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She’s
no Jackie O, at least not yet, but indicators abound that Michelle O
– as in First Lady-elect Michelle Obama – has already had a
major impact in the world of fashion. And she hasn’t even moved
into the White House yet.
Obama
doesn’t always sport high end, but she has received a host of
high-end endorsements from fashionistas and influential newspapers
across the country. After Obama wore a Donna Rico sundress [retail:
$148] on the omnipotent daytime television show “The View”,
White House/Black Market sold 2,500 of the dresses, according to the
company spokesperson. Also, the $148 Pembridge dot pencil skirt and
$89.99 color-block cardigan that she told Jay Leno on “The
Tonight Show” that she bought off the J. Crew website sold out
the very next day, the Chicago Tribune reports.
The
Los Angeles Times wrote that “Obama knows what works for her.
Dresses are a signature. The look is fresh, and they flatter her
figure. And during the campaign, they set her apart from the St. John
pantsuit-wearing Washington pack.” The Chicago Tribune says the
sales of the teal sheath [$795] Obama wore during her address at the
Democratic National Convention have increased 45%, much of that
attributed to the Harvard Law-educated mother of two. CBS News says
Obama is following in the footsteps of Jackie Kennedy, who was
universally admired for her elegance and sophistication.
The
National Post says Michelle Obama, the first African American First
Lady-elect, eschews the “country club Oscar de la Renta or even
the stealth, jet-set wealth of Michael Kors,” opting instead
“for a succession of striking jewel-tone shifts. She’s also
committed to flat shoes and kitten heels which offer chic comfort and
practicality for a busy working “mom-in-chief.”
Unlike First Lady
Nancy Reagan, whose exorbitantly high-priced fashion sense was roundly
criticized because it were beyond the reach of average Americans, Obama
has been lauded for her high-end, low-end style that is
highly-attainable and is suitable for this abysmal economic time. Even
though Obama received scathing assessments of her election-night choice
of wear, she has created the greatest level of excitement over First
Lady fashion since Reagan of the opulent 80s. So much so, in fact, that
there is a fan website devoted to Obama’s fashion at www.mrs-o.org. – terry shropshire
