Gangster chic gets our vote

By FIONA HAWTIN Herald fashion editor

Even with a week to go, the award for best-dressed leader of the campaign goes to Winston Peters.

It was no contest. He is so far ahead that if Helen Clark pulled a spectacular Chanel suit out of the wardrobe next week, she still would not stand a chance.

Mr Peters favours dark 1980s double-breasted pinstripe suits, starched white shirts and the occasional dandyish buttonhole flower or silk handkerchief. He has what World fashion designer Francis Hooper calls "gangster chic".

A Herald-DigiPoll survey agrees with our experts - 31.5 per cent of respondents favoured Mr Peters when asked which politician they would ask to choose their clothes (18 per cent would not let any politician near their wardrobes).

Helen Clark managed 16.3 per cent, Bill English 14.7, don't know 8.8, Jeanette Fitzsimons 6.6, Richard Prebble 2.9 and Rod Donald 1.2.

Mr Peters is the "consummate showman", says Mr Hooper.

"He's got the sharp suit and it suits him very well. I always shudder and cringe, but what comes out of the mouth of a man in a suit is always taken more seriously."

Although Bill English wears a suit, Mr Hooper worries that he will not be taken seriously.

"It's the look of a junior lawyer who's just come out of university and is working at Bell Gully."

Richard Prebble's suits are usually forgettable, except for the badly cut, thick job of the Holmes debate.

Jim Anderton got the suit right, but won the prize for worst tie with the visually distressed bold diagonal stripes on a red background.

Best imitation of a private eye goes to Peter Dunne for his trenchcoat.

Helen Clark is a woman of many suits. Only some work. The tobacco-coloured jacket worn during the Holmes debate is the pick so far. The clean lines gave her authority and the colour worked with her peaches-and-cream skin.

Her hair is another matter. Wallace Rose designer Sandra Harden-Bull may be the only one who thinks the PM has lovely dark hair. She also admires her for not being remotely interested in her appearance.

"It's like 'I'm wearing clothes because I have to'," she said.

While Helen Clark may not believe that clothes maketh the man, her advisers seem to. You know an election is looming when she wears more lipstick, gets regular blow-dries and her gold-brown hair suddenly turns glossy.

It is only a slight improvementon what generally looks as if shecuts the fringe herself and getsher husband to do the rest.

Laila Harre should pop round to the Clark home salon for 10cm off the ends. That ratty hair is crying out to be blunt-cut.

As the glamorous pin-up leader, Laila Harre's style is this century, says Mrs Harden-Bull, even if her makeup is a bit heavy.

No politician should ever consider the V-neck cream top she wore on Holmes. Puffy upper sleeves and weird trimming across the shoulder have no place in politics.

Nor do braces. An act should be passed immediately preventing Rod Donald from attaching them to his trousers again. They are the biggest fashion crime of the campaign.

Not far behind are Jeanette Fitzsimons' scarves. Wherever she goes, they follow, floating down over her green jumpers. Talk about wearing your party colours on your sleeve.

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