Ann Romney's Thousand Dollar Shirt and Other Political Fashion Statements

Photo by: AP

What a politician's wife spends on clothing is often seen as a reflection of that politician's ability to manage money. In response to accusations about questionable spending habits, Richard Nixon made his wife's wardrobe part of his famous "Checkers" speech in 1952. "Pat doesn't have a mink coat," he said. "But she does have a respectable Republican cloth coat. And I always tell her that she'd look good in anything." During ... more 

Photo by: AP

What a politician's wife spends on clothing is often seen as a reflection of that politician's ability to manage money. In response to accusations about questionable spending habits, Richard Nixon made his wife's wardrobe part of his famous "Checkers" speech in 1952. "Pat doesn't have a mink coat," he said. "But she does have a respectable Republican cloth coat. And I always tell her that she'd look good in anything." During President Eisenhower's inauguration in 1957, first lady Mamie Eisenhower was resplendent in fur, while Pat Nixon (second from right) wore a simple black cloth coat. less