Published 1/28/2007
Congressman Terry's black cowboy boots make quite the fashion statement.
BY CHRISTINE LAUE AND DANE STICKNEY
World-Herald Staff Writers
Ben Nelson likes to piece together outfits almost as much as he does farm bills.
Ties especially draw out his inner Calvin Klein.
"I've got Kelly green, yellow, red, off-red," the U.S. senator from Nebraska said as he studied his Washington, D.C., walk-in closet. "Bright ties have sort of become my trademark. You can only do so much with a dark suit, but I think a colorful tie really pops against a traditional dark gray or dark blue suit."
Politicians know that image is everything. That's why some pay more attention to fashion than you might think. It's also why they don't stray far from the norm.
Their understated approach has become more apparent in recent weeks. U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the first female speaker of the House, is turning heads with everything from her fitted Armani suits to her Tahitian pearls, which reportedly are skyrocketing in sales.
A recent New York Times article suggested that the California Democrat's fashion savvy may allow other politicians to break free of the standard, staid Capitol Hill threads. During the president's State of the Union address Tuesday, her mint outfit stood out among a sea of dark suits.
Nelson's dove-printed, salmon-colored tie and U.S. Rep. Lee Terry's black cowboy boots are about as colorful and adventurous as
Midlands lawmakers get on Capitol Hill.
And pink - well, that's about as scary for Terry as cutting ethanol subsidies.
"I couldn't go with a totally pink tie," he said. "That's too edgy for me."
Even with their conservative threads, these guys need a little help.
While Terry picks out his suits at Omaha stores like Dillard's, his wife gets the final say, or "veto power," as he put it.
When a group of senators wears bow ties once a year to rib U.S. Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., Nelson turns to his staff to tie his.
U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry's staff bought most of the ties the Nebraskan wears in Washington.
U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel is a "one-man operation" when it comes to picking out his clothes. He especially likes ties given to him by his wife and daughter, said spokesman Mike Buttry.
Each Christmas, Lilibet Hagel gives her husband a box of colorful boxers made by Tweed Peacock, said Terry Thies, sales associate at Omaha's Rossi Clothiers.
"I may be in trouble for bringing that up," Thies said.
Hagel has bought custom-made suits at Rossi Clothiers, with assistance from owner Charlie Rossi. And Fortenberry and
U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith rely on specialty men's clothing store staff to refine their look.
Smith uses the expertise of Eric Vath, owner of Wm. Eric Vath, Clothier, in Scottsbluff, Neb.
Vath said Smith buys suits by H. Freeman, a brand that is more high-end than most department stores carry, with prices from $400 to $1,300 per suit. Vath declined to give specifics on what Smith pays but said he doesn't get anything too extravagant.
Smith found himself a little tongue-tied trying to explain his more than 40 neckties.
"I will admit I'm kind of picky when it comes to ties," Smith said. "I can't even describe it. I've never really tried to put it into words before."
With Vath's influence, Smith has ventured from basic blue, red and yellow ties.
"In times past, he was really conservative about neckwear, but now he sees it as - what's the word I want to use? - I wouldn't say a fashion statement," Vath said. "He's just become a little more flamboyant in his neckwear."
Flamboyant for a politician, that is. In this case, that means orange, or pink and green stripes.
"It's certainly not wild," Vath said.
Politicians do like to get silly when giving gifts to other lawmakers.
Nelson once gave Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska an Incredible Hulk tie. Because House Republican Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, is notorious for telling people they have ugly ties, Terry once sent him the ugliest tie he could find - one covered in dark gray fur.
Or they occasionally try to help another senator.
After former U.S. Sen. Phil Gramm, R-Texas, admired an elegant 1930s-style tie Hagel was wearing, Hagel returned to Rossi Clothiers to get one for him, Rossi said.
Men's fashion standards have loosened in recent years to allow such things as pink for accents. But staid suits still are king of Capitol Hill, said Diane Parente, president and founder of Image Development and Management Inc., a Ross, Calif.,-based image wardrobe consultant who has advised politicians.
Politicians, she said, want to convey two things: trust and respect.
"They want to be as conservative (in dress) as possible so they can relate to a broader audience, because the broad range of America is conservative," Parente said. "If you look too edgy, often people don't trust you."
Iowa Rep. Steve King is aware of that perception.
"He came to Washington to create good policy for Iowans, not to compete with the city slickers for the 'best-dressed' award,'" the Republican's press secretary, Summer Johnson, wrote in an e-mail, declining an interview on King's clothing style.
Even guys like Nelson who like a flashy tie from time to time revert to the basics. In last fall's election, Nelson stuck to the standard red-white-and-blue striped ties for debates with opponent Pete Ricketts and on election night.
But opposing President Bush's plan for Iraq - now that calls for something altogether different.
"You'll have to watch me on CNN," Nelson said last week before a press conference announcing his objections to the troop surge. "I'm wearing a salmon tie with doves on it. It's a great TV tie."
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Political trendsetters
George Washington: Sported that timeless powdered white ponytail.
Abraham Lincoln: A stovepipe hat never looked so good.
Teddy Roosevelt: Tiny round glasses completed the Roughrider's look.
Paul Simon: The U.S. senator from Illinois was labeled "the man with the bow tie."
Ed Zorinsky: The U.S. senator from Nebraska wore a bright yellow jacket on Capitol Hill.
Ernie Chambers: A dark, short-sleeve sweat shirt is the Omaha state senator's signature look.
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