Sarah Palin in the controversial Valentino jacket. Photo: Paul J Richards, AFP / Getty Images
Lisa A. Kline's wardrobe styling of vice presidential-nominee and former Alaska Gov.
Sarah Palin caused a political uproar during last year's campaign, and now she is finally telling her side of the story.
Kline, 47, a New York mother of three, says the $150,000-plus wardrobe she helped select for
Palin and her brood was not "as outrageous as it seems... considering the scope of the job," as reported by
New York Times, Kline added that her $54,900 fee included costs for an assistant and some expenses.
Kline also says the high fee was justified because styling the Palins included a last-minute holiday weekend assignment that left Kline so busy she slept only a few hours at a time. "It's very hard to put a figure on a 24-hour day," she told the Times.
The story reports that Kline is a self-employed fashion consultant, specializing in corporate execs and TV news personalities. She is not the Lisa Kline who owns the Los Angeles boutique with the same name.
In what soon became known as "
Wardrobegate," Kline dressed Palin in
Valentino,
Tahari,
Prada and
Jimmy Choo, among other labels. She says in the article that no one questioned the amount she spent.
One of the biggest shopping sprees came right before the Republican National Convention -- over Labor Day weekend -- when Kline tells the Times she was asked to fly to Minneapolis to dress the entire
Palin family, including her husband, children and Bristol Palin's then-boyfriend
Levi Johnston.
The last-minute trip to a Minneapolis
Neiman Marcus was made to dress the family. Kline tells the source that when the purchases were rung up she was not asked for payment. "Apparently it had been prearranged," she says.
Kline describes
Palin in the story as a size 4 or 6 and "very attractive, with beautiful skin, if a bit dowdy before the transformation. ...She was very, very sweet. I felt comfortable right away with her. She definitely had an opinion about the clothes, but it was a gentle opinion. If she didn't like something, it was, 'Oh, I don't think so.'"
As for that $25,000
Valentino jacket from
Saks that Palin wore during her RNC acceptance speech?
Kline tells the Times she found the jacket to be a little too grand, so she removed its gold buttons and a big swoop of fabric in front, as well as shortened the sleeves to three-quarter length.
"I felt I had achieved my goal," Kline says in the story. "I thought she looked great. I really did. It was perfect for the occasion."
We're not so sure Valentino would agree!
Check out some of Sarah Palin's looks over the years:
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Sarah Palin Style Evolution
Recognize this woman? It's Sarah Palin in the days before her trademark updo and shades. See more early pictures of the former VP candidate.
Heath Family, AP
Phil Walter, Getty Images
Sarah Palin's red hot heels made waves on the campaign trail. Now they're fetching big money on eBay. Check out the governor's style evolution -- from t-shirt-clad college student to fashion-forward VP candidate.
Getty Images
When she was a flat-broke (but "not flat busted") student at the University of Idaho in the 1980s, Sarah Palin dressed in the frumpy-freshman's uniform of tee shirts and shorts. But by the time she took the national stage this summer, she had a chic RNC-financed wardrobe that could have paid for the $125,000 dump truck penciled into the Wasilla City budget -- with enough left over for a family shopping spree at Alaska's first Target. To see how Palin morphed from dorm-dull to camera-worthy, click on.
Heath Family, AP
Sarah Palin -- then Sarah Louise Heath -- walked off with the Miss Wasilla crown in 1984 wearing a red and white strapless confection.
Heath Family / AP
Even by 1984 standards, Palin's swimsuit for the Miss Alaska pageant was a bit modest . Here, she models a red one-piece, which she later swapped for a "Dynasty"-worthy navy sequined gown. Though Palin snagged Miss Congeniality honors in the race, she lost the title to Maryline Blackburn, the first African-American to represent Alaska in the Miss American contest.
Splash News
In 1992 -- the year Donna Karan ran an ad showing a glamorous woman being sworn in as President -- 28-year-old Sarah Palin was all bold shoulders and bright earrings as she ran for the Wasilla City Council.
Bob Hallinen, Anchorage Daily / MCT
Dressed for success: Palin, as a member of the Wasilla City Council, wears the crisp blazer-and-white-shirt uniform favored by of legions of working women. Must have worked. Within 14 years, she was elected mayor of Wasilla and governor of Alaska.
Heath Family / AP
Standing along the Parks Highway in Wasilla, then-Mayor Palin was the embodiment of North Face chic as she shows how to work a basic red-and-back windbreaker.
Lulu Larsen, Alaska Stock Images / ZUMA Press
Forget how cold it gets in Alaska. In 2005, Gov. Palin's look in a pink Lilly Pulitzer sweater can be summed up in two words: Palm Beach.
Lulu Larsen, Alaska Stock Images / ZUMA Press
For her gubernatorial inauguration ball in 2007, Palin traded the librarian's up-do and black skirt and jacket that she wore to the swearing-in ceremonies for loose curls and a raspberry portrait-collar gown.
Christopher S. Miller, Alaska Stock Images / ZUMA Press
When you're heading into the sub-zero temperatures of the Tesoro Iron Dog competition, you don't even think about wearing peep-toe pumps. Here, Palin bundles up in heavy padding, fur and lace-up boots to cheer on her husband, Todd, who has won the snow machine race across Alaska four times.
Splash News
Read about
Sarah Palin's rumored cosmetics deal.
Filed under:
Celebrity,
News,
Celebrity Style,
ShoppingTags:
campaign wardrobe,
Jimmy Choo,
Lisa A Kline,
LisaAKline,
Neiman Marcus,
Prada,
sarah palin,
SarahPalin,
Shopping Spree,
tahari,
valentino,
wardrobegate
skyynyte 11-19-2009 @ 2:20PM
So republicans say we should back off the wardrobe thing? When Fox news spent 2 days on how John Edwards spent $400 dollars on a hair cut. Hmm sounds like a bunch of hypocrites to me.
Reply
Glorious 11-19-2009 @ 2:37PM
Oh no, by all means, keep harping on the wardrobe thing. That is really helpful. While the clown in the white house and his corrupt administration is bowing to every tom dick and harry, apologizing for America, increasing your taxes, taking your freedoms, ramming a faulty expensive healthcare "reform" down your throat, dithering about troops to Afghanistan, lying about the stimulus, taking back the tax credit you got and are going to have to re-pay in April, ETC. ETC. ETC. harping about a wardrobe will really help!
Knock yourself out, hotshot!
Feel better?
Oh it was actually a three minute segment on Edward's hair, not TWO DAYS. Everyone has commented on his haircuts, not just Fox. Ru along to Jon Stewart! Now that's a REAL news broadcaster...NOT
njgirlxxxx 11-19-2009 @ 4:23PM
When it comes to hypocrites them Dems have us beat.
wolfman 11-19-2009 @ 4:58PM
The only way a republican will tell the truth is if they think it's a lie.
Sparcman 11-19-2009 @ 7:14PM
skyynyte, YOU called Republicans hypocrites and said "Fox news spent 2 days on how John Edwards spent $400 dollars on a hair cut." ACTUALLY, the REAL hypocrite is barrack obama. He leaked the story about john edwards haircut price. Just sayin'.
Mustangpammy 11-19-2009 @ 3:11PM
"Glorious" - get over it already. Your guy/gal lost. Deal with it. We've had to deal with 8 years of Boy Bush and his failings, so now it's your turn.
Reply
Roger Trew 11-19-2009 @ 3:42PM
Now we have a "Man Child" in office. God help us. In 2012, we will correct this mistake and give this pompous piece of excrement the boot.
ThisIsNuts! 11-19-2009 @ 4:58PM
Why is it when you can't think of a logical response, people like you try to just fend it off by saying we are only upset because Obama won the election? It's not about the loss. It's about every single one of those items she has mentioned! Get a freakin brain!
bellalugosi 11-19-2009 @ 3:23PM
AOL--feel free to seek help for your obsession with Sarah Palin--it's becoming clinical. Quit FLAYING the dead horse.
Reply
ret31155 11-19-2009 @ 3:40PM
Will Al Gore's book get the same "fact check" that Sarah Palin's did ?
Reply
anniesez455 11-19-2009 @ 3:44PM
The problem with the Palin bashers is..They are always trying to find dirt on her. They become more enraged when there isn't any. But was great for Sarah Palin is all this negetive bashing puts her on the proverbial pedestal. I trust her, believe in what she says and hope that she continues to fight for Our Liberties and Patrotism ! We need alot more Sarah Palin type politicians if you ask me ! She isn't corrupt like the ones in the Senate and Congress! Bring it on Sarah. May god bless you !
Reply
cartex 11-19-2009 @ 3:56PM
You are so right! GO SARAH 2012!
sifjr 11-19-2009 @ 4:11PM
anniesez455 said We need alot more Sarah Palin type politicians if you ask me============= Are you f*cking kidding me? We don't need any quitters running for office!
rhino45411 11-19-2009 @ 5:48PM
You know you might have a point... I see where you are coming from. People try to link her with false information. Here is the problem with her though... It isn't the killing of animals from a helicopter or her pro-life position or that she is a christian conservative. It is the fact the she doesn't know anything about politics or anything else that her previous position required. She thought Africa was a country... She believes government runned healthcare would produce "death panels"... Crazy stuff like that is what makes her not only a "Rogue", but a useless "Rogue" for any political party because she is clearly unqualified to speak about anything that she hasn't even studied or participated in. I do not care about her personal life beliefs, like religion or abortion... She has that right to practice that if she wishes and more power to her for it. When it comes down to it though... She is not smart, or even witty enough to compete for such positions as vice president and president. She is a destroyer of the Republican party. I am not a Republican but I do respect many Republicans for being knowledgeable and consistant. Palin just isn't...
SE 11-19-2009 @ 3:49PM
you no i find it funny that the blogs can be talking about plums an some how it will end up Obama or his wife you people need to grow up ,you may not have voted for him but guess what he is still the president and he is in the white oops black house get a life the man has only been in office about 9 months the mess the US is in took at lease 8 years not even superman can fix this mess we are all in Glorious has nothing to do with the clown as you put it you need to stop hateing ,and when you talk corrupt you must be takling about the last clown we had in the white house you no the one that took us to war, why and he said he tried to kill my daddy
Reply
connie 11-19-2009 @ 4:23PM
While Odumbo tries to decide what to do in Afghanistan, plenty of other daddys will die in combat. Nine months in the white house is long enough to make up his mind... perhaps he should have run for governor - you know, get a little experience running something without having to make rookie mistakes nearly every day. 46% approval rating suggests folks are getting tired of the blame Bush rhetoric. This guy is a loser.
ThisIsNuts! 11-19-2009 @ 5:04PM
This blog site is for grown-ups, SE. Either learn to spell, or stop typing comments using the stupid 'chop-shop' texting language the kids use.
obamathefool 11-19-2009 @ 4:10PM
Cesspool liberals have nothing else better to do but compliant on insignificant issues/topics....OSambo is Faltering Fast and the liberals know the end is near!!
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TylrColier 11-19-2009 @ 4:50PM
Putting a dumb bimbo in office that is even more stupid than bush is significant. You clowns always out due yourselves. All democrates have to do to win an election is have republicans in office before them. Palin has my vote for milf of the year, that's about it. Sarah Palin for President 1012?? Maybe the Mayans were right the apocolapse in 1012.
Pete Mauger 11-19-2009 @ 4:48PM
SE: you might want to learn how to spell, and structure sentences, before you put yourself out there. Yeah, he's still the President, but he was elected by the most racially biased electorate ever. Votes were cast simply because the color of his skin. Those voters showed just how fair-weather and ADD they are by showing up for the recent gubernatorial elections in only a fraction of the numbers in which they turned out for the big '08 presidential election. Really, really disingenuine, if you ask me.
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