Yesterday's Times brought word that Nancy Pelosi's elevation to House Speaker is changing not just Washington's politics but also its fashion. "[W]ith the ascent of Nancy Pelosi, 66, widely recognized and admired for her Armani and easy fashion savvy, the days of the dowdy Washington dress code may be numbered," wrote reporter Lizette Alvarez. She quoted Representative Mary Bono: "I am so sick of the matronly box — the rest of America doesn’t dress like that." It made us wonder: Do New York's big-shot female pols have better fashion sense than Washington's? We pulled a bunch of photos of five Big Apple power players and gave them to New York fashionista Amy Larocca for a once-over. After the jump, her verdicts.

Christine Quinn, City Council Speaker
"Quinn is clinging, I'm afraid, to what Representative Bono calls 'The Matronly Box.'"

Amanda Burden, Planning Commission Chair
"Burden's look is pure, unadulterated Upper East Side — photos reveal that she still, on occasion, wears a velvet scrunchie. She keeps from looking too dowdy, though, because it all fits."

Diana Taylor, State Banking Commissioner, Bloomberg's Girlfriend
"Taylor is the city politic's one true glamazon. It helps that she's tall and wears clothes well, but she also seems uniquely clued in to Fashion, capital F."

Helen Marshall, Queens Borough President
"One of the more flamboyant city officials, Marshall gets points for flair and an unabashed use of orange."

Iris Weinshall, Transportation Commissioner, Mrs. Chuck Schumer
"Oh, Iris Weinshall. She's the kind of lady that makeover artists dream of."

Speaking Chic to Power [NYT]