Power suited: Atlantic Monthly publisher dishes on DC style

I was so excited to read this Q&A I came across on Project Beltway. Elizabeth Baker Keffer exemplifies Washington chic at its best and her answers are witty and insightful. (Though why do people keep giving style-cred to Nancy Pelosi?) Here's a few of my favorite questions/answers:

PROJECT BELTWAY: Fashion isn’t a word most would associate with Washington, but at the same time, looking a certain way can be very important here. How do clothes play a role in Washington’s particular brand of power?
KEFFER: People tend to assess the individual first based on intelligence and position in life versus appearance, and there are plenty of powerful women in this town who don’t lead with fashion and are still thought of as being in the inner circle. It is much more what you do and who you know, what experiences you’ve accumulated, then it is about leading with looks. I think in a way that ends up making women’s fashion here somewhat more understated and somewhat more classy.

PB: What about women on the Hill?
K: I think having someone like Nancy Pelosi noted for her clothing and appearance is great. A lot of people have reacted negatively to that…that she shouldn’t focus on such things and that people don’t reference a male member of Congress’ dress as one of the leading elements of their persona. I think it’s great that people are applauding her for bringing style to Washington and to Congress and that she feels comfortable doing that, that it doesn’t threaten her power, it’s just part of who she is.

PB: What about Condi’s boots? She got a lot of flack for that.
K: She did and I think she got too much flack! I actually wish she would feel free to dress in a less conservative fashion. I think she has tended to be conservative and has toned things down and all the comments on the boots didn’t help that at all. I think she has a natural sense of style but she tends to veer towards the more conservative look…the safer look.

PB: You’re one of the top executives at Atlantic Media. How do you dress to play that role without sacrificing style?
K: ... I tend to try to dress in a way where I feel like I stand out as an individual. I want to always look put together and polished in a way where my clothing supports the fact that I have a senior position, that I’ve been successful in my career without, again, overshadowing whatever message it is that I’m trying to share when I’m out at an event or a lunch or a dinner. I also tend to try to dress in a way where I can go from a breakfast to a set of in-office meetings to a reception in the evening and a dinner after that. So I’ll often wear dresses or a pantsuit. ... I like to have things that look smart, look different…I don’t often wear just a plain black pantsuit. I favor pieces that travel well and are easy and if I wear something basic, the I’ll often try to have nicer accessories: scarves, jewelry and the rest to stand out against the neutral palette.

To read the entire interview, click here...

– Project Beltway