You may not closely follow politics, but you’ve probably heard of Rick Santorum, the sweater-vest-wearing, dark-horse candidate for the GOP presidential nomination who has given Mitt Romney a run for his money. In today’s print and online editions of the Washington Times, I have a piece dissecting the meaning of Rick Santorum’s sweater vests. What do they say about him as a man and presidential candidate? Can the leader of the free world be taken seriously in this sleeveless, woolen garment? An excerpt:

The wonderful thing about fashion is that it can make one look and feel more confident and powerful. We all use fashion as armor: our best suit for the interview, our lucky jersey for the game, our sky-high heels for the first date. Mr. Santorum’s sweater vests may make him feel powerful, but would they project the same to tough-minded leaders on the world stage? The unassuming sweater vest — intermediate, indeterminate — would seem unlikely to overawe, say, Vladimir Putin.

Click here to read the whole thing, or pick up a copy today at your local newsstand!

Rick Santorum, via Associated Press