Palin, who was taken to task over her pricey clothing while she was a vice presidential candidate, seems to not understand that there is a time to dress up and a time to dress down. This weekend she and husband Todd attended the Belmont Stakes — the third horse race in the Triple Crown series — in Elmont, NY, where they cheered on First Dude, a horse named for Todd’s nickname during the time Sarah was governor of Alaska. Though it’s not quite the Kentucky Derby, where attendees go all out, Stakes spectators traditionally get dressed up, complete with a hat. Palin clearly did not get the memo. She showed up in cropped cargo pants, a scoop-neck T-shirt, bedazzled sunglasses, and a trucker cap. (Todd wore a plaid shirt and jeans.) What’s worse, the Palins were the guests of Marylou Whitney, the reigning socialite in the horse-racing world. Whitney, to our knowledge, has rarely been seen without multiple strands of pearls, a lovely dress or suit, and a matching wide-brimmed hat. StyleList can’t even imagine what she thought of Palin’s getup. The Albany Times-Union reported that the dress-code violation was not the Palins’ fault – their limo got lost on the 10-mile journey from JFK Airport and they had no time to change. But Palin needs to take a tip from fashionistas everywhere – the car is a perfectly good place to change your clothes, particularly during busy times like fashion week. And StyleList can’t believe this seasoned political pro has never had to change on the run. For the record, First Dude came in third.
