Flip-Flops At White House Cause Stir

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<p>From the Chicago Tribune
Flip-Flops At White House Cause Stir </p>

<p>Not The Political Kind, The Ones On Guests’ Feet </p>

<p>July 18, 2005 </p>

<p>By JODI S. COHEN and MAEGAN CARBERRY, Chicago Tribune Before visiting the White House, Kate Darmody carefully planned her outfit. She bought a sundress from Ann Taylor. She put on a strand of white pearls. </p>

<p>And then she slipped on flip-flops to meet the president. So did about half of her teammates from the national championship Northwestern University women’s lacrosse team, invited to the White House last Tuesday after a 21-0 season. </p>

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<p>She didn’t think twice about the footwear until she got an e-mail - in all capital letters -from her brother. </p>

<p>“YOU WORE FLIP-FLOPS TO THE WHITE HOUSE!!!” he wrote after checking out the picture on the team’s website. </p>

<p>Aly Josephs’ mother had the same reaction after seeing her daughter in the front row of the photo - the fifth person away from the president - wearing brown suede flip-flops with a skirt, sleeveless top and matching beaded jewelry. </p>

<p>“Don’t even ask me about the flip-flops,” her mother said when a reporter questioned her about the picture. “As somebody who is 52 years old, it mortified me. I don’t go out of the house without pantyhose on.” </p>

<p>Twenty- and thirtysomethings will pair flip-flops with everything from shorts to cocktail dresses, wearing them at work and at clubs, for a stroll down Main Street or even down the wedding aisle. For their moms, the shoes - best known for the flapping noise they make - are meant for places like the beach. </p>

<p>One of the hottest trends this summer, flip-flops are no longer a dime-store purchase, with some costing several hundred dollars. They come flat and with wedge heels. They have rhinestones and sequins and flowers. </p>

<p>In today’s laid-back society, is there a distinction between ratty old flip-flops and ones from Neiman Marcus? Can they be worn at the White House, perhaps the most formal setting in the United States? </p>

<p>Shoe expert Meghan Cleary, author of “The Perfect Fit: What Your Shoes Say About You,” says no. In her chapter on flip-flops, where she weighs whether “to flip-flop, or not to flip-flop” for particular occasions, she would add a White House visit to the “not” category. </p>

<p>“For me, flip-flops are just not for a formal occasion,” Cleary said. “But meeting the president, maybe this really speaks more to the worldwide acceptance of the flip-flop.” </p>

<p>But the Northwestern lacrosse team members, dressed in skirts and dresses, thought nothing of it. Of the nine women in the front row with the president, four wore flip-flops. The rest wore heeled sandals. </p>

<p>“Nobody was wearing old beach flip-flops,” said Josephs, 20, who wore $16 brown, flat flip-flops with rhinestones, one of about 15 pairs in her closet. </p>

<p>Darmody, 22, who decided on a wedge-heel flip-flop, said: “I tried to think of something that would go well with my outfit and at the same time not be that uncomfortable. But at the same not disrespect the White House.” </p>

<p>She said that from May to September, “that is all I have on my feet all the time.” </p>

<p>The teammates, and their athletic director, commented several times that it was actually the University of Michigan’s national-champion softball team - in khaki shorts, polo shirts and sneakers - that was way underdressed. </p>

<p>But etiquette experts generally thought the flip-flops also were out of place. </p>

<p>Even Joe Guidry, a salesman at the upscale Stuart Weitzman store on Michigan Avenue, said he wouldn’t advise women to wear the company’s $150 flip-flops to the White House. “Meeting the president? I personally wouldn’t wear them,” he said. </p>

<p>White House spokeswoman Erin Healy wouldn’t comment on whether the White House has a dress code. </p>

<p>Tribune staff reporters Michael Kilian and Christi Parsons contributed to this report. </p>

<p><a href=“http://www.courant.com/features/lifestyle/hc-flipflops.artjul18,0,5412390.story?&track=rss[/url]”>http://www.courant.com/features/lifestyle/hc-flipflops.artjul18,0,5412390.story?&track=rss&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>No flip flop sightings on this years crop of interns housed at GWU dorms, but can blame 'em if they do. It’s felt like over 100 the last two days…</p>

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<p>When my D is going to White House in next few weeks and meeting with Representatives, going to the French Embassy, I made sure she brought her little flats…she will be glad she did!!</p>

<p>At my Ds schools, flipflops or thongs (as the old teachers still call them) are not allowed on dress up days, and guys can’t wear sneakers on those days either.</p>

<p>Dress to the occassion is our family motto</p>

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<p>Is it me or I find flip-flops not that comfortable at all? I have to wear shoes with some elevation on them…</p>

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<p>Its not you, flip flops are for going to the beach so you can slip them on and off easily and not get sand inside, cause there is no inside…</p>

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<p>While I agree that flip-flops are not appropriate White House attire, I was more suprised at the comment from the Mom, " As somebody who is 52 years old, it mortified me. I don’t go out of the house without pantyhose on." I wear pantyhose maybe three times a year, and one of those dates might be New Years. I decided years ago that summer dresses look great with sandals, and you can’t wear pantyhose with them, and when it’s cold out, I just wear pants. </p>

<p>Tenishs, I’m sure that many people agree with you about the elevation, but that’s another thing I’m not concerned with. I never could get used to high heels and I’m only 5’ 1". My criteria for footwear is that they look good, are on sale and that I would want to wear them for at least 6 hours. If they aren’t comfortable for the length of a party or work, then what good are they? jmho</p>

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<p>Tenisghs:</p>

<p>If you have flat feet, the best footwear is lace up shoes. Flip flops, with their totally flat footbed are a killer on such feet. Shoes with some elevation are a bit more comfortable than flip flops, but not by much.</p>

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<p>Kathie, I can’t wear high heels either. The maximum heel for me is 1.5" lol! i am also 5’9". I just don’t like wearing flat shoes. Tennis shoes are not even flat (they have some elevation too). And I agree that you can wear summer dresses with sandals; however, flip-flops are not the norm in the White House.</p>

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<p>tenisghs,
Ahh, I should not have assumed that “elevation” means high heels. </p>

<p>Marite, I did not know that about flat feet. I have a fairly high arch and perhaps that is why I am most comfortable in flip-flop like shoes.</p>

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<p>who stirs with a flip flop?? They flap and they caused a flap!!</p>

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<p>It was on national news this evening. I told my D about it, and she said, “Didn’t their mothers say anything?” (You can tell I am big about dressing appropriately, and she know sit!) I told her they went as a team, not from home. She said “I wear flip flops all the time, but I would never wear them to the White House! Didn’t they know any better than that?” On the news they said that the kids just didn’t even think about it. Apparently they never gave it a second thought that clothes are appropriate in some places, and not in others.
For the record, I don’t like them - I always got blisters between my toes, and it never failed that the few times I wore them, someone stepped on the back, and I either almost fell, or my shoe was ripped, etc.</p>

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<p>My D is in WashDC right now and she has to wear nice shoes to all these meetings and everyones feet are so sore…she is soaking them in ice </p>

<p>And I love heals…while my 14 yo thinks wedge sandals are great (blech)</p>

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<p>I agree with the posters who find flip-flops uncomfortable. In addition they don’t line up with my feet. My heel always falls to the inside of the heel of the flip flop.</p>

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<p>We were at a Highschool Information day at our Ds middle school. The admin director of the school was talking about the dress code, and that wasn’t it great, pointing the the sophmore to his right, that we let girls wear thongs to school!!! THe giggles spread throughout the room, until we realized he was referring to her shoes…so 60’s</p>

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<p>Flip Flops look so…sloppy. OK for casual but the White House? NO.</p>

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<p>I would think that this White House would be the most appropriate place of all to wear flip flops.</p>

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<p>Greybeard, I love it!!!<br>
Personally I don’t understand what all the fuss is about. I saw those girls on the news and I thought they looked adorable. Flip flops go perfectly with the summer skirts and dresses on young girls. At least I didn’t see any low rise pants with the other kind of thongs peeking out on top! Or cleavage, or skirts so short that… I don’t think the softball team showing up in uniform including sneakers was at all inapporpriate either. Did anyone behave inappropriately while at the White House? I think that would be a bigger issue than how anyone looked.</p>

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<p>I think we’re too freaking formal for our own good in DC. Went to a meeting yesterday, all 20 of the men were wearing jackets/ties. On a day where the heat/humidity index went to 100…</p>

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<p>See, I think ties are great for men, it is revenge for high heels, pushup bras, girdles, pantyhose…</p>

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<p>I probably would’ve been one of the ones in “trouble” with their moms if I was one of those girls at the White House, lol. I live almost year-round in my [url=<a href=“http://www.rainbowsandals.com%5DRainbows%5B/url”>http://www.rainbowsandals.com]Rainbows[/url</a>] - they’re wonderfully comfortable because they form to your feet as they break in. I’m guilty of wearing them with skirts/dresses to church during the summer…but my rationalization is that a) dress shoes are a lot less comfortable and b) they’re leather, so at least they’re a little more dressy than foam/rubber flip-flops!</p>