4 powerful reasons Hillary Clinton always wears her famous pantsuits

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Hillary Clinton is joined on stage by her husband, Bill Clinton and her running mate, Tim Kaine as she speaks during a press conference the day after the election Wednesday November 9, 2016 in New York City.

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Hillary Rodham Clinton calculated she spent 600 hours having her hair and makeup done, which she describes in her recently published novel "What Happened."

Notably, her "glam squad" sessions double the hours the average woman spends getting ready in the same period of time, according to a Yahoo Health survey.

But that's not the only portion of the book that focuses on fashion. In "What Happened," Clinton also takes time to discuss her signature outfit: the pantsuit.

Here are four self-empowering reasons why she has made the pantsuit her outfit of choice.

They make her feel professional

"When I ran for Senate in 2000 and President in 2008, I basically had a uniform: a simple pantsuit, often black, with a colorful shell underneath," Clinton writes.

The reason she chose this uniform? She enjoys how they make her look and feel.

"I did this because I like pantsuits," Clinton writes. "They make me feel professional and ready to go."

Brendan McDermid | Reuters

Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton takes part in the Women for Women International Luncheon in New York City, May 2, 2017.

They help her fit in with male politicians

Clinton says another benefit to having a uniform is finding an easy way to fit in with the rest of the guys.

"I also thought it would be good to do what male politicians do and wear more or less the same thing every day," Clinton writes.

She writes that "as a woman running for President," she liked the "visual cue" that she was "different from the men but also familiar."

They are an anti-distraction technique

Even in a professional setting, what you wear can play a major role in how people perceive your message. Having a signature look has helped Clinton avoid chatter around her outfit, she writes.

"A uniform was also an anti-distraction technique: since there wasn't much to say or report on what I wore, maybe people would focus on what I was saying instead," Clinton writes.

But wearing pantsuits was not primarily just a choice, but also a necessity to guard herself from creeps.

"They helped me avoid the peril of being photographed up my skirt while sitting on a stage or climbing stairs," Clinton writes, "both of which happened to me as First Lady."

She explains that after that instance, she took a cue from one of her childhood heroes, Nancy Drew, because she "would often do her detective work in sensible trousers."

They help her to not 'overthink' things

Clinton writes that during the presidential campaign, she wanted to dress as she did when she wasn't running for president. This would also help her "not overthink it."

Clinton's relationships with American designers also led them to create very versatile looks she could "wear from place to place, in all climates."

"Some people like my clothes and some people don't. It goes with the territory," Clinton writes. "You can't please everybody, so you may as well wear what works for you."

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