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How Do You Solve A Problem Like Michelle?
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Rooo sez BISH PLZ
01/26/09

In reply to How Do You Solve A Problem Like Michelle?
"Michelle Obama makes fashion feel bad about itself."

Okay, raise your hand if you're enjoying that an awful lot.

*raises hand*
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Tart of Darkness
01/26/09

@Rooo sez BISH PLZ: Oh YES!
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misspell
01/26/09

In reply to How Do You Solve A Problem Like Michelle?
There are a variety of ways in Michelle Obama is completely awesome and there are a disproportionate number of articles focusing on this one single aspect. I'm more concerned with the new administration than how much emotional impact she's gonna have on high fashion designers.

"To put it bluntly, Michelle Obama makes fashion feel bad about itself." I think they just haven't figured out how to use it to benefit themselves yet. I know that's a crass angle to take, but I think they are following Billy Crystal's lead: "It's better to look good than to feel good, dahling."
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PhillyLass
01/26/09

In reply to How Do You Solve A Problem Like Michelle?
"Hers is the kind of résumé that can induce a certain self-hatred among people who've devoted their lives to tracking hemlines and hairdos."

I'm not concerned about the self-esteem of people who've devoted their lives to tracking hemlines and hairdos. The haters can suck it.
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RobertaFisk
01/26/09

In reply to How Do You Solve A Problem Like Michelle?
While it's awesome that it seems like Michelle Obama might get designers to realize people other than white stick-figure models wear clothes, I have to admit I just don't like her style that much. I thought the inauguration day ensemble in the picture was more 'grandmother of the bride' than anything.
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ObtuseIntolerant
01/26/09

In reply to How Do You Solve A Problem Like Michelle?
I love this about Michelle...I've related to her intensely from the beginning and it's in no small part because she's more substance than style.

She does have an appealing personal style, but she's not necessarily the one who's going to rock the haute stuff and look comfortable...it may be a flaw, but she is too aware of the ridiculousness of that and she seems happier being herself, more classic less adorned (I feel the same).

I am pretty down with living in, and putting my children in, J.Crew. Been that way all my life...is this just a preppy brown girl thing?
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Rocket Queen
01/26/09

In reply to How Do You Solve A Problem Like Michelle?
"But despite such liberal goodwill, the industry is overwhelmingly white, both in its makeup and its view of its customer."

Yeah, now I have a problem with that sentence. I HATE dividing. We're all human. Why should different races have different fashions, different clothes? I mean, diversity is good, but DIVIDING people by their clothing choices? Not so much.
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robot ninja spy
01/26/09

@Rocket Queen: I'm not sure that's what she's saying. I read that to be a reference to how the industry's favorite excuse for why they don't have more models of color being that women of colors don't really buy the clothes.
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MJ
01/26/09

In reply to How Do You Solve A Problem Like Michelle?
I have found myself much more interested in brooches than I've ever been. I'm always shopping in consignment and second-hand stores and before now, I'd always skimmed the jewelry looking for pretty bracelets or pendants. Just recently, I've paid more attention to brooches and pins and picked up some lovely ones that have garnered a lot of praise.

Thanks, Mrs. Obama!
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bananaprincess
01/27/09

thank you I am going to start doing this again too.@MJ:
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Sister Toldja
01/26/09

In reply to How Do You Solve A Problem Like Michelle?
The fashion world goes gaga over a Black girl every few years, but this is the first time it's been a woman who wasn't a model or entertainer. She's a new icon on so many levels and she does serve as a reminder that there is this race of women (or to go even further, the largest number of women of this race- those who don't look close to White or have strongly European features) that is often marginalized by the Western aesthetic.

She's beautiful, I love her clothes and I love seeing a "real" sister on the cover of all the mags, and not because she can sing or shake her ass.
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gerbilsoutofexile...is cheap and easy
01/26/09

@Sister Toldja: True, but it seems that Michelle Obama, a very well-educated woman of great intellect, has been reduced to nothing but a fashion icon. Why not look to her for her obvious belief in higher education or her career? Why is her only importance in what she wears?
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Rooo sez BISH PLZ
01/26/09

@gerbilsoutofexile.notsobad!: Respectfully? One step at a time, gerbil. It took even our First Lady 3 years to get through law school, just like everyone else. Her husband, the President, isn't even past the first One Hundred Days.

Plus, as I'm sure you've noticed, our country is not one that *ahem* overvalues intellectual achievement. Come on, we just got done electing a president who can think. I'm as impatient to see it as you are, but I think we need to give it a little time.
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Sister Toldja
01/26/09

@gerbilsoutofexile.notsobad!: Well, I think that (for better or worse), the style of our first ladies has been a long standing obsession. The POTUSs wife was once America's favorite hostess. With Hilary and now with Michele, we see a woman of substance. But we still wanna know what she's wearing. I dunno, I like this girl shit. I can't help it. But I wouldn't say this is her "only importance" by any means. We should demand that the media's coverage of Michelle is balanced- focusing primarily on her work and occasionally gawking at her style.
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sybann
01/26/09

In reply to How Do You Solve A Problem Like Michelle?
OMG! The industry might have to start looking at women as INDIVIDUALS!? HORRORS!

Go Michelle - you're not a problem, you're a solution.
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Rooo sez BISH PLZ
01/26/09

@sybann: Seconded like whoa.
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JulesNoctambule
01/26/09

In reply to How Do You Solve A Problem Like Michelle?
I'm dreaming that her charisma, popularity and allure result in more designs for those of us who are over 22, weigh more than 112 pounds, stand taller than 5'5" and want some damn sleeves on our dresses that do not look matronly! She has more appeal to the average woman than a whole truckload of fashion models.
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samethingwedoeverynightpinky
01/26/09

@JulesNoctambule: Fashion: Now Available for hips!
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Brigit
01/26/09

@samethingwedoeverynightpinky: and thighs!
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laureltreedaphne
01/26/09

In reply to How Do You Solve A Problem Like Michelle?
Honestly, I don't think Michelle really is a fashion muse - I think that we are excited to have a (relatively) young woman in the White House again who wears more than St. John's suits, you know? Her fashion is not all that remarkable or defining - we are interested in it because young people are the ones who wear fashion, for the most part. You know? That is why we were interested in Jackie too.
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bloodflower
01/26/09

@trakkie: i agree. it bugs me when people criticize her fashion choices because i don't think she cares much. she likes fashion but isn't so immersed in it as jackie o was.
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fulanita
01/26/09

@trakkie: I disagree. She may not be avant garde, but she is wearing many designers who, while not exactly unknown, are not household names. She could be wearing one Oscar de la Renta suit after another, but she's not. And then she goes and does something really crazy like wear J.Crew or Gap.

I think it's nice to have someone like that around, who is interested in fashion without being all "zomg!!! I LOVE fashion!! and shoes!!!" or whatever the sterotype is these days. It's nice to see someone who isn't a slave to "fashion" who isn't being characterized as a frump, either.
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laureltreedaphne
01/26/09

@bloodflower:

Yeah, I think so too. Like, Jackie had been raised, basically, to be obsessed with how she looked. Michelle Obama is like any other working woman in the country really, at least to me - she dresses in things she likes that are appropriate and other than that, does not think about it.
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jrhys
01/26/09

@trakkie: I love that she's smart, strong, extremely accomplished, lovely - and likes clothes - more or less in that order. Just like a real live woman, who doesn't have to choose between being attractive or smart - but is both- and more. Now if I can only get her to return my phone calls...
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krismry
01/26/09

@trakkie: @bloodflower: I guess the legend that Jacqueline Kennedy was obsessive about fashion is destined to become one of those things that seem true because they're so often repeated. In fact, it was chiefly the press that was obsessed with her clothing, much to her annoyance. She was fluent enough in French to act as informal interpreter between deGaulle and the President at Versailles, diplomatic enough to have charmed Andre Malraux, culture minister, into lending the USA the Mona Lisa, sympathetic enough to convince Pablo Casals to perform at the White House after a very long silence, brilliant enough as a fund raiser to oversee the restoration of the White House as a truly historic place, influential enough to convince the president of the importance of signing a nuclear test ban treaty, and gee whiz, golly, she's remembered for her swell clothes. This is sexism carried on decade after decade. What does a woman need to do to be remembered for something besides wearing Chanel copies? End the Vietnam War? I give up.
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laureltreedaphne
01/27/09

@krismry:

Um, I don't think I said ANYTHING that indicated that she was not smart or accomplished. And in fact, I've read several Jackie biographies that have all said her mother groomed her to present a perfect public image and she was always very concerned about it. I think it's more sexist to say that just because she is interested in clothes, she can't be interested in other things as well. Caring about your appearance doesn't exclude you from being fluent in French.
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krismry
01/27/09

@trakkie: Excellent points! I just didn't make it clear that the press at the time was more dismissive of real accomplishments in favor of an easy way of creating an image and that it really sort of lasted forever. I agree, too, about her mum, Janet, being the real obsessive. And Lee was twice the fashion fiend that Jacqueline ever was. Jackie was actually more of a horse person. I hope Michelle Obama is fortunate enough to get noticed more for her concern for military families and less for her clothes. Eventually. And, p.s., anyone patient enough to read entire books about JBKO is definitely a friend.
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tscheese
01/26/09

In reply to How Do You Solve A Problem Like Michelle?
I'm always a little bit unsettled by how the media tries to spin Michelle as this super-glam Amazon badass fashion plate, political moddle, trendsetter haute-couture maven. It is vaguely icky to me and it's hard to describe it.
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yvanehtnioj
01/26/09

@tscheese: It's very mid90s-women-can-do-everything-effortlessly-w...?!?!?
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picardia
01/26/09

In reply to How Do You Solve A Problem Like Michelle?
If the fashion industry could get a clue that there are women in the world who (a) weigh more than 100 pounds, (b) are over 35, (c) want practicality AND pizazz and (d) are not necessarily white girls wearing too much bronzer, it would be the greatest thing to ever happen to the industry. Possibly also to aforementioned women. Just imagine it: Storefuls of clothing you could actually wear.

But why do I think the fashion industry is going to miss this "educatable moment"?
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robot ninja spy
01/26/09

@picardia: If the fashion industry could get a clue that there are women in the world who (a) weigh more than 100 pounds, (b) are over 35, (c) want practicality AND pizazz and (d) are not necessarily white girls wearing too much bronzer, it would be the greatest thing to ever happen to the industry. Possibly also to aforementioned women. Just imagine it: Storefuls of clothing you could actually wear.

But why do I think the fashion industry is going to miss this "educatable moment"?

I'll bet you they will, but I average women who don't let fashion wear them will be able to look at her and be reminded that they aren't the crazy ones for not being caught up in the hype. She won't impact the industry alone, but since she's managed to find a great style for herself in spite of it, other women will be able to say "f**k the magazines and advertisers; I can dress this body just fine, too." And maybe in the long-run that shift in people buying what's right for them and not trying to re-make themselves to fit the clothes, the industry will adjust. At least the smaller labels. Luxury brands probably won't change at all.
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bluebears
01/26/09

In reply to How Do You Solve A Problem Like Michelle?
I LOVE that Michelle Obama seems to have a very blase (can't do the accent mark) attitude toward fashion. I can see how its going to drive the fashion world crazy but oh well. I'll start caring about them when they stop insulting me by selling 75$ tank tops.
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arodriguez.romero
01/26/09

@bluebears: heh. Why get insulted over $75 tank tops tho? Fashion is funny when they do entertaining things like that.

The whole subject of handbags and what some cost is also really entertaining.
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ritualtheory
01/26/09

In reply to How Do You Solve A Problem Like Michelle?
Very legitimate. I'm more concerned that the fashion industry will slowly seem to obliterate the other 99.98% of Michelle Obama's personality, so that her name and 'Controversial Fashion Icon!' are interchangeable.
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