But let’s be honest, many of us want to discuss the first lady’s dress, too: Did it fit well? Was the color right? Why didn’t she wear a belt? Whether she likes it or not, her message of optimism and inclusiveness is often transmitted through her appearance. Many of her predecessors put their political and social causes first: Lady Bird Johnson kept America beautiful, Nancy Reagan just said no, Hillary Clinton pushed for health care. Michelle Obama herself fights against childhood obesity. But more than any first lady since Jacqueline Kennedy, she also captures our attention with her fashion.
As a result, everyone becomes a fashion critic when Mrs. Obama makes an appearance in the House of Representatives chamber or on the North Portico steps. The fashion commentary follows her even on less formal occasions, as when she strides across the South Lawn or steps off Air Force One. Beige leggings? Hiking shorts? Bare feet? Every body part and frock elicits an opinion.
Just last week her choice to wear a British-designed red organza dress for the state dinner honoring Hu Jintao, the Chinese president, caused a furor among fashion industry leaders. Oscar de la Renta, Diane von Furstenberg and the Council of Fashion Designers of America all weighed in, saying they were a little disappointed with the first lady for not supporting the American garment industry. In Women’s Wear Daily, Bridget Foley wrote, “To wear something other than American at this particular trade-centric mega-fete embarrasses a major U.S. industry that continues to need all the help it can get.”
Perhaps they are missing the point.
Michelle Obama’s impact on fashion extends far beyond the “made in America” label stitched into her dress. The optimism, glamour and accessibility that she communicates through her style of dressing transcends cultural borders and economic boundaries. Yes, she is sometimes an ambassador for American designers, but more important, she is an ambassador for the self-possession that defines American style.
Maybe she chose not to promote a specific American brand at the state dinner last week, but she certainly promotes a healthy sense of enjoyment and individuality in fashion. With her brio and idiosyncratic clothing choices, Mrs. Obama has rewritten the dress code for women who work. We wear cardigans now instead of always jackets, flats instead of impossibly high platform heels. We have a little fun with fashion, even to the point of being more frivolous.
And, most important, we dress for ourselves, something the first lady does so effortlessly it’s hard to imagine that there had ever been any dress code for her position. With her floral prints and hula hoops, she’s not afraid to flaunt her femininity — so why should the rest of us be?
No matter what hopes we pin on her husband, or disappointments we suffer, Americans look to Michelle Obama to set the emotional tone of his administration. As we are with all first ladies, we are subconsciously invested in her looking good — it’s almost as if there’s some sort of national pride at stake. But her decision to wear an American-designed dress doesn’t make it easier for American designers to sell more clothes in the Chinese market.
After all the discussion of the red dress at the state dinner, Mrs. Obama stepped into the House chamber on Tuesday for the State of the Union address in a silvery-white sheath by the American designer Rachel Roy. Its color and simplicity signaled fresh beginnings — as did that inaugural gown she wore in January two years ago. For this there was not so much criticism. Only a lot of American women silently thinking about where they might find a simple, pale sheath dress.
Kate Betts is the author of the forthcoming “Everyday Icon: Michelle Obama and the Power of Style.”
via nytimes.com
