Vogue Deems Hillary Clinton’s Wedding Caftan A ‘Best-Dressed’ Look — But We Disagree
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
On Sunday evening, Hillary Clinton attended the wedding between two prominent Jewish families wearing a long, flowing blue caftan.
Was the dress fun? Yes. Was it fashionable? Not really.
Hence my shock that this glorified muumuu made Vogue’s best-dressed of the week list.
We get it, Vogue loves Hillary. We love her too. But this dress, a shapeless smock that sooner conjures comparisons to a haimish shabbos robe for Friday nights in a Catskills bungalow colony than an appropriate white-tie wedding outfit, is not a “Best-Dressed” look.
Huma Abedin, in her embroidered Needle and Thread frock, is better suited for that list. Jennifer Lopez, in a sexy cleavage-baring column gown, is better suited for that list.
But this caftan, the kind of dress you use as a cover-up while on vacation in Capri, is not worthy of the best-dressed mention.
My colleague, Jenny Singer, described her dress as “a turquoise version of Gandalf the White emerging purified from the fiery battle with the balrog.”
That is a pretty accurate description of it. It was bold, it was dramatic. She looked happy, glowing even.
But it was also kind of schlubby, like something your eccentric bubby would wear to do some old-lady salsa dancing as a resident of the local nursing home. Again, not something you would call a “best-dressed look.”
Get it together, Vogue.
Michelle Honig is a writer at the Forward. Find her on Instagram and Twitter.
I’m personally matching all gifts to the Forward, up to $36,000. Can I match your gift now?
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
