Redoing Pat

She is "a pretty blonde who looks younger than her 56 years." Moreover, she has "a good figure and good posture," "nice coloring" and "the best-looking legs of any woman in public life today." Thus Women's Wear Daily praised Mrs. Richard Nixon -- while simultaneously bemoaning her taste in clothes as "bland." In sketches by a staff artist, the daily bible of the U.S. fashion industry then offered its own notion of what Pat Nixon should wear. TIME went further, calling on four top U.S. designers to comment on Pat's clothing and create an elegant wardrobe for the new First Lady of the land.

sbBILL BLASS agrees that Pat Nixon has "a classic Anglo-Saxon look with marvelous bones, a fair English complexion and beautiful legs." He also thinks that she has "a mysterious quality -- a bit of the Shanghai Express." But she squanders her assets. "She wears a ghastly bright red lipstick that kills the color in her face. She does not wear any eye make up and therefore looks mousy. She buys brightly colored, constricting clothes." Blass' prescription is to dress her in Edwardian or Russian-inspired clothes. For daytime receptions, he would like to see Pat in a round-cornered cloth coat, with a Russian sable stole and hat to soften the lines of her face.

sbGEOFFREY BEENE finds Mrs. Nixon "terribly attractive physically" but "overly cautious. She seems apprehensive." He attributes this to her attempt "to identify with the voter. The average voter doesn't want to be able to identify with the First Lady. He wants to look up to her." To put Pat on the proper pinnacle, Beene suggests a severe hairdo and tailored clothes in muted, neutral colors. Tailoring is evident in the waist-coat-and-shirt effect that Beene created in his evening gown for Mrs. Nixon.

sbOSCAR DE LA RENTA thinks that natural shyness is probably responsible for the fact that Mrs. Nixon "hasn't started blooming yet." He envisions her as "ladylike" and "distinguished," an air she could cultivate by dressing in "a more feminine and fluid way." His boldly belled crepe pants suit with gold trim has that liquid look.

sbDONALD BROOKS, of the four designers, is the most outspoken and persistent in his criticism of Pat Nixon's current mode. "Maybe now that she has arrived," he says, "she can achieve a feeling of calm and contentment. She can stop considering herself in terms of the average and create her own style. Her little pink coat is too pedestrian an approach. Fluff just isn't becoming on her. She needs an overhauling job."

Brooks proposes to start with clothes that make "strong, simple statements"--like his red-on-pink dinner gown in crepe with velvet and satin jacket. He would also like to see Pat wear more jewelry, including fancy belts and long chain necklaces hung with crosses or medallions. But he suspects that the President would not approve.

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