美国国家公共电台 NPR Nina McLemore's Clothes Are A 'Weapon' Of Powerful Women

Nina McLemore's Clothes Are A 'Weapon' Of Powerful Women 

play pause stop mute unmute max volume 00:0004:54repeat repeat off Update Required To play the media you will need to either update your browser¹ to a recent version or update your Flash plugin. MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: 

What do Hillary Clinton, Janet Yellen, Elena Kagan and Elizabeth Warren all have in common? Yes, they're all powerful women in government and politics, and they've all worn clothing by Nina McLemore. You probably recognize the look, even if you don't know her name. Her work is packed with details that might not matter to fashionistas, but matter greatly to executives and other power players - TV-ready colors, tailoring that shows off a woman's figure, but not too much.

She's been called a weapon in the wardrobes of women in power. Since many women are planning their fall wardrobes now, we thought this was a good time to talk with her, and she was kind enough to join us from our bureau in New York. Nina McLemore, thanks so much for speaking with us.

NINA MCLEMORE: You're welcome.

MARTIN: Now, you do have a background in fashion. We know that you were an executive of Liz Claiborne for many, many years. But are you trained in fashion design - or how did you come to this?

MCLEMORE: I think I had the best trainer because my mother, who was an artist, she and I, together, made everything I wore while I was growing up. And she had very high standards, and everything had to be hand-made, hand-sewn. So I could have anything I wanted. What could be better?

MARTIN: So how did you get to be the go-to designer for women in power?

MCLEMORE: Well, you mentioned the years with Liz Claiborne, and she was the go-to designer for young women going into the workforce². I retired³ and then realized that there was no one who had picked up from where that had left off. There really wasn't anyone who was focusing on those women. So that's really how we started the business.

MARTIN: The Pulitzer Prize-winning fashion writer Robin⁴ Givhan wrote in The Post that your softly tailored jackets over the years have both shielded and celebrated⁵ women. How do you feel about that?

MCLEMORE: Well, I think the, you know, all the research shows that the more diverse a company or a board or a government is, the better the outcomes. And so that's celebrating women because we need to make sure that women are seen as successful, competent leaders. And the shielding is that if you look at a man's suit, men are always shielded. You really don't see much about their bodies. And so in the workforce, you don't want people concentrating on what you look like.

MARTIN: So what I think I hear you saying is that women are looking for a kind of a language - a fashion language - that is both feminine and authoritative⁶.

MCLEMORE: That's correct. And the challenge is men have two uniforms. They're either wearing a suit or they're wearing khakis with roll-up sleeved shirt. And women don't have that kind of uniform. And so women are trying to create this authoritative look. And I think the jacket is really the key part of it because when you sit down at the table, most of the time the men have on jackets. So you have on a jacket, and it does not call attention to the shape of your body.

MARTIN: I just - I want to point out that there will be some people who will be offended by the mere⁷ fact that you and I are having this conversation. Some people feel that there is just entirely⁸ too much conversation in general about the clothing that visible women wear. What do you think about that?

MCLEMORE: I think the answer is very easy. Regardless of what people want to think, we all make the decision about some new person that we've just met instantaneously about who they are. We are hardwired to determine whether somebody is a friend or a foe⁹. So I think you absolutely can't avoid it, but I also think it's an important conversation.

MARTIN: A lot of people are planning their fall wardrobes now. There are a lot of young women who are just starting their careers. What's your advice?

MCLEMORE: Well, I think it's really the same almost for everyone. Clothing should fit well, not too tight, not too loose, quality of fabric¹⁰. I think you should always buy the best quality you can afford and color. I would never do pale pink in my collection. It's not a strong color. You don't look strong when you walk in the room.

MARTIN: So what are some strong colors?

MCLEMORE: Well, the best color is blue with a touch of red in it, almost going to the purple side. Those are the colors that are pretty universal in how they look on everybody.

MARTIN: And what are you wearing today, Nina McLemore?

MCLEMORE: Bright red with just the right amount of mix of blue and yellow in it, but it's very strong bright red. It's American-flag red.

MARTIN: OK. That's Nina McLemore. She's CEO of Nina McLemore. It is a clothing company that is a favorite of powerful women around the country, particularly here in Washington, D.C. We caught up with her in New York. Nina McLemore, thanks so much for speaking with us.

MCLEMORE: Thank you, and have a great weekend.

1 browser   

n.浏览者

参考例句：

• View edits in a web browser.在浏览器中看编辑的效果。
• I think my browser has a list of shareware links.我想在浏览器中会有一系列的共享软件链接。

2 workforce   

n.劳动大军，劳动力

参考例句：

• A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
• A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。

3 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

4 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

5 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

6 authoritative   

adj.有权威的，可相信的；命令式的；官方的

参考例句：

• David speaks in an authoritative tone.大卫以命令的口吻说话。
• Her smile was warm but authoritative.她的笑容很和蔼，同时又透着威严。

7 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

8 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

9 foe   

n.敌人，仇敌

参考例句：

• He knew that Karl could be an implacable foe.他明白卡尔可能会成为他的死敌。
• A friend is a friend;a foe is a foe;one must be clearly distinguished from the other.敌是敌，友是友，必须分清界限。

10 fabric   

n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织

参考例句：

• The fabric will spot easily.这种织品很容易玷污。
• I don't like the pattern on the fabric.我不喜欢那块布料上的图案。