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Abbott daughters win the style vote

In an election run-up that some have nicknamed the "Not Without my Daughters" campaign, there's no doubt that Bridget, Frances and Louise Abbott stole the Tony Abbott show - and that's just the way he likes it.

Their "daggy dad" was heavily criticised for his cringeworthy description of his "not bad-looking daughters", with one journalist saying Abbott was a "man flanked with babes like an oily ganglord entering a nightclub". But the Abbott girls have been widely praised for their pitch-perfect presentation.

"The racer-back top, sleek white jacket and edgy orange pants screamed successful, independent and strong. This was the wardrobe of alpha women," said Fairfax style journalist Paula Joye after Francis and Bridget's "daggy dad" speech at the coalition campaign launch.

Frances wore a Toni Matacevski blouse and Nicola Finetti pants, while Bridget donned a Willow jacket with a skirt by Manning and Cartel.

The more camera-shy Louise got the all-white memo and joined the younger two for a further triumph on election night.

"Good on them for looking sleek, modern, fresh," said editor of Large.com Melissa Hoyer on Sunrise, admiring the matching Toni Maticevski-designed outfits.

"I felt like I was watching a Robert Palmer music video... I thought they looked fantastic and I think we're going to get a lot of play around the world with these girls," Marie Claire editor Jackie Frank added.

The girls previously told Harper's Bazaar magazine that they are each other's stylists when preparing for their father's events.

"We still live at home and it's pretty much an all-girl household most of the time – dad's never there – so we bounce ideas off each other and mum. Sometimes we'll come out in a dress we think is really nice and she'll be like, 'No you wore that out on Saturday night - and you can't wear that to an event!' We do have to be careful of the type of clothes we wear."

And while their looks have certainly captured a lot of attention, Frances and Bridget have demonstrated they also have minds of their own.

"At the end of the day, we all have our own opinion," 22-year-old Frances told The Weekly.

"Bridge and I are both for gay marriage. We have not been brought up in a house where people have said it's right or wrong. That's just Dad's belief."