Hillary Reveals Reason for Insisting on Pantsuits: "Couldn't Tolerate Provocative Photos"

Revealed in Interview with CBS

Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton revealed that she insisted on wearing pants after being photographed from a provocative angle.

In an interview with CBS News on the 5th (local time), Clinton shared the story behind her avoidance of skirts. She explained that during her visit to Brazil in 1995 as the wife of then-President Bill Clinton, photographers took pictures that seemed to look up her skirt.

She said, "Photographers crowded around me while I was sitting on a sofa and took pictures. I thought I was sitting with my legs crossed, but the way they took the photos was provocative."

She continued, "Some of the photos that were made public were used in a Brazilian underwear advertisement," adding, "I simply could not tolerate it, so I started wearing pants from then on." At the time, a director of a major foreign news agency stirred controversy by defending the ad, saying, "A brave woman does not care if her underwear is visible."

Clinton also explained her preference for pantsuits in her 2017 memoir. She is well known for wearing brightly colored pantsuits since entering the political frontline as Secretary of State during the Obama administration.

Clinton said, "Suits give a professional and always prepared image," recalling that wearing pantsuits helped her beyond just fashion, even during election campaigns.

She added, "I thought it was good to walk the same path and wear the same clothes as male politicians," and "When I wear pants, people focus more on what I say rather than my clothes."

Meanwhile, on the same day, Clinton cited maintaining her marriage to former President Bill Clinton as the boldest thing she has done.

She said, "Maintaining a marriage was a more difficult challenge than running for president," and "Even people I did not know had their own opinions about my marriage. It was painful, but I have no regrets."

Clinton has finished filming the Apple Original series "Gutsy," which features stories of extraordinary women, alongside her daughter Chelsea Clinton. The program will be released on the 9th.