Designers' Explain Obama Shirts: Our Other Stuff Is Overpriced
President Obama's reelection campaign has enlisted fancy designers to elevate its campaign t-shirts out of the standard blue men's boxy XL zone, a move that Republicans say is an illegal in-kind campaign contribution since the designers' merchandise is usually way outside the budget of a typical campaign volunteer. The Democrats' defense? The folks involved with Obama's "Runway to Win" event "say the designers didn't spend much time on the items, which are also cheap to make," The Wall Street Journal's Brody Mullins and Elizabeth Williamson report. Here are some examples of the designers' work and their Obama reelection efforts:
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Exhibit A: Marc Jacobs
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A white 100-percent cotton t-shirt with a blue-and-yellow logo from Marc by Marc Jacobs sells at Bloomingdale's for $88; a white 100-percent cotton t-shirt with a red-and-blue Obama logo designed by Marc Jacobs sells for $45.
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Exhibit B: Rachel Roy
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This white 100-percent polyester drapey thing with a blue blob designed by Rachel Roy is $88; a white 100-percent modal t-shirt with a red flag designed by Rachel Roy is $55.
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Exhibit C: Altuzarra
This Dream Zoo-inspired stretch jersey t-shirt from Altuzarra is at Barney's for $475; this cotton-poly blend t-shirt from Altuzarra is on the Obama campaign site for $45.
Conclusion:
Republicans are clearly enjoying the opportunity to accuse Democrats of being out-of-touch rich people for once this election cycle, and the Republican National Committee has already released an ad mocking the Obama team for hanging out with silly fashion people. Mitt Romney's campaign store definitely has the middle American mall/ American Eagle aesthetic down. But The Obama 2012 store is less high-end boutique than Target -- you know, the place to get designer things for cheap. That is, if you don't mind dorky inspirational logos plastered all over your body.
