Ann Romney wore a $990 blouse: So what?

The cost of the tote?

Ten dollars more than Ann Romney’s bird blouse.

Video

Mitt Romney’s wife Ann tells the “CBS This Morning” co-hosts about the presumptive GOP nominee’s “wild and crazy” side, and what she calls the “narrative.”

Political wives have been criticized for their clothing since the days of Mary Todd Lincoln, whose gowns were labeled extravagant during wartime. Nearly 150 years later, the Republican National Committee spent $75,000 at Neiman Marcus for Sarah Palin’s 2008 campaign wardrobe, and Michelle Obama wore Lanvin cap-toe sneakers ($540 to $565) to volunteer at the Capital Area Food Bank in 2009.

“If you look at what Michelle wears . . . a lot of her things cost that much, if not more” than Romney’s top, says Nancy Pearlstein, owner of the high-end Georgetown boutique Relish. “If you’re going to start picking on people, you’ve got to go all the way around. The fact that [the top] is ugly, well — maybe there’s something to say about that.”

The bird blouse recalls in both name and design the ornithologist-naturalist John James Audubon, whose legacy evokes the American wilderness. The gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) is the world’s largest falcon and may grow up to two feet in length. It preys on hares and rodents in polar regions. It is also the official mascot of the U.S. Air Force Academy, which notes on its Web site that gyrs constitute about 5 percent of the total number of falcons in the United States.

Memo to the Romney campaign: Ann Romney’s blouse stands with our proud service members in the Air Force!

Memo to President Obama’s reelection committee: Ann Romney’s blouse supports foreign birds that snack on tundra rats!

Perhaps the would-be first lady’s only offense was wearing such a recognizable item of clothing on national television, especially when the current first lady tries to balance her image by shopping at Target . It’s a charade, though. Presidents, wannabe presidents and their spouses are not — and will never be — average citizens with average wardrobes.

Which brings up one final question: How much was the suit that Mitt wore alongside his wife on “CBS This Morning”? The Romney campaign declined to comment, but we know he occasionally wears Brooks Brothers. Those suits retail for about $1,000. Perhaps he gets a pass because he’s a man in a simple navy suit that costs a grand, and his wife makes headlines because she’s a woman in a flamboyant top that costs a grand.

Call it sexist.

Call it fashionist.

Call it news, even though it’s not.

It doesn’t matter. Politicians pretend to be average. Blouses are bought and worn. Pundits stoke their own ire. The 24-hour cycle churns. The gyrfalcon cannot hear the falconer.

Staff writer Krissah Thompson contributed to this report.