Dressing for Tony

By Nicola St John

As Tony Abbott is sworn in as our new Prime Minister, people all over Australia are wondering what the political landscape will be like over the next term, and of course, how this will relate to the fashion landscape.

As the Minister for Women, what would Tony suggest for the wardrobes of Australia’s women? Will we see a return to conservative dressing, or clothes suitable for doing the ironing?

During the election campaign, Tony was frequently seen only two steps away from some very well dressed young women – his daughters, Bridgette and Frances.  Their modern outfits of sleek pants, racer-back tanks, tailored jackets and, of course, towering stilettos promoted them as strong and successful (although still holding hands with your Dad at this age is extremely cringe worthy). These are the wardrobes of alpha women raised to be great.

We may see this style of dressing for the job you want. Women will now have to stand up and, not only be successful, but look the part in edgy fashion – form-fitting dresses and high shoes, to match the level of their male counterparts.

At the launch of Tony’s campaign, his wife Margie wore a crisp, red two-piece dress/jacket combo, as she seemed determined to stand next to, not behind her husband.  At least it was a distraction from Tony’s 365 days a year, suit and blue tie outfit.

We may now see a lot less of Tony is his speedos and bike shorts, but what impact he will have on the fashion landscape remains unknown. Perhaps it’s best to take some cues from his daughters and embrace both feminine and powerful styles to create a successful image.

It’s a lot better than conceding defeat as you clean the house in your daggy pants and hole-ridden jumpers.