Michelle Obama, First Lady of Style (Loving the Narciso Rodriguez dress!)

[DeepModem Mom]

LAT: Move over, Carla Bruni, there's a new fashion first lady on the scene.
Booth Moore

The black-and-red Narciso Rodriguez dress that Michelle Obama wore in Chicago last night was another daring fashion choice, a straight-from-the spring-runway style that she paired with a black cardigan. The blogs are burning up with opinions about it (most of them negative), but I liked it -- the symbolism of patriotic red bursting out of black like a firecracker out of the night sky.

(NOTE: Narciso Rodriguez designed Carolyn Bessette Kennedy's wedding dress.)

Next to Jill Biden in her skirt suit, Obama looked like a breath of chic air. Something tells me that Washington is about to become a very stylish place.

The comparisons to Jackie Kennedy are really off the mark. Kennedy's style was rooted in Paris, in the haute couture dresses she worked with Oleg Cassini to replicate.

Michelle may know how to rock a strand of pearls, but she has her own approach to style. Over the past few months, she has mixed designer dresses from young American fashion talents such as Rodriguez and Thakoon Panichgul with cheap-chic finds from J. Crew and H&M, which is a much more modern way to dress than wearing head-to-toe designer. Even if you could afford to spend $150,000 in one month on a designer wardrobe, would you want to? Not if you are a sensible woman and a real fashion enthusiast, someone who enjoys the thrill of the hunt for that perfect $30 black-and-white Gap sundress Obama wore on the Fourth of July.

Dresses are becoming a Michelle Obama signature. By choosing to wear them so much of the time, she has set herself apart from all the St. John pantsuit-wearing Washington insiders. Dresses look wonderful on her, accenting her height and her figure, showing off her legs. They are easy too, since you don't have to worry about a matching blouse or jacket.

Just think of all the designers salivating over the idea of making her Inaugural gown. You can bet it won't be a traditional choice from Oscar de la Renta or Carolina Herrera, but it will be fabulous.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/alltherage/2008/11/michelle-obama.html


The dress as it appeared on Narciso Rodriguez's runway. (NYT/AP)

[Sebass1271]

1. Iam sorry but that dress didn't look good on her..

the colors were clashing against the light.. she should have def chose a red dress but more appropriate to the occasion.

[applegrove]

12. I think it would have looked better without the black sweater. But then the dress

alone wouldn't be appropriate cause it is more of a cocktail thing. She certainly can put together and pull off looks. I was disappointed. I expected perfection from her. She reminds me of lady diana what with all her height & legs.

[demo dutch]

2. Michelle clearly has her own "modern day " style just as much Jackie O in her era. It's just a

different time. I think Michelle will become the modern trendsetter just as much as Jackie was in her days

[anneboleyn]

3. I liked it -- not boring or conventional. And Michelle has a REAL figure and she is not afraid to

wear clothes that accentuate her curvy figure.

Personally, I think this is also a lovely change for American women because Michelle has a positive view of her body and projects this and women in America tend to be very negative about how they look, if they are not as rail-thin as Kate Moss. I think Michelle will help the psyche of American women -- it's okay to have a booty and some curves.

Carla Bruni will have serious competition now and I have no doubt that Michelle will be a trendsetter.

[Fridays Child]

4. Someone linked to a freeper thread about her dress, earlier today.

According to those delusional idiots, her dress was a coded shout out to Afrocentrism, Hitler, and Satan. Freepers are truly barking mad.

Personally, I think Michelle Obama has a bold fashion sense that's ultra classy and tasteful, at the same time. After eight years of a first lady who, basically, wore the drapes, this is going to be fun. I can't wait to see Michelle's inauguration gown.

[DeepModem Mom]

5. Oh, good Lord. "A coded shout-out." Delusional, indeed. nt

[Alameda]

6. I would LOVE to see a layout of Michelle in different outfits

with information on where she found them. She does have a great sense of style.

[Cha]

7. Rec'd! I like it because

Michelle chose it and she's one of few who pull this off.


"..the symbolism of patriotic red bursting out of black like a firecracker out of the night sky.

Indeed.

[sammytko]

10. okay, I see now that it works better without the cardigan and maybe

a shorter length...

[kestrel91316]

11. If that were my sister and me, my sister would be the one in the red and

black dress (she actually WEARS red dresses, lol), and I would be in the yellow suit. I am not a suit person in daily life, but I am a fashion traditionalist.

[Rabrrrrrr]

8. Call me old school, but I hope that Michelle brings dresses and skirts back into style.

I miss 'em.

[DebbieCDC]

9. Can't wait to see what she wears to the Inaugural Ball

Who will be the lucky designer?

[NV Whino]

13. Personally, I hated the dress

However, it is very refreshing to see something other than Scarlett O'hara's drapes on the first lady.