Sunday, October 12, 2008

JEWISH STYLE: THE PALIN SHEITEL


Conservative Coif: The Sarah Palin Wig

America's most controversial hockey mom has inspired a new item made for religious women that probably isn't sold up there in Alaska, gosh darn it!

The ''Sarah Palin Wig,'' based on the hairstyle of the Last Frontier State governor and GOP vice presidential candidate, is the latest head covering to go on sale at Sheitel.com, a Brooklyn wig shop and Web site for Orthodox Jewish women who maintain modesty by concealing their natural hair.

''One of our stylists thought it would make a good style, so we produced it,'' said Boruch Shlanger, one of Sheitel.com's owners, in an e-mail to The Shmooze. ''It is very easy to maintain, and is a very classic look, yet fashion forward!''

Made of 100% human hair and available for $795 (marked down from $895), the wig is the first of its kind inspired by the otherwise ''folliclely challenged'' Republican ticket — but it is not the only one influenced by a potential American president. ''There had been requests for Hillary Clinton wigs in the past,'' wrote Shlanger, who temporarily produced Clinton sheitls, ''but none recently.''

Paris Hilton and Britney Spears, who were compared to ''celebrity'' Democratic nominee Barack Obama in a Republican TV ad earlier this year, have yet to inspire their own sheitls, but the company is not without other well-known muses. Sheitel.com currently offers a ''Posh'' wig, based on the hairstyle of former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham, and in the past has sold wigs inspired by Princess Diana and Jennifer Aniston.

The new Palin wig isn't necessarily pandering to customers' political leanings, Shlanger noted. ''We are only inspired by fashion issues,'' he wrote. ''We believe that good fashion taste trumps all politics.''

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