Senator Amy Klobuchar has looked every bit the part of president on the campaign trail. Her appearance, from hair coloring to her wardrobe, have been polished.
Two Haute Mamas podcast host Sheletta Brundidge asked branding expert Dawn Stebbing about what she sees as Klobuchar's transformation. Women who run for office face unique challenges when it comes to how they are judged for their appearance. As the Columbia Journalism Review recently noted in September, “media coverage of female politicians often uses sexist language, and tends to focus more on family roles, appearance, and perceived ‘women’s political issues.’”
But, all politicans, even the president, make wardrobe choices with voter appeal in mind. Stebbing thinks there is a lesson everyone can learn from how Klobuchar has handled this aspect of her campaign.
“As we evolve in our careers, so does our presence. Our presence has to evolve with that. If you’re going to be president of the United States, or you’re running for president of the United States, that’s another look. The look has to be presidential. I’m sure she had help stepping into that role, and when you step it up, you have to step it up in all areas of your life. Your personal life and your professional life. So what does that look like? If you’re going to step it up as leader you have to look like the leader."
While female candidates have tended to face more scrutiny than man when it comes to appearance, as Stebbing sees it, people, including voters, will always factor in appearance and dress as part of a larger picture.
“Yes, we as people, judge people by the way that they look. And we all do it. To take the focus off of what she's wearing. What her message is coming out of her mouth, needs to resonate.”
Check out her interview about four-minutes into the show: