ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Oct. 27, 2008

Palin's Consignment Shop's Owner Speaks

Says Veep Nominee's Taste In Clothes Has Stayed Same On Campaign Trail As It Was Before She Was Named To GOP Ticket

  • Play CBS Video Video Opening Up Palin's "Closet"

    Julie Chen talks with the owner of "Out Of The Closet," Sarah Palin's favorite clothing store in Anchorage, Ak. The owner describes Palin's visits over the last three years.

  • Ellen Arvold on <i><b>The Early Show</i></b> Monday

    Ellen Arvold on The Early Show Monday  (CBS)

  • Photo Essay Palin Presses On

    Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin on the campaign trail.

  • Timeline Palin's Path

    A look at Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's life and career

(CBS)  Sarah Palin says she doesn't wear the clothes anymore that have been in focus since it was revealed the Republican National Committee spent $150,000 to outfit her and her family with designer items from posh stores.

Addressing the controversy on the campaign trail in Florida Sunday, Palin told a crowd she's "back to wearing my own clothes from my favorite consignment shop in Anchorage, Alaska."

That shop is called "Out of the Closet" and its owner, Ellen Arvold, told Early Show co-anchor Julie Chen Monday that Palin's been wearing similar outfits on the stump to what she buys at the shop.

Palin "started shopping here while she was running for governor, so it's been about three years," Arvold said.

"She shops for herself mostly," Arvold continued, "but she often brings her daughters with her, and they will pick out some things for themselves. She likes jackets. She buys kind of classic, feminine, fitted jackets. She likes leather jackets. Her girls have bought jeans here and also some jackets and knit tops."

Prices in "Out of the Closet" vary widely, Arvold said, "from a knit top for $16 to a handbag for $800, but our prices are generally very reasonable. I would say a normal price for a jacket would be between $40 and $100."

Arvold wouldn't say how much Palin typically spends at the shop "because she's a client, and I value her privacy. But I think she could probably come in and buy our whole store three-times-over for $150,000!"

Asked if the clothes she sells look much different from what we've been seeing Palin wear on the campaign trail, Arvold replied, "I don't really think her style has changed too much. She still wears beautiful suits, tailored jackets that are feminine, but still classic. I've seen her wear, you know, her typical high heels and boots. So, no, I don't think her style has changed too much. I have only seen a few pieces that she's bought here on the campaign trail, but, no, I think she looks great."

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Add a Comment See all 161 Comments
by nancy725 October 30, 2008 2:13 PM EDT
All right already with the clothes, we know it was wrong and so does the RNC. My question is where are her medical records??? It is Thursday before election, come on folks. Distracted by clothing. While we are at it, why has no-one addressed her education plans for disabled? Which will set us back approx 40 years in the school system. Palin makes a foolish plan that will result in warehousing our disabled kids and the media lets it go to pursue her clothing!!!
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by obgyn33 October 30, 2008 7:57 AM EDT
I heard there was a secret deal that the clothes would be given away to a place that agrred to sell them back to Palin exclusively for one dollar ($1.00)
crooks and liars
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by moxford0 October 30, 2008 1:46 AM EDT
Palin needs to be placed in a trash can and put on a UPS truck and sent back to Alaska. Over night delivery of course!
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by hatenomore-2009 October 30, 2008 12:12 AM EDT
Trying watching something other than FOX and get a new perspective.
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by hatenomore-2009 October 30, 2008 12:10 AM EDT
I''m college educated and white and wouldn''t vote for McCain/Palin if they were the only ones running. McCain is more of the same and Palin needs to go back to Alaska.
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by sandy777-2009 October 29, 2008 6:52 PM EDT
mccaine=socialism! mccaine takes from the poor and gives to the rich. that is real socialism!

VOTE OBAMA/BIDEN! Obama is our only hope for the middle class and poor.
Reply to this comment
by hobbitville-2009 October 29, 2008 6:00 PM EDT
the real question is
WHO IS THE REAL SARAH PALIN
why did it take her SIX colleges to graduate?
How can anyone tell when she is telling the truth?
what really happened with troopergate?
how can she be the subject of an ethics investigation and run for VP position at the same time
Can america afford ot have her as president if mcain dies in office,she abused her powers as govenor
Imagine "Ameria "getting tested" with Palin at the helm, would she be ready or would she be reading" my favorite lipstick" to a group of hockey moms?
Reply to this comment
by hab58 October 29, 2008 5:46 PM EDT
I think that the two posts back-to-back by wntrpls were made by someone pretending to be a person receiving government aid. You didn''t fool me.
Reply to this comment
by melvi001 October 29, 2008 4:51 PM EDT
I would like to respond to a comment charisma 9949 made in reference to people who are for a lifetime of welfare are pathetic and people need to work for a living...I worked within the social services/welfare system. You see people from all walks of life, those who lived comfortably and suddenly lost their job and was unable to find work anywhere for several months and some for more than a year. They could be your neighbor and you not even know it. there have been several that lived high on the hog (as they say)and not really having a back up plan as they didn''t think something like that could happen to them and all of a sudden burdend and in such disbelief that they have been succumbed to accepting assistance. It''s not that it''s someone''s life long desire, they are just forced into this sad situation. Some come in often sobbing as they are unable to get off of assistance. Please don''t be judmental. God forbid... you may end up in the same situaion one day....
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by charisma9949 October 29, 2008 2:28 PM EDT
aly01-Personally I make it a habit to ignore the ramblings of people who use CAPS and !!!!! to get their points across. It usually denotes inferior vocabulary and a childish mind.

Obama/Biden ''08
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by mtminds October 28, 2008 4:59 PM EDT
Goodness, no wonder the McCain group wanted to redress Palin''s family. She is so obsessed with making and saving money. Some say while trying to reverse any negativity from her $150,000 wardrobe and $10,000 hairdos, she has made her kids wear secondhand underwear and shoes.

The lady is crazy,her mental illness is apparent from her delusions of Grandeur. While her persona is akin to GW Bush, America doesn''t want nor need another person anything like him in office, ever again!
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by imangela-2009 October 28, 2008 4:48 PM EDT
Every time one of you kooks accuses Obama of being "a socialist", normal people tune you out. Do you realize that? No one, but the rabid, whack jobs on the far right believe that Obama is a socialist. Socialism is when the government controls the factors of production. Nowhere, has Obama EVER said that was his plan. You people are ridiculous. As an Independent, I have to say that the McCain camp and their lemming followers--who repeat the talking points, but don''t think--only drive people further to Obama.
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by Confidential416 October 28, 2008 12:09 PM EDT
For Palin and the clothing issue - too little too late... If the situation had not been revealed she would still be spending tax money at Saks 5th avenue
Reply to this comment
by lordmi October 28, 2008 5:07 AM EDT
should we listen from her next time what kind of underwear she prefers?
This woman Is such a Moron, one can not imagine.
And so stupid - it is just amazing.
What is more amazing - there are still so man I-diots around her with admiration.
That is something wrong with a Nation
Reply to this comment
by element51 October 28, 2008 4:41 AM EDT
thepitbull13....So you''re saying that instead of trying to help the middle class it''s better to give another 300 billion dollars that we don''t have to the wealthy and big corporations. You only saw what you wanted to see in my post. Re-read the post...it contains truths that you just don''t want to see.
Reply to this comment
by element51 October 28, 2008 4:33 AM EDT
NEEDERMEIR....You''re back again showing your stupidity. I guess reading comprehension was not one of your stronger areas before you left school in the third grade. At least a dozen of you trolls has used the comment about standing by the muslims. But you don''t ever put it in context. What he said was that if there began to be abuse of Muslim Americans he would stand by them like he would any group of Americans that were being unfairly singled out. At least get the fvcking quote right.
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by element51 October 28, 2008 4:25 AM EDT
We only have eight days to go. Then at least some of this madness will be over. If Obama wins, these people who are constantly posting such vile things about him are not going to quit. If anything it will just get worse. These are the people who claim to be such patriotic Americans. But the truth is, they don''t give a *** about America. All they care about is themselves. Do you think for one minute that that they are going to say, "OK, the election is over and we lost. Now let''s get behind
our new president and do whatever we can to help him get the country back on track." They are going to continue to listen to Limbaugh and Hannity spew out their hatred and bile and they are going to criticize every move Obama makes. Do you believe that Limbaugh does what he does because he is a great American? Hell no. He does it because they pay him 2 million dollars a month. And he leads you fools around by the nose and laughs all the way to his next oxycontin fix. There was a time when we were all Americans but now it''s us versus them. And if McCain wins I believe that those of us who support Obama will be sad but we will stand by McCain and do whatever we can to help him. We care about our country and I, for one, will pay a little extra tax if it will help to heal our country. You see, we don''t have anyone preaching hatred to us three hours a day, five days a week. We can focus on what is really important, and we will.
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by moxford0 October 28, 2008 3:40 AM EDT
Palin should consider shopping for a good second snake for handling purposes at church.
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by moxford0 October 28, 2008 3:35 AM EDT
Perhaps after returning to Alaska in defeat Palin could get a job as a mannequin in the used clothing store where she shops. It would be a fitting position for the dummy which she is.
Reply to this comment
by keljacks2 October 28, 2008 3:20 AM EDT
I''m sure you wouldn''t agree to get customers because I''m sure sense her endorsement of "out of the Closet" sales have went up.
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