Lawmakers’ Spouses Learn the House Rules of Fashion : Politics: Wives of Ventura congressmen initiate newcomers to life--and attire--on Capitol Hill.

WASHINGTON —  There are no fashion cops on Capitol Hill who haul away women who happen to wear patterned stockings, suede pumps, flashy hats and too much jewelry. But in a session organized by Ventura County’s two congressional wives, the spouses of incoming lawmakers were warned to beware of overdoing their governmental garb.

Helping congressional spouses adjust to life in the public eye, Janice Gallegly and Dolores Beilenson are co-chairwomen of an annual orientation program that covers a spectrum of issues, big and small.

“I don’t know where I would have been without the orientation when I came in,” said Gallegly, whose husband was elected in 1986. “Your life undergoes a lot of changes. There is a lot of stress. We want the spouses to know there is this group that is there for them.”

The women work in true bipartisan spirit--Beilenson’s husband is Rep. Anthony C. Beilenson (D-Woodland Hills), while Gallegly’s is Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley).

So while newly elected lawmakers were juggling committee assignments earlier this month and preparing for the crush of business that awaits them Jan. 4, the spouses were hearing ethics rules designed for them, panel discussions on whether to move to Washington and tips on how to avoid conflicts with the office staff.

They were even learning how to dress.

In a lighthearted presentation, Patricia McKeon, wife of Rep. Howard P. (Buck) McKeon (R-Santa Clarita), offered some hard-line fashion tips to the assembled spouses.

Using an elaborate rating scheme she received years ago from a modeling school, McKeon awarded one or two points to various fashion accessories and advised the newcomers to try to reach--but not exceed--14 points.

Earning one point apiece were plain leather pumps, sheer stockings, a classic skirt, each piece of jewelry, a plain scarf, nail polish, a classic handbag or hat, and makeup applied to the eyes, cheeks and lips.

More dangerous articles, earning two points each, were suede or two-tone shoes, a handbag with chains or other flashy adornments, a patterned or textured jacket, and a hat that is colored, patterned or decorated.

“You, the spouse, also represent the district,” said McKeon, who has been a congressional spouse for two years. “It’s always best to put your best foot forward. . . . When you step out of the house in the morning, you should pretty much be prepared to go anywhere.”

While delivering the talk, McKeon counted the points on her own outfit and, miraculously, emerged as a perfect 14.

“I made sure of that,” she said.

Acknowledging that clothing is a very personal thing--her lawmaker husband, for instance, frequently wears cowboy boots--McKeon nonetheless advised against jeans and other casual attire.

“On the Hill, the congressional spouses should always be dressed up,” she advised in an interview. “A suit is a good idea. Often, you go directly from the Hill to political events.”

McKeon’s presentation was part of a broader discussion on protocol and clothing at Washington political events, no laughing matter with all the television cameras lingering around.

Since the talk, McKeon said, she received thank-you notes from some of the listeners. Some even told her that they now rate their outfits every morning. Still, not all the spouses became instant converts.

Mary Bono, whose husband, Sonny (R-La Quinta), goes to Congress next year, said she intends to be seen around the Capitol in casual attire, especially when dropping by to visit her husband after a day with their two young children.

“In this election, the people said they want Congress to be more like them,” Bono said. “If I want to see Sonny (while I’m) in my jeans, I’m going to see Sonny in my jeans. . . . My Levi 501s will be seen.”

Bono nonetheless got a chuckle out of McKeon’s fashion tip sheet and picked up numerous valuable bits of advice from other parts of the seminar.

Some of the men in the crowd, however, felt a bit out of place. Unlike past years, when separate male and female orientations were held, congressional husbands this year were thrown right in with congressional wives.

“It’s like I made a wrong turn into a sorority rush,” quipped Joe Rivers, husband of newly elected Rep. Lynn Nancy Rivers (D-Mich.). A boiler engineer at Ford Motor Co., he told reporters: “I liked the part about the plain leather pumps because I don’t have any of those.”