Sunday, January 30, 2011

Fashion and Michelle Obama


Kate Betts discussing the ongoing public fascination with Michelle Obama's fashion choices:
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.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Okay, this is my point (not necessarily at Kate Betts), but at the "others" SO WHAT? Actors, Actresses, and entertainers attend events sporting their Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Jimmy Choo shoes, heck even "ordinary" Americans sport UGGS (Australia) and everything in between so give me a break on the "made in america" rants. I think Michelle Obama carries herself in an elegant and tasteful manner and she dresses accordingly!

H. Rambsy said...

Ok, true, true Symmetry. I'm also wondering about what we can learn or think about given the kind of attention that Michelle Obama draws, the kinds of conversations and considerations about style she prompts.

She's certainly not the first black woman to have popular appeal. But there's something unique and perhaps powerful about the way that her fashion choices circulate in the public imagination.

Let's keep thinking and talking about it.