Today's New York Times has an exhaustive story about just how the First Lady decides what to wear. You're not going to believe this: She has a favorite store, and she shops there. Groundbreaking stuff. No, seriously: Usually women in her position get stuff directly from designers, and there's a mutual fawning over. But, according to the piece, for the inauguration:

Oscar de la Renta sent 12 sketches, but "never heard another word" from [store owner] Ms. Goldman or Mrs. Obama's office, he said. A spokeswoman for Carolina Herrera said sketches were sent. While nothing was ordered by Mrs. Obama, a gown was made for Desirée Rogers, the new White House social secretary, and purchased through [Ms. Obama's fave store] Ikram. Many other prominent American designers, including Michael Kors, Ralph Rucci, Vera Wang and Francisco Costa at Calvin Klein, were never approached, they said. To the older generation of design stars, the idea that a first lady would rely so heavily on a retailer - rather than on designers or an independent stylist, people who make their living solving problems of fit and proportion - is surprising.

But while some may find the interest in her wardrobe frivolous or beside the point, Jeanne McManus writes — unapologetically — in the Washington Post:

I enjoy reading about Michelle Obama's clothes. I like to know what she's wearing, appreciate details about her shoes and gloves, wonder where she got her necklace. When she shows up at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, I'm not distracted from her message by being simultaneously informed that she is in a slate-gray suit. Is it right about here that other women start throwing shoes at me?

McManus argues that since the First Lady is smart and stylish, we should acknowledge both of these things about her. McManus explains:

The clothes she wears are a means of self-expression. So why can't we appreciate that particular form of her expression as well as her many others? To dissect the components of that style and to admire it, I believe, is profoundly different from talking about Carrie Bradshaw's belt or flipping through glossy pictures of Scarlett Johansson on the red carpet.

The first lady is a composite; she is not getting attention solely for her clothes. To give Michelle Obama her due, can't we acknowledge that by mentioning her speech and, in the same breath, noting the smart white collar and cuffs on the outfit she wore to the Education Department?

Does McManus have a point? Isn't how a working woman pulls herself together part of her total package? Weigh in using the poll below:

Behind The First Lady, A Shadow Stylist [NY Times]
Tell Me What She Wore [Washington Post]

Amnau Eele of the BAA says she plans to make a formal appeal to the First Lady's office:

"It’s fine and good if you want to be all ‘Kumbaya’ and ‘We Are the World’ by representing all different countries. But if you are going to have Isabel Toledo do the inauguration dress, and Jason Wu do the evening gown, why not have Kevan Hall, B Michael, Stephen Burrows or any of the other black designers do something too?”

Here's the thing: Of course there's pressure on Michelle Obama to be the ultimate, best, most amazing black woman ever, and lift up every black person in the world with her awesomeness, buying power and fashion sense. But. She is a Harvard-educated lawyer from Chicago who likes J. Crew. Can't she wear just whatever she wants? Yes, it's important to support black designers, who don't generally get a fair share of the market — in fact, usually there's only one black designer who shows at the tents during New York Fashion Week: Tracy Reese — but surely Ms. Obama has priorities. And perhaps seeking out black designers isn't one of them. And let's be honest: Is it even fair to create a world in which successful black people "had better" wear clothes by black people, listen to music by black people and hire black people, or else?

In any case, Michelle Obama has been First Lady for two days. Give her time, and surely she will wear something by an African-American designer. Perhaps in the next issue of Vogue, which could hit stands — with Ms. Obama on the cover — in a few weeks?

As for BAA's Eele, who was once a runway model (walking for YSL, Armani and Bill Blass), she was asked by WWD if maybe Ms. Obama is looking at the world colorlessly? Responded Eele: "It’s one thing to look at the world without color but she had seven slots to wear designer clothes. Why wasn’t she wearing the clothes of a black designer? That was our moment."

First Lady Under Fire... [WWD]
Vogue's Michelle Obama Treatment [WWD]

• In non-Michelle Obama fashion news of the day, Gisele's Craig McDean Dior campaign is out. She looks sort of like she's Morris dancing. With bangs. [Fashionologie]

• Armani accused Dolce & Gabbana of copying one of his mens designs this season. Both labels apparently showed quilted silk pants on the runway in Milan this weekend — although I did look through the pictures of the Emporio show on Men.style.com, and while there were plenty of merely ugly trousers, I only saw quilted snowsuits — and Armani sniffed: "Now they copy, later they will learn." Domenico and Stefano shot back "Surely we still have much to learn, but definitely not from him," and claimed they haven't even watched Armani's shows for "years." [ShoppingBlog]
• Armani, in a separate interview, claims that unlike fellow Italian designer Roberto Cavalli, who confirmed plans to sell a minority stake in his company to a private equity firm yesterday, his business is financially strong, with no need for outside investment. [WWD]
• Not so Burberry. Although the British brand has seen strong sales — up 30% in the fourth quarter of 2008 — it is implementing sharp cost-cutting moves, in part no doubt because it's publicly traded and therefore vulnerable to shareholder pressure for constant returns. Two hundred and ninety jobs are to be shed in the UK, and up to 250 additional positions are on the line in Spain. [WSJ]
• Here begins your Michelle Obama tranche of Rag Trade. (Remember, we go back to wondering about what the Yale-educated lawyer is thinking and doing, as opposed to wearing, tomorrow.) First up: MSNBC thinks Diane von Furstenberg is out of the running for designing Michelle's inaugural ball gown because she was kinda grumpy at a party. [MSNBC]
• Mediabistro has an interesting breakdown of the three Obama fashion stories you meet in transition: The breathless speculation as to what the new first lady will wear, the filler about Inaugural Gowns Of History or how the Obamas will bring back "style" to the White House, and the coattail-rider pieces, like stories about which label this or that appointee is "announcing" they will wear. [Mediabistro]
• Also the endless street style stories about how Obama has "inspired" t-shirt hawkers to bedazzle his name on their wares. [StyleFile]
• And the stories that are a breathless play-by-play of her fashion choices. This was cute six months ago when we were all amazed she knew who Thakoon Panichgul was; it's not so cute now. [StyleFile]
• However, speaking of Thakoon, I'd as soon keep the adorable interviews he gives about how much he respects Michelle Obama and how nervous he was to see her wear his dress, lest she reveal some kind of overlooked flaw in his design. [Allure]
• And, OK, we can keep the think pieces from good fashion writers about the tricky politics of 'style' in the broader sense. [WWD]
• Now, for something completely different: Is Renee Zellweger angling for Jennifer Love Hewitt's endorsement deal? Zellweger filmed parts of New In Town in Winnipeg, Canada — a town where, the actress reports, "It's just commonplace that your face freezes within two seconds of stepping outside of the door." Hanes tights saved her life, three or four pairs at a time. "I would not be here today were it not for the Hanes," she humbly reports. [Daily Express]
• Serena Williams has signed on to be the newest face of Mission Skincare. [WWD]
• Sadly, Victoria Beckham thinks she looks all right in her Emporio Armani ads only because Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott obligingly elided her worst body parts. According to unnamed sources, Posh — who admitted having suffered from anorexia in her memoir, Learning to Fly — is still deeply uncomfortable with her body, and was grateful her stomach was "reworked with make-up and lighting" to hide her C-section scars and loose skin. Of course, a casual observer might imagine there was more than a little Photoshop reworking, too, and that it might help Posh's young, female fan base for the star to speak openly, honestly, and not through back channels, about that fact. [Daily Express]
• One sector doing almost too well through this season: apparel liquidators. Discount stores like Loehmann's and T.J. Maxx are unable to absorb the bales of unsold gear from the major department stores, who have of course been trying to move units themselves with up to 85% off sales all through the holiday period. There's simply too much supply in the liquidation pipeline. Solution: Ship the lot to Siberia. No, seriously. [WSJ]

A New York Times piecepublished today ostensibly burdens the soon-to-be First Lady with saving the fashion industry. Vogue editor (and Jacqueline Kennedy expert) Hamish Bowles says of Michelle Obama's fashion impact: "My perception is that she’s already had an extremely potent effect" on the business. After Mrs. Obama wore that $148 dress from White House Black Market on The View, a shopping frenzy ensued. But unlike many First Ladies, who reeked of old money Country Club couture, Michelle Obama has a more (ahem) democratic approach. She's not so much about fashion as she is about style.

Stephanie Solomon, the fashion director of Bloomingdale’s, tells the Times:

"Mrs. Obama is, first of all, very elegant and has wonderful taste. But she also recognizes the value of beautiful dresses and not big prices. She dresses like taste doesn’t necessarily have to do with brand or status, but with what looks well on your body and makes you look glamorous, bottom line. [That is] very refreshing and appropriate for this period."

It's refreshing and appropriate, period. While many fashion magazines insist on pushing a look by outfitting models in one designer from head to toe, most of us mix and match, with catalog brands like Mrs. Obama's fave, J. Crew, and knockoffs of more expensive labels. Because America's bling-bling, logo-conscious designer-worship days are behind us. And some of us never really could get on board, anyway. But it seems right that the woman representing our country would have a down-to-earth approach to getting dressed, and be able to prove that looking great is not about how much money you spend.

Meanwhile: White House Black Market is celebrating Mrs. Obama's move to Washington by converting its Union Station store into an "inaugural dress headquarters." And menswear label Hart Schaffner Marx is debuting the Capitol Collection, inspired by the suits, trousers and sport coats it made for the President-Elect. But can Michelle Obama can "save" American fashion? Steven Kolb, the executive director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, who admits that the business needs help, says no:

“The way Michelle Obama dresses is not her stimulus package to the fashion industry,” said Mr. Kolb. “It’s how she is. I think about my sister who lives in New Jersey and is a teacher, and about the women she works with, and how they can look at Michelle Obama and not have to pretend to be that woman, that working mother with kids who knows the big designer names but also shops at J. Crew and the Gap. She’s who they are.”

U.S. Fashion’s One-Woman Bailout? [NY Times]
White House|Black Market Fetes Obama's Inauguration, Hart Schaffner to Launch Capitol Collection [WWD]

Of course, being a woman in a testosterone-heavy institution has its drawbacks: As Dick Armey memorably told the San Francisco Chronicle in 2002, "One of the reasons Nancy's abilities are not appreciated is that she is a beautiful woman." But possessing the proverbial "woman's touch" is also part of Pelosi's political arsenal, helping her twist the arms of some of Congress's grumpiest old bulls without putting them on the defensive. (A certain Ways and Means Committee chairman is said to be highly susceptible to her charms.) Some colleagues have described Pelosi's tough-love leadership style as "maternal." Others think it flows more from her upbringing. "She just knows how to schmooze these guys," says the speaker's communication director Brendan Daly, who posits that having "five older brothers helps." Barney Frank offers a more pointed analysis: "Nancy is a very smart woman who used to be a very smart girl at a time when smart girls were told that if they were too smart they would scare away the boys." Now, he adds, no matter how tough Pelosi has to be, in private she has "a manner" that helps soothe ruffled feathers. One leadership aide recalls a meeting in which a disgruntled committee chairman threatened to oppose a bill; Pelosi rose slowly from her seat and delivered a low-key but sternly disappointed lecture on the need for chairmen to set a unifying example. (The chastened member wound up supporting the bill.) Emily's List president Ellen Malcolm has dubbed Pelosi's expression in such situations "The Grandmother Look."

"This look—in fact, the whole maternal role—is key to Pelosi's political identity. Pelosi may be tough, even feminist, but not in the in-your-face '70s way that Hillary Clinton is often associated with. She has never downplayed her femininity and is known for her Armani suits, Tahitian pearls, and oh-so-girly chocolate habit."
And here she is coordinating scarves with the Dalai Lama.
And speaking of accessories, look how pretty she looks donning the garb of America's enemies! (The Washington Post's Robin Givhan defended her sarTERRORial leanings here.)
This Armani pantsuit also elicited a gushathon from Givhan.

Nancy Pelosi, Badass [TNR]

Hair Cindy McCain: They say: "Cindy's is white-picket-fence hair: sprayed into submission by a ton of Elnett, she's a blonde Marcia Cross in Desperate Housewives. In fact, if the Topshop salon had "Republican hair" listed on its blow-dry menu there would surely be a picture of Cindy McCain beside it." We say: Cracked out (pill habit!) former pageant queen. What happens when the JonBenets of the world get to actually grow up. Michelle Obama: They say: "Michelle's relaxed, flicked-up bob - particularly when she's accessorising with pearls - is reminiscent of Jackie Kennedy and could also be described as deeply American." We say: Called it ages ago. Their verdict: "[T]he Democratic bob has the edge over Cindy's neurotic blonde do, as it has more than a hint of Diana Ross (60s Supremes era) about it, and that can only be a good thing for a potential first lady. Our verdict: Michelle FTW, natch. Is this even a fair competition?

Accessories Cindy McCain: They say: "[She's been] carrying a Chanel bag [since] 2004. OK, it's not the classic 2.55, but if memory serves, this was the shape to carry that year." We say: An expensive bag does not a woman of style make. Michelle Obama: They say: "Michelle is fighting a negative campaign in those elasticated knee-length boots with skinny mid-height heel." We say: Ain't nothing wrong with those boots. Their verdict: "Cindy has the edge....Chanel trumps LK Bennett every time." Our verdict: Someone's hitting the same pill bottle as Cindy McC? Michelle, FTW, natch.

X-Factor
Cindy McCain:
They say: "Cindy is some way towards achieving this. Her clothing consistency is satisfying: always immaculate, with never a hair out of place."
We say: When you use so much hairspray that never a hair is out of place, that earns you a big red 'X', not "x-factor".
Michelle Obama:
They say: "She's starting to own the puffed sleeve - it works for her on blouses and even on a red tailored suit that she wore recently."
We say: Her look is great, but it's her spirit that's magnetic. That's what real x-factors are about.
Their verdict: "[McCain's] striving for perfection is also her un-doing: she doesn't know how to have fun with fashion."
Our verdict: Michelle FTW, natch.

Pre-Campaign
Cindy McCain:
They say: "Cindy is the more seasoned competitor...and looks as if she has more of a handle on White House chic....[S]he knows the power of a colour-blocked suit, simple jewellery and what look to be Chanel two-tone shoes."
We say: Terrifying: Then, now, always.
Michelle Obama:
They say: "Michelle...looks sartorially unsure of herself, the pastels fighting with the austere ankle-length black skirt and long-line coat."
We say: Michelle's not unsure of herself. About anything. Have they never heard the woman speak?
Their verdict: "In politics an almost cartoon-ish approach to dressing often works best - and Cindy worked that out first."
My verdict: WTF?! Michelle FTW, natch.

Occasion Wear
Cindy McCain:
They say: "Cindy, however, was a rodeo queen in Arizona in 1968 and it shows here. Hers is a look that worked for Krystal Carrington, but is less successful in the political context."
We say: Amen to that.
Michelle Obama:
They say: "[D]esigners will be falling over themselves to dress her if she becomes first lady."
We say: Amen to that.
Their verdict: "Michelle is the front-runner here."
Our verdict: Michelle FTW, natch.

The Power Suit
Cindy McCain:
They say: "Cindy delivers a masterclass in the trouser suit...Cindy's trouser suits have nothing of the woman-in-a-man's world about them; for her they look to be a positive choice."
We say: They do recall that they also called her a rodeo queen, right?
Michelle Obama
They say: "Michelle understands how to work tweed...It's a fabric that can be dowdy but the cut of the suit with the nipped-in waist shows off Michelle's figure in a way that immediately neutralises any frumpiness. Miuccia Prada would be proud."
We say: They do know they also compared her to Jackie, right?
Their verdict: "It's a draw."
My verdict: Michelle FTW, natch. It's not even a contest.

As we all know, if you're First Lady, you've gotta outfit yourself wholly in American designers. Here's what I think each of them should wear if they find themselves at the inauguration itself:

All eyes would be on Michelle in this sharp blue-gray Calvin Klein sheath (l) and this Ralph Lauren ensemble (R) could easily transition from the Hill to the rodeo.

And then at the Inaugural Ball:

The Obamas are the party of youth and revolution! Which is why Michelle Obama would shine in this gown (L) by up-and-coming youngster Frank Tell Koblitz. (Hey, he even got a shout-out in Teen Vogue this month: If that doesn't spell "revolution" I don't know what does. Also, he's one of the only designers who seems to get that fashion isn't just for white women!) And Cindy McCain would need a dress whose volume could match her massive hair: Thank goodness for this Bill Blass (R).

Or at a hospital, visiting sick kiddies, which is seems to be a real popular First Lady activity:

Sparkly flowers by Peter Som would make the kids smile when worn by Michelle, and hot pink by Diane von Furstenberg for Cindy would, well, at least distract them from their pain.

Project Hillary [Mark Fiore]
Dressed for power? [Guardian]

[Images via AP except for Frank Tell image, courtesy of Dan Lecca.]

• It's all about who you know. Wanna get a job working for your local elected official? Wanna get a job working for the editor-in-chief of a major fashion magazine? Good luck with having your resume finding your way to anyone's door unless you've got an 'in'. Having hired interns in both industries, the very few slots there are to fill are more often than not get taken by the daughter of the cousin of a high-ranking person in that establishment's college roommate.
• It's all about what you wear. Think fashion's the only industry in which people judge you based on your appearance? LOL. When I was a Clintern, memos were circulated about the presence of flip-flops in the office... And not in a good way. My poor GOP gal pal was told she must wear pantyhose in the office of the Senator she works for. As for the ladymags, even peons in the fashion department are expected to chip in for a major seasonal "It" item — the better to show the higher-ups that they're willing to stay on top (or ahead) of the trends.
• There are only 10 jobs in the entire industry. When I left Elle, editor in chief Robbie Myers assured me we would cross paths again as there "are only five jobs in the industry." Likewise with politics: In fact, fashion and politics are both small communities populated by a handful of people who bounce around the few available jobs, working their way up the ladder. By the time you've been in the business for five years, you'll feel like you're back in high school.
• There is no new news. With fashion seasons scheduled every six months and elections scheduled every 2 years, both industries have both set calendars and news cycles... meaning, easy-to-anticipate headlines. And because there are so few players, there are just as few storylines: Grunge is back! Grunge is dead! Compassionate conservatism is the New America! Compassionate conservatism killed America! The media outlets try to convince us that these are new stories, but let me assure you: they are not. Sure, every once in a while a wunderkind (Chris Benz, Barack Obama) springs up, seemingly from nowhere and dazzles the masses with his or her brilliance, but the rest of the time we're simply watching the regulars (Ted Kennedy, Donna Karan) up to their same old tricks.

• Everyone just wants to sell something. Magazines aren't really about scouting, directing, and cultivating new aesthetics: They're about selling lipstick and bringing in advertising dollars. Politics, as cynical as it sounds, is just as mercenary and although there are some with good intentions and a desire to save the world and help the common man, most people are simply jostling for power by selling messages (and themselves) to the public. Money makes the world go round, and neither a candidate nor a magazine can get anywhere without it.

I was on the Hill just this time last year, and I had all of these elected officials literally running from me saying, "I'm not a fashion person! Don't look at me!" In the beginning, I thought it was kind of sweet, but the more I thought about it, I began to find it appalling. You're an elected official. How many people see you and make judgments about you before they ever even know your point of view?... I mean, are we ready for a male cross dresser in the White House? No. But frankly speaking, there are times when I wonder about Hillary... I look at [the current candidates] and I feel like they've stepped out of the 1980s. And what really disturbs me, deep down in my very core, is whether these candidates really think that having people talk about your clothes in a positive way could be a bad thing. To think that they might answer "yes" horrifies me... I will summarize [Bush's] entire fashion presentation in one phrase: schlumped over and drooling. I hope I don't end up in some Iraqi prison for saying that.

Tim Gunn Reviews the Candidates [Newsweek]

The top dogs among fashion magazine editors, however, are a little more tight-lipped about their political leanings, though they seem determined to let the world know that Fashion Week hasn't distracted them from their civic duties. Says Alexis Bryan, executive fashion editor for Vanity Fair: "Yes, of course I am going to vote — 8 a.m. before the Tse presentation. And I'll be voting for Obama — though if Hillary wins, I would be absolutely fine with that." Lesley Jane Seymour of More will be making her way to the polls today as well: "My biggest fashion accessory is going to be my Obama pin." But Elle editor-in-chief Roberta Myers would only proffer a "Yes, [I'm] voting, after I drop off my son at school" and Elizabeth Saltzman, international society editor for Vanity Fair, wouldn't name a candidate (though she does admit that she's going Democratic). And though fashion may have a reputation for being frivolous, no one in the industry would deny that fall trends aren't nearly as exciting as the fact that we'll elect a new president come November. Won't it be a lot more fun to think about clothes when the country isn't going down the drain?

Industry's Democratic Face-Off [WWD]
Three's Company [WWD]

John McCain:"[O]ften dresses casually in sweaters, trying to look like just plain folks" but a big win tomorrow could bring an "evol[ution] into the more presidential look."

Mitt Romney: "[D]resses like [a] successful businessman" "very well tailored, pressed, everything is creased" even though his "old-fashioned, baggy trousers make fashionistas cringe."

Mike Huckabee: His "relaxed dress reflects his campaign line that people would rather elect a president "who reminds them of the guy they work with, not that guy who laid them off" but there's no way the man can be president sporting "no tie and an open shirt."

And just for shits 'n giggles, here's Barack!

Barack Obama: "[H]is necktie is fashionably knotted in a thick, full Windsor knot, a style popular with men in their 20's and 30's" but "is necktie is fashionably knotted in a thick, full Windsor knot, a style popular with men in their 20's and 30's" and is "venturing toward foppishness."

Fashion Headlines Pale In Comparison To U.S. Political Campaign [IHT]
Subliminal Sartorial Messages On The Campaign Trail? [Reuters]

Both Jackie and Michelle enjoy pairing a red suit with broad lapels with a very attractive husband.
Both Jackie and Michelle enjoy holding small children while clad in tailored yellow suits.
Both Jackie and Michelle enjoy connecting with their adoring public while bedecked in solid colored shift dresses. (Sleeves optional!)

Michelle O: Suited To Be Jackie's Successor [Politico]

[All photos via Getty Images]

The Hillartini, you see, is actually just a Cosmo. Says Lotus Lounge, "The drink is pink and feminine, yet strong and bold." Says us: Wha? There are many things that Hillary is. She is surprisingly funny and even a little goofy, on occasion. She has an of old-fashionedness to her. (We heard her say "golly" once. Seriously.) She is wicked smart. But "pink and feminine"? Is it pink just because she's a girl? We think Hillary's more like the kind of girls we are: More like a vodka tonic drinker. Or maybe just some Jack, straight up. But sugary, pink stuff that tastes like the bubblegum scraped off the bottom of a movie theatre chair? No fucking way.

(We do appreciate, however, that they saddled Giuliani with an apple martini. Because that's a total girl drink. And Rudy's a drag queen, after all.)

Hey, is it happy hour yet???

Pick the President at Lotus [NBC]

Basically, pantyhose must be worn every day, she was told. Even in the summertime? Oh yes, and "no exceptions." Well, what about pantsuits? "Well, I suppose you can wear them," the supervisor sighed, "But you are going to need to check with the Senator herself whether or not you will need to wear hose under pants, as well. I'm not entirely sure of the Senator's stance on pantsuits at this time." And before you ask, "how the fuck would anyone even know if you were wearing pantyhose underneath a pantsuit" — we're going to wager something along the lines of "wide stance."

• We always wondered why Rachel Zoe and Teen Vogue's self-promoting interns had never joined forces before. They're like the peanut butter and jelly of DANTE'S INFERNO, after all. Current intern Elana Fishman will pose in the gagazine's October issue as a model in a fashion spread. EWWWWWWWWW. [Fashion Week Daily]
  
• Dolce & Gabbana President Glenn McMahon is headed to St. John, where he'll be CEO. Now what we'd really like to see is what peroxidific St. John spokesexecutive Kelly Gray could do with Dolce. [WWD, sub req'd]
  
• Polo Ralph Lauren's stock dropped by 12% yesterday despite a rise in profits, maybe because of all the extra bad karma generated by those massive fucking logos. [WWD, sub req'd]

• The oil sheiks: Back in the lead for ownership of Barneys! Japan's Fast Retailing bowed out when the price reached $942 million in cash. [WWD, sub req'd]
• Italian label Acquascutum discovers that women mostly buy clothes and it should probably start catering to them. [Vogue UK]
• After much crusading, some senators — mostly representing blue states but also Orin Hatch — introduced a bill that would somehow protect fashion designers from "piracy." Embittered rant from Moe TK. [Fashion Week Daily]
• "Budget shopping": Dead in England? God, we hope not. [The Budget Fashionista]
• We don't care that Kate Moss is carrying it: We think the new Longchamp bag sorta looks like a Hefty bag masquerading as a purse. [FabSugar]