Michelle Obama's dress

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: In fact, it's more than a bit ironic given that Dr. Lynne Cheney, who is a real scholar, is known simply as "Mrs. Cheney." I am not at all a fan of Jill Biden.

obviously not a fan - fine

but not a "true scholar?"

- BA from U. DE
- taught high school English
- Master of Ed, with a specialty in reading
- taught emotionally disturbed students and even worked in a psychiatric hospital
- Master of Arts in English, said that if she ever became First Lady she'd continue to teach emotionally disturbed children
- instructor at a community college (English composition and remedial writing)
- Doctorate in educational leadership

Now, she's being wooed by several colleges. What a magnificent role model she is for teachers everywhere!

Yep. Not a true scholar, despite what her press people like to say. No one considers her a scholar; in academic parlance, that term is reserved for those who produce significant research. And if you think she's really going to teach an English section at Montgomery College for $2,700 a semester, you've bought her publicity hook, line, and sinker.

I'm sorry a PP thinks I'm an idiot or old-fashioned. From where I was sitting, among some congressional families (sorry, not the Oprah section), the buzz was simple: Would she wear her stiletto boots? Yes, she did! The buzz on Michelle, by contrast, was fabulous.

Take the Bidens' appearance on Oprah's show the day before the inauguration. I hate to say it, but Jill Biden should know better than to wear a cocktail sheath to an afternoon taping of a talk show. First of all, you don't wear an after-6 dress for a talk show. Second, perhaps the PP who thinks I'm old-fashioned doesn't understand this, but it has nothing to do with whether Jill has the body to wear it. She's 56 years old and the wife of the vice president. She needs to understand propriety and protocol, and she SHOULD understand those things after more than two decades as a Senate wife. So either she is completely clueless or she knows better but wants attention. So she wears an attention-getting dress while coyly "letting slip" that her husband was offered his choice of State or VP. Her antipathy toward Hillary Clinton has been legendary since the beginning of the primary cycle, and she stirred up an unnecessary brouhaha on the eve of Obama's inauguration because she was trying to show off.

Both the Bidens have inflated egos but Joe is much more able to tamp his down than Jill is. (Though I wish he'd stop making constant references to her attractiveness. He always seems like he's about to pop a Viagra.) She needs to get used to being Mrs. Biden, the wife of the vice president, and I think she's going to find it's a much lower-profile role than she thought it would be. She may flirt publicly with the idea of teaching at a community college, but it's not going to happen. So, I'm sorry, but I agree with the PPs who find the Bidens cheesy. In contrast, I think the Obamas exude class and dignity.

[Anonymous]

Nice dress but I was wondering how she stayed warm! Would have been okay with me if she wore a nice down coat over it!

[Anonymous]

I love the unconventional, young, ethnic designers she goes for. Michelle wants to break the traditional Victorian image that everyone is used to and bring some flava up in the house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Am I the only one who thinks the dress was green, not gold?

Yes! But the shoes and gloves were green.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why does everyone criticize what women wear and never what the men wear? Can anyone even remember what Obama was wearing?

Nice red tie... Guys formal clothes are boring - the tie is almost the only way any individuality can be expressed. We may be cursed with high heels, but we certainly have more choice in what we wear.

[Anonymous]

Agree with PP. My husband says all the attention to Michelle Obama's clothing choices shows that sexism is alive and well. I say it just shows that men's clothes are boring.

[Anonymous]

To the PP who complained about this thread not being "meaningful". If you don't like it, get off. This isn't supposed to be a meaningful. It is supposed to be entertaining and lighthearted. Geez, does everthing have to be serious all the time?

[Anonymous]

sorry, meant to say "meaningful thread".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love the unconventional, young, ethnic designers she goes for. Michelle wants to break the traditional Victorian image that everyone is used to and bring some flava up in the house.

Victorian image? Hmmm, haven't seen too many women in high-necked blouses, etc.

I don't think her look is very fashionable or cutting-edge - it's a little tacky in fact. Her dress last night looked like a wedding dress, for example, and was inappropriate. Also, it really did not flatter her hips and butt, which looked huge.

[Anonymous]

I like seeing women with real curves. What's inappropriate to you, rocks to the rest of us.

[Anonymous]

I just think the whole look was too summery for a cold January day.

[Anonymous]

all the "that's inappropriate" talk makes me want to throw up.

[Anonymous]

I'm a feminist, civil rights lawyer, and working mother, and I still like looking at the dresses, shoes, accessories, all of it. Personally I loved both dresses, though I think that whoever tailored the daytime one needed to make room for the curves so that it wouldn't ride up while she walked.

But anyway, we focus on the dresses (a) because the men's clothes are fairly uniform, though I've always liked the cut and fit of B Obama's suits; and (b) the spouses don't play a policy role, even if they have a Harvard JD or a PhD. They have a ceremonial/public relations function, and that means that how they present themselves is much of the story.

For those who didn't like Jill Biden's look-- I am a very conservative dresser and I still got a kick out of it. She looked like the spouse of a European president. It's okay to be sexy and stylish over there, even if your husband has a fancy job. In fact, even if you do-- check out France's chic justice minister, who wore gorgeous clothes back to work after having a child out of wedlock. The U.S. could stand to lighten up and be cool. I thank Jill Biden for breaking the ice.

Finally, fashion isn't entirely shallow. It's a multi-billion dollar business, and Michelle Obama has been careful to promote American designers as well as U.S.-owned retail outlets while she's in the spotlight. She's sending a signal that these U.S. designers and companies are worthy of this historical event. Good for her!

And while we're at it, she's got gorgeous arms. And I'm quite sure that as smart as she is, she's glad to know that people find her beautiful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nice dress but I was wondering how she stayed warm! Would have been okay with me if she wore a nice down coat over it!

It might have been a wool blend. The dress was a very heavy fabric and came with a sweater. The matching coat was lined in pashima. Very heavy layered clothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love the unconventional, young, ethnic designers she goes for. Michelle wants to break the traditional Victorian image that everyone is used to and bring some flava up in the house.

Victorian image? Hmmm, haven't seen too many women in high-necked blouses, etc.

I don't think her look is very fashionable or cutting-edge - it's a little tacky in fact. Her dress last night looked like a wedding dress, for example, and was inappropriate. Also, it really did not flatter her hips and butt, which looked huge.

She's a large athletic basketball player type. The dress looked comfortable with a loose fit and she had lots of traipsing around on the agenda. The hips and boottay did look big but so what. I'm glad she doesn't look anorexic or xanaxed up since it sets a good example.