answering multiple questions at random. This has been done before.

Pageant drama of any kind invariably opens the door to criticism that pageants are sexist and exploit women. That tired refrain ignores the reality that pageants staged on local and global stages are usually about more than good looks. Nearly 20 years of experience as a pageant volunteer, coach, judge and emcee have taught me that pageant participants generally end up more poised, polished and success-ready than the average person.

Courtroom couture: How defendants can use fashion in their favor

So, you find yourself headed to court. Your appearance before a judge or jury can affect the court’s ruling, whether it’s a 15-minute hearing for speeding or a 15-day jury trial before a jury at the county courthouse for a third arrest related to possession with intent to distribute.

The evidence and your attorney’s strategy are beyond your control. But by carefully orchestrating your visual presentation, you can project honesty, integrity and self-control — characteristics that judges and juries tend to equate with innocence. Master the subtle ways your attire and grooming can send this message, and you may just sway the court to a more sympathetic ruling.

Here are some tips for proclaiming, without even opening your mouth, “I am an upstanding citizen and innocent of these scurrilous charges!” — even if you’re guilty as sin. The idea is to look like someone other than the person in your mug shot.

DISCLAIMER: Most of the following tips are obviously not applicable if you’ll be shuffling in sporting an orange jumpsuit and shackles. In those cases, all you can do is mind your manners and pray.

• Wear a suit or a serious jacket with coordinated bottoms. They should be dark, preferably navy. A pinstripe is ideal.
• For men, a dark print tie is essential. For women, a sensible white blouse is best.
• In terms of jewelry, women should wear a simple strand of pearls and pearl post earrings (faux is fine). Guys should go with an understated watch or none at all. Rings should be minimal.
• No earrings for guys, and no lip, eyebrow or tongue rings for men or women.
• Any tattoos you can’t cover with clothes, cover with makeup.
• Wear nothing that would cover any part of your face. If you have a choice, opt for contact lenses over eyeglasses. If your eyeglasses are not conservative, wear the contacts and buy conservative reading glasses to wear in court. (Recall Michael Jackson’s spectacles in his last child-molestation case, in which he was acquitted.)
• Makeup should be minimal and natural-looking. Bright red lipstick is absolutely out because it can be perceived as aggressive or sexual.
• In terms of hair, no distracting circusy color patterns. Unless locks are neatly cropped, women should wear hair up in a conservative ‘do such as a bun. Guys should be freshly trimmed with a clean-shaven face. If you’re usually bald, let your hair grow in even if it shows male pattern baldness.
• Be on time, look calm, wear a soft smile and always respond to the judge with “Yes ma’am/yes sir” or “No ma’am/no sir.”

And watch your body language. Lean forward, feet flat on the floor and hands clasped on the table, (or behind the back if standing). Between your nonverbals and style statement, the persona you project should be humble and respectful rather than rebellious, defiant or clueless.

Need help dressing yourself or a client for court? Contact us at fredricklamont@gmail.com.

Nominees for fashion’s ‘Oscars’ same old faces

New York may be the fashion capital of the world, but there are only a few American designers worthy of honor. The rest can go pound salt.

You might be tempted to believe that if you’ve noticed annual nominations for the Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards, the Oscars of the U.S. fashion industry. Except for categories for emerging designers, it seems that the same designers are nominated year after year after year.

The pattern continued with the recently announced nominations for 2009. The nominees in womenswear and menswear design categories reveal basically the same faces occupying the lion’s share. Marc Jacobs, Narciso Rodriguez and Rodarte are the three nominees for womenswear, all prior (and regular) nominees or winners. Calvin Klein is again in the running for menswear, and accessories nominees are part of the band of usual suspects: Mr. Jacobs, Proenza Schouler and Vera Wang.

These designers do exceptional work. But they’re not the only ones who do great work by any stretch of the imagination. America has many talented designers who turn out fine collections each season. Designers such as Ralph Rucci and Tracy Reese, Carmen Marc Valvo and Zang Toi, Carlos Miele and Pamella Roland — and scores of others too numerous to name.

Why, then, do they remain unsung heroes in this competition? Because, like most industry awards, the CFDA Awards is a popularity contest. And the 800 or so council members, press, retailers and stylists chosen to nominate and vote are a fundamentally incestuous, East Coast-dominated group who as a whole seem uninterested in spreading the accolades around to more of those who deserve them.

Winners will be announced June 15 at the usual star-studded gala. Also at the event, First Lady Michelle Obama will be given the Board of Directors’ Special Tribute, likely because she has boosted the visibility of American fashion. The mere perception of her as a fashion icon has been a boon to an industry hanging from a penthouse window ledge by its French tips.

The CFDA ought to make some changes in the nominating and voting process to include more designers who deserve to be recognized. The domination by the same handful of names year after year is insulting to the design community and the American public.

Menswear outlook: from blue to bleak

Fashion will be more somber for the fellows this fall, if collections shown at the recent Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York are any indication. And they usually are.

Some menswear designers tried to keep spirits up with accent colors such as red, green and blue. But the dark tidal wave of black and especially gray betrays a certain degree of pessimism that has grown in the last year.

The shift is particularly noteworthy when one considers the designs for guys that have begun arriving in stores for spring. Everything feels simpler, more organic, more nature-inspired. The biggest trend may be the traditional American sportswear vibe that permeates men’s apparel and accessories.

Blue is the most dominant signature color in menswear lines this season - not necessarily because it’s the favorite color among men, but perhaps because it tends to evoke feelings of peace, serenity, tranquility,  harmony and healing.

And who couldn’t use more of each in these somewhat desperate times?

Michelle Obama: Style S.O.S.!

New first ladies invariably need fashion help when they enter the White House. That’s because First Ladydom is a whole new world. All eyes are on her as a symbol of style, grace, and, yes, even taste. Political protocol and esoteric matters of etiquette make the fashion line among the finest to walk.

Instead of stepping up her style game, Michelle Obama appears to be unraveling. The sleeveless frock she wore during the president’s recent prime-time address to Congress in the dead of winter was more suited for a secret trip to a sushi bar. And enough of the bare legs. Hosiery is an appropriate wardrobe component in more than a few settings - especially when your husband is the president.

While it appeared on the campaign trail that Mrs. Obama had a sense of style and may need no more than a few tweaks from a stylist with a clue, it now appears that she needs a major makeover. So, what’s taking so long for those invisible, irrepressible beltway forces to begin the fine-tuning of Michelle?

Michelle has the potential to be a style icon. You see glimpses of Jackie Kennedy, to whom she has been compared, in photos such as the one gracing the March 9 cover of People magazine. She looks lovely in a pink lace kimono dress by designer Tracy Reese. (Take that, those who publicly criticized her recently for not wearing black designers.) And her recently unveiled official portrait is the picture of elegance.

But being styled for a photo is much different from dressing for public appearances, which always translate into video footage because photographers capture her every step.

And perhaps the media is the culprit. News and entertainment “journalists” gush non-stop about how “gorgeous” Ms. Obama is and how “perfect” she looks in every situation. Come on - she’s attractive, not gorgeous, and she has looked perfect maybe two or three times outside of the strictly controlled environs of a photo shoot for a print publication.

Is what we see here what former president George W. Bush and his Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice referred to as “the soft bigotry of low expectations”? As the media’s glassy-eyed talking heads effusively paint Mrs. Obama as a do-no-wrong style icon, the object of their affection continues her slow descent into style inadequacy. Are they afraid to critically assess her wardrobe choices for fear of being called racist? Is their fawning over her a reflection of their lust for Barack? Or do they simply lack the aptitude to place the image she has created for herself in its appropriate political and cultural context? Probably all three.

Mrs. Obama is a highly intelligent woman, but her inability to craft a consistently polished visual image suggests that her Ivy League education may be at odds with her working-class, South Side Chicago upbringing. The latter, unfortunately, appears to be winning. She seems confused about what’s appropriate for almost everything, and her go-to is a loud cocktail dress.

If you’re listening, Mrs. Obama, here are a few words of advice from somebody who appreciates you enough to tell you the truth: Hire a serious stylist who understands each message you must send and the master narrative you must write with your appearance, and obey him or her. You are sending a message each time you step into the public eye, and you must learn to control it at all times to project not just confidence, but taste and class.

As you and your staff hunt for the right stylist - Valerie Jarrett, where art thou? - get thee hastily to Donna Karan, St. John, Pamella Roland, Carmen Marc Valvo and Edward Wilkerson at Lafayette 148. These design houses are foremost among those that can help you look your optimal within reasonable cost.

Don’t fret - J. Crew, Sears and thrift store pieces have a place in your closet. But you have to master when and how to rock those looks. For example, J. Crew’s spring collection has several ensembles that would suit you well for the annual Easter Egg Roll at the White House. But the brand’s looks probably aren’t the best fit for, say, a tea for women in Congress.

President Obama won the presidency with a persistent call for change. And the winds of change are indeed blowing - we just need them to gust through the first lady’s dressing room.

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