Principals in Briefs

Apparently, there are political appointees, and then there are nomination politiques. This is Boris Boillon, the new French Ambassador to Tunisia. The photo on the left is on his Buddies from Before page (which appears to be the French Classmates.com.)

As MSNBC reports, the photo may be the last thing on Ambassador Boillon's mind right now - he called a question from a Tunisian journalist "dumb ass" at his welcome lunch, causing people to protest in front of the French Embassy in Tunisia. If he's sacked, however, I'm sure he has other options.

Princess Watch: 64 Days To Go

One person, and one person alone, will get lots of attention on this blog until the end of time. We share a fondness for English princes and peacock feathers, although she clearly is less fond of afternoon chocolate runs than I. And overall, she aces the look very consistently.

However, I'm not sure about these particular feathers. Without the headband, it still would have been great. That said, she was quite adorable throughout the whole smash-a-bottle-of-champagne-on-the-lifeboat thing.

Then, however, I happened upon this look from January 8. I'm sorry, but doesn't this look a little too much like something Suri Cruise would wear?

My first reaction to this shot of Princess Beatrice was "AAAARGH" - the hat, the eyeshadow...but it grew on me. She's a little kooky, and I suspect she might be fun to be friends with. She probably had at least two glasses of champagne while (whilst?) getting dressed. Also, I really like the coat. British girls tend to really get coats right.

Fashion Victor or Fashion Victim?

Once upon a dark time in our nation's fashion history, Crocs were acceptable footwear to some people. And they do have their uses - the beach and the garden are two of the places you can safely wear Crocs without facing the withering scorn of others.

Considered a boon to some and a bane to others and derided in the same breath as those other hegemonic American icons, McDonald's and Coca-Cola, Crocs have found their way to many corners of the globe. This blogger even saw a Crocs store in the famed Dubai mall, sandwiched between Escada and Cartier.

This Virginia man has thrown caution to the wind by sporting a pair of Crocs as he goes about his daily errands. What a dashing figure our hero-of-the-day cuts!

But wait, I spoke too soon - is that a Louis Vuitton man-purse ("murse" in fashion parlance) he's wearing? Why yes, it is. The daring Crocs coupled with the LV (not a fake, from what this undercover fashionista could discern) murse, which is a risky maneuver itself, present a quandry - are you haute couture or a hot mess? Are you serious about your fashion, or serious about your comfort? And yes, we know that those aren't mutually exclusive, but these two extremes on one fine specimen had this blogger in a conundrum.

Brunei - Land of Mystery (To Me At Least)

I don't know about you guys, but I don't know a whole lot about the nation of Brunei Darussalam. They celebrated their national day this week, but instead of edifying myself via WikiPedia or some other such highly-trustworthy source of information, I wanted to find out what folks are wearing these days in Brunei. Above is photo of their ruler, and his wife (I presume). Note the tiara on top of the headscarf, very chic. Also, if anyone knows how I can get my hands on that ceremonial shield, I could really use one to fend off seventh-floor taskings.

Check out the top photo - love that yellow color! Here's a question though - what's up with monarchs and other 'lifelong rulers' sporting various military uniforms a lot? Let's be honest, it's not like they're really IN the military... but maybe it's the whole "a man in uniform" adage. Your thoughts?

Coming to You Live From...the Popemobile?

I've watched the video of Gaddafi on state TV last night over and over, and I still can't quite figure out the set decoration. Is it a tiny electric helicopter? A vintage flatbed truck? The Popemobile? (My best guess.) Regardless, the Russian earflap hat/sketchy vehicle combination makes him look like some sort of Soviet military officer invading Afghanistan. Also, are you telling me that Gaddafi doesn't have a lackey to hold his own umbrella? That's the biggest sign of weakness yet. Have other ideas about this mysterious vehicle? Leave them in the comments.

A Sartorial Tribute to Muammar Gaddafi

I'm glad his time has come. That said, Muammar Gaddafi is a man who knows what works for him and sticks to it. He rocks a Google Image search like no other world leader. As his plane presumably heads for Venezuela while he changes in to the African manjamas above, here are some of his best moments.

Sarko, I don't know why the contrast between his jacket and yours would make you uncomfortable.

Ladies Like Hearts

Not Many Dog Breeds Resemble World Leaders

Presenting: the Dandie Dinmont Terrier. Uncanny, right?

An Oldie But a Goodie

We Foggy Bottomers like to think we should dress for every occasion. Our previous Sartorialist-in-Chief was particularly good at that. However, how to dress for a date with a large bird?

I suppose I could say she's graciously allowing the falcon (who, I must point out, is wearing a pretty awesome hat) be the star of this show.

Shout-Out: Susan Tolson

Okay, I know that as the wife of a political appointee Ambassador, Susan Tolson is not exactly a career Foggy Bottom-er. However, I dare say she is the only current holder of a State badge to get this see at the Chanel show. Holy mother of Karl Lagerfeld! I like how she's all "oh, am I in the front row? I am a very serious person who talks to Anna Wintour and this other woman from Vogue whose name escapes me all the time. Let me know when the show starts."

When you Google her, there are a lot of pictures of her and her husband at fashion events, and there was a profile of her in Vogue, so she seems to be taking this quite seriously. Heck, it's France - I think it's good to show that we're not all tacky synthetic-wearers who don't know a tweed from a hounds tooth.

Couldn't Agree More

We, the people, are blessed by a fashion-forward FLOTUS. Time Magazine agrees.

Michelle Obama as Fashion Icon

Don't Choose Your Socks in the Dark

My colleague F. graciously allowed me to make an example of her: don't wear your walking shoes and your husband's socks that happen to clash with your floral cardigan AND keep them on until about 10 a.m. However, as Shannen Doughterty put it, "a true badass learns from her mistakes."

Check Your Bottoms

Folks wandering the halls of Main State, I have one suggestion to make your fashion life more enjoyable - check your bottoms. No, that isn't dirty. It is a gentle suggestion after seeing quite a few people who haven't done so.

Here's what I mean - when you buy a new suit or a skirt with box pleats or a slit, usually the manufacturer will put a big stitch in vents of the jacket or in the pleats to hold the shape. Those big stitches are very obvious and are meant to be removed before you don the aforementioned article of clothing. That way the vents, well, vent and the pleats actually fold and move appropriately, versus pulling awkwardly, bunching, gaping, or any other word you'd like to use to describe what happens when you don't remove that stitch.

So that's my advice for the day - check your bottoms.