Whether or not she makes it to the White House, Hillary Clinton is making history - and she's doing it in style.
Or maybe not.
"If she becomes the first woman president of the United States, she needs to realize that her look will affect this country's fashion industry," says Maggie Dosch, a former manager at Dillard's in Chattanooga. "God help the fashion industry."
Clinton, who's known for her signature pantsuits, is most definitely not a fashion trendsetter, Dosch says.
"For a liberal, she dresses so boring and conservative," Dosch says.
Though the first female presidential candidate has spruced up her style with dresses and skirt-and-blouse ensembles throughout the campaign, it's still the classic pantsuit that dominates her wardrobe.
Still, is it really front-page news what Hillary wears on any given day?
Of course not, says Suzanne West, owner of Frankie & Julian's fashion boutique on Frazier Avenue. Fashion, obviously, is not Clinton's focus, says West.
"Hillary is different than other first ladies, such as Jackie Kennedy and Michelle Obama, because I think she always had aspirations for becoming president of the United States," she says. "Even though she was a first lady for two terms with Bill, she always had a career in her own right. Fashion is not her priority like it was Jackie O's or any first lady.
"I think pantsuits are flattering on Hillary and honestly, fairly universally flattering on all women, regardless of age or size," West says. "But I do not think that Hillary is focused on fashion."
Actually, fashion has never been a concern of Clinton's, even going back to her days as a practicing attorney in the Rose Law Firm in Little Rock, Ark., says Dosch. And yes, even back then, she liked her pantsuits.
"When Bill was governor of Arkansas, Hillary would buy Kasper suits all the time at Dillard's (the upscale department store based in Little Rock)," Dosch says. "My old district manager was the store manager at the time and said that Clinton was a 'hardcore' customer."
Clinton would buy the same style pantsuit in three different colors in one shopping trip, she says.
"I'm talking about orange, turquoise and black ones with mandarin collars and sewn-down pleats," Dosch says.
The pantsuit, which denotes masculinity but can also be feminine depending on the cut, skyrocketed to popularity during the women's movements in the 1960s, fell out of favor for a while, but made a comeback in the 1970s and '80s, West says.
"I think of pantsuits as the perfect ensemble for business-oriented jobs and you can wear them year-round," she says. "They are comfortable, practical, chic (depending on the suit), and easy to dress up or down."
There are no rules when it comes to fashion, Dosch says. "You are what you wear because people see us from the outside first," she says.
And Clinton prefers pantsuits.
"She should be left alone and never called out for her fashions," West says. "She is an extremely successful woman who should be praised for her accomplishments, not criticized for her fashion sense."
Contact Karen Nazor Hill at khill@timesfreepress.com.