Robin Givhan at it again?

The Washington Post fashion columnist and former knucklehead winner is back. This time with a column on the Alitos during this week's confirmation hearings.

Samuel Alito eschewed the more formal -- and some would argue more elegant -- French cuffs for the standard barrel ones. His shirts were perfectly starched. His suits were dark, sober and trim. He looked tidy but not fancy. The nominee wore nothing eye-catching. He didn't even have an American flag pin affixed to his lapel, an accessory that has been de rigueur for anyone facing a microphone, television cameras and a row of lawmakers. Visually, Alito was as unremarkable as possible. Even the patterns on his ties, which were either a patriotic red or blue, were so subtle as not to even register unless inspected under a magnifying glass.

Alito has been described as a nerd. (He took up juggling, after all.) But he mostly shook off the markers of social awkwardness or eccentricity with the simplicity and discreet tailoring of his clothes. There were no image missteps because he stuck to the basics. He didn't look bespoke, but he looked Brooks Brothers solid.

He and his wife of almost 21 years wore similar wire-rimmed glasses. His were only slightly more angular than hers. They both have short-cropped brown hair. And they often looked as though they had coordinated their ensembles in the manner of a family heading off to the Sears photo studio. On the first day of hearings, her red suit with its contrasting piping matched his red tie. On the second day, she echoed his pale blue shirt with her blue sweater, which fell discreetly to mid-thigh. On the fourth day, her white jacket over a red dress mirrored his white shirt and red tie.

Visually, the Alitos seem perfectly suited to each other, and one appreciates that visual loyalty. It is comforting to see that neither dashes ahead of the other with trendy flourishes or daring silhouettes. It could not have been easy to select a wardrobe for this trying week in the public eye. They chose to face all those cameras in a way that shows them as a team rather than two solo players. They selected their wardrobe from the same middle ground.

Ms. Givhan may not be the hack I thought she was. I still don't understand her July column. The Roberts children were dressed in what is called 'their Sunday best'. Maybe Ms. Givhan forgot her meds back in July.

How's that for sarcasm?

Hat tip- Ann Althouse
Open Post- Right Wing Nation, Outside the Beltway, Jo's Cafe,