What IS She Wearing? The Michelle Obama Fashion Thread
What IS She Wearing? The Michelle Obama Fashion Thread
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/7/04
What IS She Wearing? The Michelle Obama Fashion Thread#1
Posted: 1/21/09 at 11:19pm
Last night, PalJoey suggested that there be an "ongoing thread" dedicated to the clothing worn by our new first lady.
We can post photos, articles, background on the designers she chooses and the stores in which she shops. And we can offer our opinions, thoughts and commentary on her outfits. (In other words, you can like or dislike her fashion picks—and say so!)
I posted this article in another thread, but I am including it here to get the ball rolling. (Sorry about that.)
Robin Givhan perfectly sums up why what Michelle Obama wears matters to us as a culture—especially women, who continue to struggle with body image issues to the point of ill-health, by far more than their counter-gender. I highlighted some of my favorite lines in the excerpt. (But there are many quotable comments in the complete article.)
My hope for this thread is that it is FUN!
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All Hail the Leader of the Fashionable World
By Robin Givhan, Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Few first ladies have caused as much breathless anticipation for their Inauguration Day wardrobes as Michelle Obama. But soon after she stepped onto the national stage as the candidate's wife, Obama was elevated to a fashion star whose tastes ran from high-end designers to mass marketer H&M. She had the impressive height of a runway model, the figure of a real woman -- a size 12 according to one fashion publicist -- and took an admitted delight in looking "pretty."
For the historic moment when she became this country's first African American first lady, Obama chose a lemon-grass yellow, metallic sheath with a matching coat by the Cuban-born designer Isabel Toledo. The dress followed her curves -- paying special attention to the hips -- and announced that the era of first lady-as-rectangle had ended. It signaled a generational shift in what women could be on the national stage. They could boldly embrace color and reveal their power, their femininity and their legs.
Recent first ladies seem to have tried -- at least during the first term -- to hold on to the idea of normalcy, no matter that they are living in the White House with staff, security and the albatross of history. At their husbands' first inaugurations, Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush wore uninspired clothes that seemed to make a case against the women's being unique.
Obama's mere presence on the Capitol steps yesterday was an anomaly -- and her clothes celebrated that. Her coat and dress made her look exceptional -- and vaguely regal -- as she stood holding Lincoln's cranberry-hued Bible in her gloved hand as her husband took the oath of office. Her daughters, Malia in a grape-colored coat and black tights and Sasha in pale pink and tangerine, were like her little ladies-in-waiting. President Obama, he was the somber one, in his dark overcoat with a tiny flag pin, his white shirt, red tie and his face tilted ever so slightly to the sky.
Full Washington Post Article by Robin Givhan, January 21, 2009
http://www.roches.com/television/ss83kod.html
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"If any relationship involves a flow chart, get out of it...FAST!"
~ Best12Bars
re: What IS She Wearing? The Michelle Obama Fashion Thread#2
Posted: 1/21/09 at 11:31pm
I liked Michelle's beautifully textured inaugural gown just as much as...
Jackie's (though she wins on gloves)
And much much MUCH more than Nancy's freshly laundered tablecloth:
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/7/04
re: What IS She Wearing? The Michelle Obama Fashion Thread#2
Posted: 1/21/09 at 11:46pm
Here's what Bonnie Fuller reports that some "experts" had to say about the ball gown:
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Michelle Obama's Gown: Wowiewowwow Or Wedding Cake? Fashion Experts Weigh In
OK--she didn't put it to the dance test before the big Night--that was obvious. But how else did the gown fare in the eyes of the fashion pros? Here, they sound off!
Stacy London, co-host of TLC's What Not To Wear
"Talk about a stimulus package! Michelle has given a huge boost to the American fashion industry. I'm so thrilled that she wore white because looking at historical photos of First Ladies on inauguration night -- the bright colored looks end up getting dated. White is timeless. I'm also so glad she showed her arms because they are her best feature."
Tommy Hilfiger
"I thought she looked elegant and beautiful. I think white was appropriate for the evening complementing Mr Obama's white tie and formal dress."
Lesley Seymour, editor-in-chief More magazine
"It's not my fave dress. A bit to froo-froo for her body. She's better in structured stuff--and a bit more modern. But what I like is that she's promoting American designers and we really need that."
John Bartlett, designer
"It was perfect-- very elegant but young. I love that she's choosing looks from the young guard of American designers (this gown by 26-year-old Jason Wu). She chose a path less-traveled. While it did remind me of a wedding cake, it also made me think of spring flowers, which is a nice symbolic choice - time for a fresh start."
Tara Kraft, group beauty & fashion director, Star magazine
"Barack must have been reminded of his wife on her wedding day- she really was breathtakingly beautiful. The dress was very on-trend. So many of the actresses at The Golden Globes recently wore flesh-toned or white dresses. I also love that she wore her hair down. So often first ladies wear their hair up in French twists or buns and that would have made her look like someone else."
Lysa Cooper, celebrity stylist (styles Rihanna, Shakira and Beyonce)
"I love it, love it, love it. And she took a great risk wearing white in a room full of black and white, and she still stood out. I loved that she had the courage to show some skin and that she kept her jewelry super-simple and clean."
Philip Bloch, celebrity stylist
"She delivered! She brought the glamour! She wore two of the most beautiful first lady looks ever. It was timeless, iconoclastic. You could have seen this dress on Princess Grace. Would have looked great in any of the last seven decades. And her gown choice was clever. It was designer but not $12,000.
She also went ethnically diverse with her designers. Her day look by a Cuban-American and her evening look by a designer born in Taipei."
Jenna Lyons, creative director for J.Crew
"Michelle looked beautiful, modern, youthful, and most of all--HAPPY. The bare shoulders and asymmetrical neckline were a great choice, and the fabric looked rich and luxurious."
Robert Verdi, style expert and TV personality
"I love that she was showing the cultural diversity of the fashion community--these designers are now a part of fashion history and, interestingly, both Isabel Toledo and Jason Wu both moved to this country after being born elsewhere, and they're now living the American Dream. Eva Longoria was actually the first big celebrity to wear Jason Wu's clothes. I think Michelle Obama probably liked the fact that Jason actually started out as a doll designer. He designed the RuPaul doll.
I thought she might be a little more body-conscious, and that as one of the youngest first ladies that we've had, that she would be a little more risque. I wasn't totally blown away. I thought the width of the strap in the front was a little severe."
John Barrett, celebrity hairstylist
"Here is the most beautiful fashion-forward first lady, and I was looking for something more spectacular. She has a fantastic statuesque body, and yet I felt the wide sash and the rouching distracted from her beauty. To me it was too bridesmaid-like."
Michael Henry Adams, designer
"So far, no black designer has ever created an inaugural ball gown. Does it matter, one might ask, if Michele Obama still hasn't patronized African American designers for her high profile wardrobe?"
http://www.roches.com/television/ss83kod.html
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"If any relationship involves a flow chart, get out of it...FAST!"
~ Best12Bars
re: What IS She Wearing? The Michelle Obama Fashion Thread#3
Posted: 1/21/09 at 11:57pm
Siiiigh... I love her.
and finally 
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"Sorry I am a Theatre major not a English Major"
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re: What IS She Wearing? The Michelle Obama Fashion Thread#4
Posted: 1/21/09 at 11:59pm
And one more, just because I think she looked so fabulous... Jill Biden: 
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"Sorry I am a Theatre major not a English Major"
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re: What IS She Wearing? The Michelle Obama Fashion Thread#5
Posted: 1/22/09 at 12:06am
Sasha and Malia are so cute and well dressed too.
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/7/04
re: What IS She Wearing? The Michelle Obama Fashion Thread#6
Posted: 1/22/09 at 12:07am
Jill Biden looks fabulous, and she will be 58 in June!
And she has a Ph.D.
And she teaches emotionally disturbed children.
And she's ITALIAN!!!
http://www.roches.com/television/ss83kod.html
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"If any relationship involves a flow chart, get out of it...FAST!"
~ Best12Bars
re: What IS She Wearing? The Michelle Obama Fashion Thread#7
Posted: 1/22/09 at 12:13am
AND she puts up with Crazy Joe! How can you not love Jill Biden?
Our First Family is the most adorable family EVER.
-best12bars
"Sorry I am a Theatre major not a English Major"
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re: What IS She Wearing? The Michelle Obama Fashion Thread#8
Posted: 1/22/09 at 12:13am
re: What IS She Wearing? The Michelle Obama Fashion Thread#9
Posted: 1/22/09 at 12:13amI like Michelle best in bright solids. Patterns always seem unsettling on her, but a bright blue or turquoise or purple or white and she's a knockout.
re: What IS She Wearing? The Michelle Obama Fashion Thread#10
Posted: 1/22/09 at 12:16am
She also almost 5'11".
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/7/04
re: What IS She Wearing? The Michelle Obama Fashion Thread#11
Posted: 1/22/09 at 12:18am
I agree, PJ. Not loving what she wore today. I admit that I had a dress something like this once...like in the 80's.
http://www.roches.com/television/ss83kod.html
**********
"If any relationship involves a flow chart, get out of it...FAST!"
~ Best12Bars
re: What IS She Wearing? The Michelle Obama Fashion Thread#12
Posted: 1/22/09 at 12:19am
That was the thing about her inaugural ball gown, it didn't feel like her style. It was a little too... froofy. And that asymmetrical shoulder strap looked a little strange and slapped on.
Don't get me wrong, I thought she looked divine. I just thought she could have hit a grand slam with her gown and for me, it was only a triple.
-best12bars
"Sorry I am a Theatre major not a English Major"
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re: What IS She Wearing? The Michelle Obama Fashion Thread#13
Posted: 1/22/09 at 12:24am
That's what's wonderful about her. She's a little too tall and a little too gangly and a little too all over the place and she has almost as many funny and unfunny faces as Hillary Clinton...yet she has an elegance and a beauty and a grace that go deeper than the clothes she wears.
That's why it will be fun to watch what she wears for the next 8 years.
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/7/04
re: What IS She Wearing? The Michelle Obama Fashion Thread#14
Posted: 1/22/09 at 12:27am
Totally agree, PJ!!!
TheAct, don't you think that her "style" speaks "change"? I love how she always seems to wear clothes are that are vastly different from each other. She doesn't stick to one thing and simply don variations of it, you know? (That doesn't mean I always like what she's wearing, but I am always curious, which is a good thing!)
I thought the inaugural ball gown was exceptionally beautiful, especially when you could see some of the detail. I loved the train and how Barack kept stepping on it, which became a sort of joke between them as the night progressed.
And everyone is right about her arms. I don't think I've ever noticed such truly lovely ARMS on a woman before.
http://www.roches.com/television/ss83kod.html
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"If any relationship involves a flow chart, get out of it...FAST!"
~ Best12Bars
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/7/04
re: What IS She Wearing? The Michelle Obama Fashion Thread#15
Posted: 1/22/09 at 12:33am
Okay, so I don't love the dress, but see how freaking happy they look today!!!
It just makes me smile. Like Reg said last night, the thought bubble: "I'm the president! I'm the president! I'm the president!"
http://www.roches.com/television/ss83kod.html
**********
"If any relationship involves a flow chart, get out of it...FAST!"
~ Best12Bars
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/7/04
re: What IS She Wearing? The Michelle Obama Fashion Thread#16
Posted: 1/22/09 at 2:55amMichelle in the white gown just made me think of Maria in WEST SIDE STORY..."I will be the only girl at the dance wearing white!"
http://www.roches.com/television/ss83kod.html
**********
"If any relationship involves a flow chart, get out of it...FAST!"
~ Best12Bars
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/19/08
re: What IS She Wearing? The Michelle Obama Fashion Thread#17
Posted: 1/22/09 at 8:14am
I usually love her clothes, but I didn't like the sweater over the inaugeral day dress. And I wasn't a big fan of the white dress.
And that article said Malia's coat was grape colored? Is there something wrong with my TV? It looked royal blue to me?
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/10/08
re: What IS She Wearing? The Michelle Obama Fashion Thread#18
Posted: 1/22/09 at 10:07am
It looked blue to me too
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/7/04
re: What IS She Wearing? The Michelle Obama Fashion Thread#19
Posted: 1/22/09 at 11:48am
26-year-old designer Jason Wu. (Isn't he adorable?)
http://www.roches.com/television/ss83kod.html
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"If any relationship involves a flow chart, get out of it...FAST!"
~ Best12Bars
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/7/04
re: What IS She Wearing? The Michelle Obama Fashion Thread#20
Posted: 1/22/09 at 11:57am
EXCERPT from—
Jason Wu’s “Dream-Like” Vision For Michelle Obama
January 21, 2009, 1:18 pm
Jason Wu was settling in to watch the inaugural balls with pizza and a bunch of friends when his life suddenly was upended.
On national TV, out walked Michelle Obama wearing an ivory silk-chiffon gown that Mr. Wu created. The phone immediately began ringing off the hook—not bad for a 26-year-old designer who launched his business just three years ago and only recently got picked up by major stores such as Nordstrom.
“I just dropped everything and jumped up and down and screamed,” he said this morning, still reeling from the evening and rendered temporarily speechless when asked what his first thoughts were. “I was pretty awestruck,” he finally said after a long pause. “This is incredible.”
...when Ikram Goldman, the Chicago boutique owner who has been helping to dress Mrs. Obama, called in November to ask him to create a dress for an unspecified “formal occasion,” he says he didn’t dare to think too much about what it could be for. The only instruction Ms. Goldman gave him, he says, was that the dress should “sparkle.”
The New York-based designer says he tried to create a dress that conveyed what he felt were Mrs. Obama’s qualities. “It had to be powerful, beautiful, striking and convey her exuberance and intelligence,” says Mr. Wu, who chose white because “it’s a bold color–nothing’s cleaner than white.” He also added a modern, one-shouldered silhouette in the form of a bold, diagonal strap to give a hint of sexiness without showing too much skin and Swarovski crystal flowers for a “dream-like” effect.
Mr. Wu, who says he worked around the clock for a week to complete the dress by mid-December, did the dress as a one-of-a-kind piece for Mrs. Obama and doesn’t plan to reproduce versions of it for sale. (Mr. Wu, who fronted the cost of creating the dress, is donating the piece to the Smithsonian, which collects First Ladies’ inaugural ball gowns.) “This can’t be replicated–it will never appear in any form in my collection,” he says. “It has to be special.”
Full WSJ Article
http://www.roches.com/television/ss83kod.html
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"If any relationship involves a flow chart, get out of it...FAST!"
~ Best12Bars
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/7/04
re: What IS She Wearing? The Michelle Obama Fashion Thread#21
Posted: 1/22/09 at 11:59am
I am a little confused, however, by Jason Wu's comment about not reproducing Michelle's gown since I found this dress in his "resort" collection:
http://www.roches.com/television/ss83kod.html
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"If any relationship involves a flow chart, get out of it...FAST!"
~ Best12Bars
re: What IS She Wearing? The Michelle Obama Fashion Thread#22
Posted: 1/22/09 at 9:39pmI like Michelle's dress much more than that one , miss pennywise.
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/7/04
re: What IS She Wearing? The Michelle Obama Fashion Thread#23
Posted: 1/22/09 at 10:02pmOh, I do, too, skb! But I was surprised to see something that so closely resembled the style in his collection. Maybe now that she selected his dress, he will "pull" it from the line. Then again, everyone says that there will be a million knock-offs anyway!
http://www.roches.com/television/ss83kod.html
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"If any relationship involves a flow chart, get out of it...FAST!"
~ Best12Bars
re: What IS She Wearing? The Michelle Obama Fashion Thread#24
Posted: 1/23/09 at 1:26amIs it wrong that I thought Aretha's hat was fabulous?
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"Sorry I am a Theatre major not a English Major"
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