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I think Nancy Reagan was criticized for her clothing extravagances. I have the impression that only Jackie Kennedy managed to "create" fashion - that is, be consistent enough that women followed her lead. I think I'd read that her stylishness was appreciated because she'd followed the dowdy Mamie Eisenhower.
But I think, reading this article about Michelle Obama, she probably had more fun with fashion.
Michelle Obama is being compared to Jackie Kennedy, but apart for their ability to dress in a stylish way, I don't think there is a whole lot of similarity. Jackie was aristocratic and she always had a sense of style. Michelle seems to have found her way after she became well known, and her fashion sense matured as she went along, at least in my view. She looked stunning very early on, and then she stumbled a bit, and then she became a very glamorous first lady.
One difference I have noted is that Michelle is not afraid of a little sexiness. You see this in shots of her dressed for state dinners. Jackie looked beautiful when formally dressed, but she did not project sexiness that way.
Both women seemed to be in the vanguard of style though. But Jackie projected an upper class cool style which every woman in America wanted to copy. Michelle lives in a different world, where younger women would not feel compelled to copy her; but wives and moms might well wish to dress like Michelle. I don't view Michelle as quite the trend setter that Jackie was in her time
I do want to say that I greatly admire Michelle. I respect her values and I admire her work to improve the quality of kid's school lunches. It is almost a mundane thing, but she was right about that. Most kids' school lunches have been poor quality for a long time. I think she helped to improve them. I love that she started a garden on the White House grounds, which will be now neglected, I think.
I also think that Michelle knows how to dress to enhance her good points. She is tall and fit, and the picture of an attractive 21st Century woman. And she is obviously a fabulous wife and mom. Let's don't lose sight of the fact that before that first presidential campaign, she was also a working mom.
Jackie was "dowdy"??? I thought she was the classiest dresser of ALL of them! I loved her early-60's style of dress and she always looked so put-together.
I think Laura Bush had the best-looking face, but she dressed modestly and it suited her. I got tired of Hillary's damn pantsuits all of the time. Michelle isn't afraid of colors and a little splash and I admire that, too. Each First Lady dressed according to her own person.
Michelle for me was by far the best, not so much clothes, more her up to date taste in music, sense of humour , a great mother and looks good in evening dresses.. I like her a lot and Id take her any day to some clothes horse who waved from a car.. shes one fiesty lady..
Jackie was "dowdy"??? I thought she was the classiest dresser of ALL of them! I loved her early-60's style of dress and she always looked so put-together.
I think Laura Bush had the best-looking face, but she dressed modestly and it suited her. I got tired of Hillary's damn pantsuits all of the time. Michelle isn't afraid of colors and a little splash and I admire that, too. Each First Lady dressed according to her own person.
Nope, read it again. It said Mamie Eisenhower was dowdy. And that's true.
But when Jackie came on the scene it was like a revolution. All of a sudden there was glamour. Her pillbox hats set the new style and all eyes were on whatever she wore that day. It was all novel looking and head turning. Her manner, her sense of style, her new takes on fashion, all set the pace and her way of dressing became the role model for many American women. No, there was nothing sexy about it. That wouldn't have been acceptable in those days. But her style was regal and elegant, tasteful yet a bit avant garde. That woman knew how to dress beautifully from Day One.
I agree with the above poster about Michelle. I love her and her style so I won't attempt to rewrite the great post that person already wrote.
I think Jackie O is quite sylish but it is completely inaccessible for normal people. Aspirational style. Michelle O is stylish in an accessible way. Not only is it more modern, you could emulate Michelle if you wanted. She got clothes at Target! I love her for that. I also think it was super important for our country to see a polished and glam black woman at the helm of the country. The primary picture of black women in mainstream media was reality stars and that representation is quite limiting.
Coming from an older generation, most First Ladies were not "stylish" in the sense of the current fashion fads. Clean lines, classic suits or dresses, hosiery always. Hats and gloves were required. Casual play clothes were only worn for those activities.
The truly dowdy First Lady in my memory was Bess Truman. She wasn't in Washington to influence the American Woman to be stylish; she was there because that's where Harry was. Mamie wasn't flamboyant or flashy and I didn't think necessarily dowdy, but then Jackie showed up and put a whole 'nother spin on White House fashion.
Not sure I want to see the FL in yoga pants or belly shirts. And it has nothing to do with her age or her figure. Decorum is what seems to be missing in so much of our lives and we need someone to whom we can turn for a taste of Class.
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