Q: I was shocked to see the First Lady being sworn in to the United States Senate wearing a sky blue pants suit. Shouldn't it at least have been black or dark blue? When are skirts coming back? Please predict SOON.

A: As Hillary said in her acceptance speech, her campaign wore out lots of volunteers and six black pants suits -- apparently her default outfit when she's acting on her own as an independent professional. Maybe back in Washington -- where, remember, besides being a Senator from New York she would also be First Lady until Inauguration Day -- she felt obliged to get back into the traditional I'm-just-a-harmless-wife pastels.

You're shocked because you're applying the male color standard in which darker colors are dressier: Formal wear is black, a navy business suit is more formal than light gray, and a lot more formal than khakis. But the traditional female color hierarchy works the other way: Fragile wear-it-once-and-send-it-to-the-cleaners pastels are ceremonial wifewear; practical dark colors that are less likely to smudge and spot are what you wear to work.

Why the difference? It goes back to a time when upper-class men had to be able to deal with urban grime while upper-class women, in order to demonstrate their husbands' success, were obliged to stay home and engage in conspicuous idleness -- do embroidery, pop bonbons, and never get their pretty dresses dirty.

As for skirts v. pants, you'd wear pants, too, if zillions of journalists had complained you had fat legs.

Patricia McLaughlin is a nationally syndicated fashion columnist.
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