Hillary Clinton is used to the public spotlight and the criticism on all aspects of one's life that it entails - right down to her fashion choices.
Stylists have had few positive things to say about her taste in clothing over the years. And yet the US presidential candidate has succeeded in carving out her own individual look that points to her strengths.
So what professional tips can women learn from Clinton's style choices?
The list of Clinton's clothes to have inspired sartorial snark is nearly as long as her political career: her flower-child look as a young woman, the humongous glasses, the notorious hairbands, the matronly skirts. And let's not get started on what's been said about her various hairstyles.
This election season in the US has proved hardly different when it comes to dissecting Clinton's look, with the 68-year-old Democratic nominee's appearance being discussed nearly as heavily as her potential administration.
And yet the tone has changed from past years, to the unanimous consensus that the former secretary of state has finally found her own style, “a timeless aesthetic that works for her,” as The Washington Post newspaper has described it.
Clinton has become the Lady in Pants, whether it's a monochrome suit with a power jacket, or a two-tone ensemble, neither featuring too much flair or finery.
She's not interested in being a fashion icon, like some actresses of
the same age or the current first lady, Michelle Obama, with her armless shift dresses.
Instead Clinton has developed her own look, one that makes her appear strong, both as a woman and a politician, according to multiple media outlets.
Most media outlets have ceased asking the former first lady how much she's spent on her campaign wardrobe, although The New York Post estimated it has reached about 20,000 dollars, including a tweed jacket that alone supposedly cost more than 12,000 dollars.
However, let it be said that her rival, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, loves expensive Brioni suits that most Americans could only dream about affording.
Clinton's classic look is jackets, especially in brash shades of red or blue, with a slender fit in the shoulders and a wider cut in the hip region.
It's not that she dislikes feminine clothing - when she was first lady, Clinton could often be seen sporting a skirt or dress - but like many women, she's undergone multiple fashion phases, albeit with her public image often in mind.
For instance, she turned down a chance to appear in Vogue fashion magazine during her first shot at becoming president in 2008 for fear of appearing too feminine.
Such a concern is now far from her mind as a proud member of the “sisterhood of the traveling pantsuits,” as she once called it. And even though it's easy to miss, Clinton does change up her look as far as such outfits allow, picking different colors, sleeve lengths, fabrics and necklines.
The best indication that she's finally found a look she's comfortable with? She now pokes fun not only at her clothes, but even her hair. There won't be any grey in her White House, she said last year while ramping up for the presidential elections. “I've been dyeing it for years.”
DPA