Palin's $180,000 Wardrobe Stuffed in Trash Bags, Not Donated
Filed under: Celebrity Fashion Mistakes
Or maybe not. Turns out the high-class, high-dollar gear is sitting around RNC headquarters, stuffed in plastic trash bags.
Sarah Palin Style Evolution
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
At a "Road to the Convention" rally last August, Palin wore a basic black suit (and her old $89 Naughty Monkey peep-toe shoes) as John McCain officially introduced her as his running mate.
Mary Altaffer, AP
To be fair, that's how our Goodwill donations sit for months, taking up space in our garage until we finally get around to dropping them off -- and the RNC offers a similar excuse, claiming the clothes are "in the process" of being donated. But the "we'll get to it later dude" approach isn't flying with conservatives -- from big donors to bloggers -- who question whether the Republican party has learned any lessons from this unfortunate affair.
One commenter writes: "The only reason this is a story is to showcase one more reason why [RNC Chair Mike Duncan] needs to be replaced at the RNC." While another adds "lets face it, bush [sic] was a disaster for the republicans and sarah palin [sic] is bush [sic] with a very expensive dress..."
Still others defend the Alaskan governor, writing: "Governor Palin is one of the very few in the party who know what the hell they are trying to achieve! Palin never asked for the wardrobe in the first place!"
What do you think? More embarrassing news for the RNC, or much ado about nothing?
