Friday, November 7, 2008

First Lady Fashionista


On Tuesday night, future First Lady Michelle Obama wore a red and black chiffon Narcisco Rodriguez dress from the spring 2009 collection, which (despite criticism and mixed reviews) I thought was beautiful, bold and absolutely perfect. She paired the dress with a black cardigan and kitten heels, adding a touch of sparkle with diamond bangles and earrings. Her daughters, Malia and Sasha were adorably coordinated in red and black. Is it shallow to be obsessed with Michelle Obama's wardrobe? Maybe, but I can't help it.

With her classic and sophisticated style, Michelle Obama exudes charm and comes across professional and sleek. It is her wit and intellect that make her truly extraordinary-and nothing is more important to Michelle than being a good mother. She works hard everyday to instill in their girls the same values that her and Barack were raised with. Her fab fashion sense is just icing on the cake. Michelle's attire has come into focus since she hit the campaign trail, and now the race is on to determine which designer will dress Obama for the inauguration in January.


Michelle's pitch is far from sophisticated, playing heavily on her humble beginnings and traditional values: "I was raised in a working-class family on the south Side of Chicago. That's how I identify myself, a working-class girl," she has told the voters, time after time.

With her 5'11" supermodel height, she dares to straighten up and throw those shoulders back. She likes fashion but she doesn't let fashion wear her.

On the heels of Sarah Palin’s $150,000 wardrobe debacle, Obama styled herself in a bright yellow J. Crew ensemble, which cost less than $400, for her guest spot on "The Tonight Show." Michelle Obama has also been wearing some relatively new names on the fashion scene, including Chicago designer Maria Pinto. Michelle's penchant for sexy but safe pieces is what makes Pinto's collection a perfect fit.

A lot of Michelle's other fashion strategies are detailed, such as changing up outfits with new accessories (belt, brooches and pins are a regular part of her repertoire), mixing and matching separates, combining high and low -- tricks many well-dressed women know, to be sure, but that few pull off with as much success. She frequently dresses in pieces from places like The Gap and H&M, because she knows that every outfit doesn't have to be a masterpiece created by the likes of Oscar de la Renta (not that a splash of Oscar ever hurts!)

Not since the days of Jackie Kennedy has there been such fashion focus on a First Lady, and for good reason. Michelle Obama has proven repeatedly, that she has what it takes to make it to fashion icon status.

Photos courtesy of Vogue.com

8 comments:

Keira-Anne said...

I have to whole-heartedly agree with you. I thought her dress was a perfect choice and, best of all, it was her choice. The idea of a "First Lady" conjures up images in my head of overly conservative, rigidly tailored suit style pieces without any sort of flair or fun. Only the future knows what kind of leadership to the White House Barack will bring, but I think we can already ascertain that Michelle Obama is bring style back to Pennsylvania Avenue.

P.S. I love that floral DVF dress she's sporting in the fourth photo! Jealous!

Unknown said...

My first reaction to her Narcisco dress was "WTF is she wearing?" But, the more I see it, the more I like it. Even though Michelle spent "only" $400 on a particular outfit, I feel bad for Sarah Palin. She was the Republican's "doll" for a couple of months and now she's their scape goat. Nice.

Keira-Anne said...

On second thought, the floral dress looks like it could be Prada but I just can't see the Obamas spending that much cash on clothes in comparison to Palin.

Barbara Doduk said...

I think Michelle is a beautiful natural beauty, she flows and moves with ease in everything she wears. She is clearly comfortable with who she is. Which as you said will be a nice change from the stuffy crusty first wives of the last decades. Michelle is a modern woman and she will be a great role model.

Unlike Palin who looked over painted and prepped and stiff... she looked fake.

Marda said...

She looks so much better than Sarah Palin ever did. The clothes accentuate her natural beauty and charm and really show off her own style.

It will be refreshing to see a fashionable First Lady once again! There is a tremendous amount of influence with that position so who knows what brilliant new designers may emerge as a result.

Kat said...

I love every one of the outfits you pictured except the red/black dress. She is such a beauty.

Jen (MahaloFashion) said...

When I see her outfit and the way it co-ordinated with the family it was perfect, on it's own it's a bit bla, but in this case it's the perfect choice. I'm glad we'll be seeing lots lots more of her, we must remember to keep a fashion inventory.

Raul (hummingbird604) said...

I like her fashion sense, for sure.