Over the last couple of weeks, millions of viewers have watched the Democrats and Republicans put on their best faces. Both parties have been successful in their own ways. Some were trying to portray themselves in a different light; others were trying to put their best qualities forward. However, did their visual energy serve them the right way? Did they reach the voters with the right message?
Energy was apparent in the choice of clothing by each of the speakers, male and female, but did the clothing wear them or did it in fact support their intent and their message?
In the field of Feng Shui, color and shape matters because it provides you either positive or negative energy. The male speakers at both conventions wore the typical dark suit and used color in their neckties. And while the color in the ties did make a statement, the female speakers were the ones communicating visually this year. They stepped right out creating drama and distinction with the color and style of their clothing. What follows in alphabetical order is a mini evaluation of the energy surrounding the primary female speakers.
Laura Bush, First Lady
Her high energy red suit exuded self confidence, poise and a presence of importance. Since she was on the platform officially representing the White House and introduced the satellite feed from the President. She needed the right color energy to make sure all eyes would be on her and lead to that satellite feed. And she did just that with such a high energy color but remained in-control with a traditionally cut and fitted two piece suit. The red further emphasized the patriotic theme of the enormous flag in the background plus the energy of good fortune.
Hillary Clinton
She wore a bright, distinct, crisp orange pantsuit while delivering her speech. She wanted to maintain total control, be in charge of her moment and say to the world “here I am, and I am good.” While being somewhat maligned by the news anchors for wearing such a bright color instead of something dark and more business-like, she succeeded because her orange suit was not only a high energy, high visibility, in-charge color, but it also contrasted perfectly with the blue background. Blue and orange are complimentary colors, which cause high inter-active color energy and vibrancy.
Cindy McCain
When in the spotlight the last night delivering her message about her husband, as a potential First Lady, she knew she needed to make a statement but also be credible. Her choice was a fresh, stylish bright blue somewhat unstructured suit. It made the statement, “I am special, I am believable, authentic and trustworthy.” The calming blue, even though bright worked well for her giving the campaign a positive in-control but not dominating energy image.
Michele Obama
She looked absolutely stunning, wearing a beautiful jewel-tone blue dress representing herself well as a potential First Lady. Her dress was soft, although fitted, and in a very calming color. Blue can be calm to cool and even cold in the certain shades but she got the color just right. She would have succeeded even more had consideration been given to the background, which was also blue. If the intent was to make her melt into the background it worked perfectly. If the intent was to give her a strong but soft presence, a different color from the background would have served her better.
Sarah Palin
The night she was introduced, she wore a two-piece suit with a black skirt on the bottom, giving her strong grounding energy and a light colored jacketed top. While this was a less traditional suit (since the top and bottom didn’t match), once she stepped up to the microphone with a black background, the perfect yin/yang balance was struck. She succeeded in making herself be the “in control” focus of her presentation. All eyes were on her and not her clothing or the background.
In each of these examples the women chose bright or dramatic high energy colors to provide them the positive energy needed to accomplish their task at hand.
The choice of clothing, its color and shape can make or break what you are trying to accomplish on any given day. If you want to have a successful day whether at home gardening or in the office intensely focusing on accomplishing your goals for the day, wear clothing that provides you casual energy for the garden or that much needed energy boost for a busy office day.
The results of this year’s election are not in yet, but it’s clear that each of the women speaking at the recent conventions is self-confident and focused. Their clothing told its own story – speaking 1,000 words without making a sound.
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© Pat Heydlauff, All Rights Reserved
Pat Heydlauff, president of Energy Design, uses Feng Shui design principles to eliminate chaos and stress at home and within oneself. More than a Feng Shui expert, Pat is a consultant and speaker who helps remove clutter and negativity while encouraging personal growth, improved relationships and prosperity. Her new book, “Feng Shui: So Easy a Child Can Do It,” shows how to achieve a better tomorrow. For information on her consulting, speaking and artwork, call: 561-408-2708.