What do you think of Michelle's dress options?

[Drunken Irishman]

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/beauty/top-designers-sketch-michelle-obama-inauguration-dress-ideas-for-womens-wear-daily-mdash-we-grade-their-efforts-324149/?selected=4#photoViewer=7

http://www.flickr.com/photos/young_socialite/3084853744/

This is my favorite:

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/beauty/top-designers-sketch-michelle-obama-inauguration-dress-ideas-for-womens-wear-daily-mdash-we-grade-their-efforts-324149/?selected=6#ypv-thumbs

[Demobrat]

1. I think numbers 4 & 5 look like

something she would choose. Some of them look like they belong on top of a wedding cake. That's not Michelle.

[Sanity Claws]

2. I liked photo #4

It was by Marc Jacobs but rated only a C+. I think it looks stately without looking old-fashioned or stodgy.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. I liked the last dress

the white one. It looked striking, and Michelle Obama looks good in white.

[TahitiNut]

9. I agree.

:thumbsup: I generally agree with the grades given.

[Honeycombe8]

16. I chose that one, too, OR #5 (the royal blue, one shoulder).

Both are stunning and would look elegant and "ball-like" on Mrs. Obama. Plus I think both of those styles would suit her figure and emphasize her small waist.

[globalvillage]

32. Those were my two choices.

First, the fabulous white gown (very elegant), then the blue one shoulder. The poufy one is hideous.

[yellowdogintexas]

44. that blue one shoulder dress is amazing. The color is right for her and the

style is just perfect.

That is the only one of the batch that I would choose for myself

[sandnsea]

4. My bet is she won't wear any of them

Her favorite designers are Maria Pinto, Thakoon, Jason Wu, the Italian who did the red/black dress. None of the key names submitted designs to that particular set. Says Mrs-O.org.

http://www.mrs-o.org/?p=1618

[Cleita]

6. I honestly have to say that the black and red dress didn't look good

on her on camera. I hope whoever she chooses is savvy about cameras and lighting since she will be photographed from every which way and in every light.

[sandnsea]

7. I didn't like the belt

I did like the black and red of the dress itself. I think it would have looked better with just a thin belt. Although that would have been completely different from the design because I think the black came from around the back and side and then to the middle there. It was kind of peculiar, although it didn't look too bad on the twig of a model. Most of her clothes are just stunning. I just love that their elegant and stately and feminine. Too often you end up looking dowdy like Laura or rigid like Hillary. Michelle has found a nearly perfect balance.

[Hekate]

38. "Savvy about cameras and lighting"-- I think that's the key. There was a floral dress this summer...

... that ended up looking like giant dots from the stage. When I saw a close-up I realized that the color and design were actually something I liked. I guess it's like that thing with men's ties and television: some seem to vibrate very unpleasantly when viewed from the home tv, and most men have learned to avoid those particular patterns.

That said, Michelle Obama has a very good sense of what flatters her, and I look forward to seeing what she wears for the Big Party.

Hekate

:party:

[WhiteTara]

33. I hope she opts for color

I love the off shoulder blue number 5, myself.

[Blasphemer]

36. I hope she goes for color also but an unusual one... red and blue have been done to death. nt

[lady raven]

37. I'd love to see her in a white gown with subtle silver accents.

I think she would look striking and absolutely stunning.

[Cleita]

5. It doesn't matter what I think.

I will expect for her to surprise us with a great choice. On edit: Some of those clothes look like something Sarah Palin wore on the campaign. I don't think she'd want the association.

[Maru Kitteh]

8. I think the emphasis placed on women's appearances is degrading and primitive

That's what I think.

[rvablue]

10. I agree, but I think we're just having a little fun.....I like fashion and I can't wait to see what

she wears......it's a celebration!

:hi:

[Honeycombe8]

15. It's more a focus on fashion design, a recognized expertise in the world.

Fashion design applies to men, as well, but it's just not that noticeable for balls and such, since the men all sort of dress alike.

But the emphasis is on the dress....fashion, and not the parts of Mrs. Obama's body.

There is a difference. It is mainly women who care about fashion.

This is totally different from, say, commenting on Mrs. Obama's LOOKS, especially in comparison with other First Ladies. THAT is emphasizing her appearance and is degrading to all women.

As a woman, I am interested in fashion, like a lot of women. It is not demeaning at all. And it applies to men, as well.

I like to look at the dresses and tuxes on the red carpet at the Oscar's, too. That isn't demeaning, either.

[jesus_of_suburbia]

23. I do think you'll find it's the women and gay men who even care about this thread.

I seriously doubt too many heterosexual men care (maybe 5%).


We're just having a bit of fun.

I'd be more than happy to pick out a tie and suit for President Obama as well.

[noamnety]

42. I agree.

At a bare minimum, if the discussion of how to dress our barbie-women must take place here, at least it could be confined to the lounge.

(not that michelle IS a barbie, but that's how she's being treated in this thread.)

[acmavm]

47. Yes, but it's been a while since we had a first lady who's appearance we

could be proud of.

[noamnety]

48. Excuse me?

Are we supposed to be "proud" because of how the president's wife looks?

[acmavm]

49. Of course. In a good way for Pete's sake. Not that it's her entire identity

but like "thank God, she isn't wearing the Lincoln Bedroom drapes."

[noamnety]

50. I don't feel any particular "pride"

because some woman is dressed in designer duds.

Maybe it's from being raised in a farm town with 4H, but it strikes me as weird, a bit like being proud cause someone stuck a giant blue ribbon on your prize hog at the county fair.

[acmavm]

55. Whatever.

[No Elephants]

59. I've lived in cities all my life and I can relate to the principle you state, even if your hog

metaphor would not have leapt to my mind. But, hey, you have more reason to be proud of your hog than you do to be proud of the fact that top designers have been dressing our First Ladies for decades. At least you bred it and raised the hog. It's nice that our President and our First Lady are easy on the eyes, but we really had nothing to do with that and therefore have no reason to be proud of it. And, I am a lot happier that they are smart, accomplished, self made, kind, etc. than I am about their looks or their wardrobe.

[pecwae]

57. Agree emphatically.

[qwlauren35]

63. Definitely primitive. It's innate to the species. And I enjoy it.

I love looking at aesthetically pleasing human beings. Michelle is one of them. And she's NOT a politician. She's going to be our First Lady. I want her to be the very picture of grace and elegance that has traditionally gone with the role.

I don't think this is a time to buck the trend. We saw what happened with First Lady Clinton. She'll be our first black First Lady, and I don't want anyone to have any contrived reasons to disrespect her.

As such, I want her to look fabulous, elegant, graceful, charming and regal. And with the right dress - I think that's exactly how she will look.

[pansypoo53219]

11. those drawings

need a sammich.

[EFerrari]

12. Your pick is lovely and that's a great color range for her.

[tigereye]

20. I loved that she wore sleeveless dresses!

when was the last time we saw those on any candidate's wife or candidate....

[jesus_of_suburbia]

27. Well she has great arms!

Nothing wrong with arms that aren't great, but hers were meant to be shown!

[Honeycombe8]

13. I like #3 and #10. nt

[whistler162]

14. She should probably wear something nice....

after all there will be a lot of formal occasions and spandex pants and a tube top aren't appropriate.

[Honeycombe8]

17. Tube top? You're showing your age! (Those aren't even made anymore, are they?) nt

[Peace Patriot]

18. The blue one.

No. 5.

I didn't want to admit that I'm interested, but I decided to fess up.

Now I feel okay about answering the question this way: What do I think of Michelle's dress options?

I hope she chooses THE dress, and all her clothes, and her daughters' clothes, and Barack's if she chooses his, in such a way as to employ the most workers at the highest salaries/benefits possible. No sweatshops, no outsourcing associated with the designer, the cloth or retail stores; union-made (or at least high benefit).

People are hurting--really hurting. The new administration should acknowledge this fact in every way possible.

It's certainly okay to be interested in fashion. When I was 15, that was my ambition--fashion designer. It changed the following year to President of the United States, but I soon realized that, at best, I could aspire to be Jackie not Jack. It was 1960, with a couple of years to go before women's liberation changed everything forever (and quite suddenly, as I recall--like somewhere between 1963 and 1964). Anyway, fashion is an artistic as well as business endeavor. And it is politically meaningful, for sure. In 1960, hairsprayed hair, heavy makeup, padded pushup bras, girdles, nylon stockings, high heels and skirts of the "right" length--and, in addition, where I went to school, white gloves, hats and other feminine adornments for special occasions--were the RULE. Not optional. If you were a woman, you were required to bind up breasts, belly, feet, legs, buttocks and look a certain way (highly artificial) and act a certain way (very restricted). Women's position in the world was reinforced by, and maybe even dictated by, fashion.

It's no small thing, as to both aesthetics and politics. That said (whew!), the blue one suits her statuesque figure and this particular blue is stunning. Simple, elegant and like the sky today in California--dazzling blue. Suggests both a beautiful, innocent soul and new and expansive horizons. I can't remember seeing her in blue, so I don't know how the color suits her. I suspect that this blue would be spectacular on her, especially with the simple, one bare shoulder lines of the dress.

[AllentownJake]

19. The simpler the better

She'd looking stunning in anything even a burlap sack. Obama is a very lucky man

[pot luck]

26. Ha. Some Project Runway Designers were asked to design a dress for her using a burlap sack,

Laura Bush's Inaugural Ball dress, and the American flag.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2008-11-06/the-ball-gown-challenge/#

[sohndrsmith]

40. Is Project Runway the one from my alma mater, Parsons School of Design?

The burlap sack sounds like a typical assignment, but that is what it is... a homework assignment. I don't know... it's been a long time and I'm no longer on the "cutting edge" of anything, including what goes on in my own studio... <g>

[jesus_of_suburbia]

21. #5, Michael Kors (Blue Dress) FOR SURE.

But really whatever Michelle wants. It's her night.

I like the silver dress that got a D grade too. The pink is nice as well.

[ronnykmarshall]

22. That's my fave too.

[jesus_of_suburbia]

24. Good taste, my friend! :-)

[Cash_thatswhatiwant]

25. I love this:

[jesus_of_suburbia]

28. That was my 2nd pick (after the blue dress)

[Hieronymus]

29. I like #10 .. Diane Von Furstenberg.

[beac]

30. There were actually 40 different slides. I guess they decided to grade only a select few.

Here's the beginning of the full 40-slide show:

http://www.wwd.com/fashion-news/dressing-the-first-lady-1875632#/slideshow/article/1875632/1876331

Of the 'not graded', my favs are:


(LOVE anything in green!)



and



(but strapless is maybe too 'sexy', alas)

[Debi]

46. Both of these remind me of Jacqueline Kennedy

I love this yellow one...

[stuckinlodi]

31. #5, hands down

And I think Mizrahi has been designing for Target TOO LONG - that pink thing is tacky.

[mwei924]

34. I think she should go with a one-shoulder or an off-the-shoulder dress..

Strapless is younger, probably more like an under 40 dress. I think a one-shoulder (like the Michael Kors or the green dress) would be very elegant and age-appropriate. Michelle is young for a first lady, so she doesn't need to cover everything up, but she's also not a 25 year-old actress.

[Clio the Leo]

53. One shoulder would look amazing and very "now" but.....

.... do we DARE risk having to listen to the Nancy Reagan comparisons for the rest of the week?



(granted she would look a LOT better than Nancy did, bless her)

[mwei924]

60. Nancy was WAY too old to pull that off.

I'm sorry but in your 60s, we don't need to see your shoulders at all. At that point in life, her upper arms are just too unattractive to bare. And we definitely don't need to see that much cleavage. A short or long sleeve would've looked much nicer.

50s-60s: Unless you're like Madonna and have an unbelievably fit body, cover it up.

40s: Anything with one or more straps would be fine. Or even a strapless but with a cover/jacket thing.

30s and under: Pretty much everything is at your disposal if you have the body for it.

[amborin]

35. Huff Po has a more exhaustive list...including a few good options...otherwise, the long blue one

by michael kors, or the karl lagerfeld

[sohndrsmith]

39. I think any options we are able to see are definitely not what she will

end up wearing. I think the designs are just for our fun, I think the designer she chooses will not and is not going to be "previewed" in sketches by the public. Has that ever happened before? I think it's probably safe to think that any sketches we see are not going to be in the running - by default.

Part of the excitement is the anticipation... does anyone really think we're going to know what Michelle is going to wear before she appears on Inauguration Day? Come on, really? : ) Why? Well, Michelle is her own woman, so I could be wrong, but it doesn't make sense to me...

It is fun to look at the dresses, though, I agree.

[LaydeeBug]

61. I agree. But let me say that the ones practically wrapping her in the American Flag are a bit obtuse

and I don't think we've seen a Narcisso Rodriguez yet. At least, not since that black and red number. :) (I thought she wore that well, and I wasn't a huge fan of the dress, but I *am* a huge fan of his)

[proud patriot]

41. That purple color she wore earlier was beautiful on her

with a Royal Blue ... might just be nice .

I'm not a fashionista by any means ..

Those colors are great on her.

[LWolf]

43. I don't care.

I don't even care enough to look.

I care about what the Obama administration does with issues.

[Debi]

45. Reminds me of the Tara Conner Project Runway dress

The dress was a hit...Ms. Conner...not so much.

The future first lady would look beautiful in it!

[stillcool]

51. I like these two..

[amborin]

65. those two are beautiful, especially the second

[Clio the Leo]

52. It's hard to wear #3 after having two kids....

... you have to be teensy weensy and fairly evenly proportioned to wear something that fitted. (Trust me, I do this for a living lol)

Michelle, being more pair shaped, is smart enough to know that something with an empire waistline looks best on her. I would expect her to wear something with that kind of silhouette.

While not an evening gown, the dress she wore on The View (which was a smash!) is a perfect example of this. (Apologies in advance for posting a pic of that darned Elizabeth)



And of course THIS dress is just yummy...

[LaydeeBug]

54. I absolutely LOVE the Michael Kors. nt

[otohara]

56. No To Beyonce Look

think that was #5.

[No Elephants]

58. I saw only two categories: Jackie O Wannabe and Off the Wall. The designers can do a lot

better than this. I was especially diesappointed in Badgley Mischka, which is one of my favorite "red carpet" designers. Hopefully, Ms. First Lady will be presented with better choices for the Inauguration and the Balls.

[qwlauren35]

62. I like the blue and the fuschia.

I can't see her wearing white. I'm not sure how she'd look in gold or yellow. The red-white-and-blue is actually cute, but tacky.

She will be First Lady, not a sex symbol. So spaghetti straps and low cut v's are absolutely out. As well as anything that draws attention to her crotch as that yellow tulip thing did.

Frankly, as long as it's nicer than that Black and Red thing, I'll be happy.

[Vektor]

64. I like #3 and #7, but she will look stunning no matter what.

I can't wait to see the Obama family dressed to the 9's for the Ball. It's going to be heavenly.

[ecstatic]

67. Yep. There's a 99% chance she will get it right

She only made two fashion gaffes during the entire campaign (the yellow and blue outfit and GE night dress :hide:).

[Vektor]

68. I didn't love the yellow and blue...but the GE night dress didn't bother me.

I know a lot of people didn't like it, but I liked that it was an edgy and unusual choice. I've seen her in things that look better on her, but I thought she still looked pretty good in the red and black dress.

[saltpoint]

66. I'm not convinced we could find any clothing in which she would not be

stunning.