Political Fashion
Michelle Obama Rocks a Target Dress
First Lady Michelle Obama rocked a Target dress while stepping off the plane in Phoenix this week. The dress, from Target’s Merona line, sells for less than $40 bucks.
Web Round Up: Leighton Meester, Michelle Obama O Magazine, Paris Week Shoes, Intuition at Target
Michelle Obama’s endless magazine covers just wont stop. Next up: sharing O Magazine with Oprah. (via Fashion Bomb Blog.)
Nevermind Leighton Meester’s sleepy look. Fashion Indie loves her spring look and yummy designer styling on display. (Leighton Meester for InStyle)
11 inch heel-less Nina Ricci shoes? Fetish footwear? Check out what other insane shoes Shoe Blog spotted at Paris Fashion Week. (Oo La La, Paris!)
Guess who’s next in line to be Target’s designer collection? Intuition! Get the full scoop from Target Addict.
Anna Wintour Goes Budget (Well, in Theory)
What: Anna Wintour, Editor In Chief of American Vogue Magazine and, I suspect, undercover Wal-Mart shopper, gives her two cents on the importance of value in fashion.
From Wall Street Journal’s Rachel Dodes Interview with Anna Wintour:
Are you trying to add more moderately priced clothes to fashion spreads?I think we need to give women the aspirational clothes that can make them dream, and another portfolio that’s about mixing high and low, certainly the way the First Lady is dressing. It’s about a mix. …In the Index pages we are looking more rigorously at price and value and asking, ‘is something worth that particular price tag?’
A thing that wasn’t worth it? Without naming names, we had a little sequined thing that wouldn’t come down to here on you [points to chest.] And I said, ‘How much is it?’ $25,000. I said, ‘No. We’re not going to photograph that right now.’
What I Say: Welcome back to the sales rack, Ms. Wintour, and I stress welcome back because preaching the gospel of value isn’t something new for her. In fact, Ms. Wintour caused a firestorm in the fashion world, when she put a shirt from the Gap on the cover of Vogue as a new Editor in Chief. Plus, it’s amazing to see the impact Michelle Obama is having on the fashion world- changing the image of working women/moms- and how very smart people like Anna Wintour notice and capitalize on this change. You can see the generational shift between Mrs. O (and to a lesser extent Sarah Palin) and Secretary Clinton- one came from a generation where self expression is worn as a birthright and the later, came from a generation when in order to “play” with “the boys”, you had to look like “the boys” (although Secretary Clinton’s royal blue suit in this month’s Vanity Fair is quite chic).
It will be, however, interesting to see how Ms. Wintour balances her belief in “value”, with the hundreds of pages of ads in her book for frankly inspiring clothing, worn by models that don’t reflect the diversity of our country.
Michelle Obama Strikes a Pose for Vogue
If you haven’t noticed by now, the whole fashion industry has been looking to the first lady for glamor guidance, so it’s not all that surprising that Michelle Obama will be gracing the cover of Vogue in March.
While many presidents’ wives have been featured in the elegant magazine, only Hillary Clinton has made it on the cover. Well, until now. And what will the lovely first lady be wearing? A magenta gown by her go-to designer, Jason Wu, as well as dresses by Narciso Rodriguez and J Crew. While the economy gets stimulated by the President, we hope our sense of style will get stimulated by the first lady.
Photo: Wall Street Journal blog
Another Inaugural Ball Outfit Under $100
The thing about whatever you choose to wear to the Inaugural Ball—okay, we’re going to be in front of the TV in our Dearfoams, too, but bear with us—is that it needs to be DC-worthy, meaning it should be elegant, classic and just a little on the conservative side (no see-through, feather-embellished, LA red carpet ensembles here). That doesn’t mean it has to be boring however—we’d suggest an anything-but-basic black dress (illusion neckline, ruching—it’s all in the details), and satin pumps. For under $100 (that’s very un-DC, but we won’t tell . . . )
Calvin Klein Sleeveless Scoopneck Illusion Gown, $89.25
Women’s Demi D’Orsay Peep Toe Pumps, $10, WalMart
Political Fashionistas: Inauguration Style Round-Up
Michelle Obama isn’t the only political fashionista that’s been in the media spotlight in recent months, of course—Sarah Palin and Cindy McCain certainly grabbed their own share of the style chatter (and, in many cases, crossfire). In honor of the upcoming inauguration, TBF is rounding up some of our fave posts on the topic (and as soon as we link the hate-comment-inspiring Sarah Palin Moose Tote post, you’ll find us ducked down behind our desks until the we get the all clear . . . )
Sarah Palin Wardrobe Challenge. Kathryn spent about 12 hours holed up with her laptop and a steady supply of lattes to put this piece together, and is still waiting for her consulting call from the RNC stylists ...
Sarah Palin Shoes: Look for Less. No controversy here—everyone agrees that Palin’s taste in shoes is fab, but we can definitely do it without soliciting donations (though we’re not against them either if you’re so inclined. . . ).
Sarah Palin Moose Tote: Get It. If you have something to say about this still, in the spirit of post-election America, let’s try to keep it civil. Seriously, between this and WalMart, we’ve had all the controversy we can take for the moment. (check out what other readers thought, too, on the TBF forum)
Cindy McCain Look for Less. An heiress-worthy look without the trust fund we only wish we had.
Political Fashion Comes To Rain Boots. We know the election’s over, but they’re on clearance, and are still super cute.
Inaugural Ball Outfit for Under $100
When our invitation to the Inaugural Ball finally arrives, we’ll definitely need something stand-out fabulous to wear. Right—we know the invitation isn’t coming (an oversight we’ll forgive this one time) but if did get one, we’d pick something elegant in a rich color—after all, this is a celebration, right? We like this Maggy London gown for its flattering shape, pairing it with feminine metallic sandals, for less than a hundred bucks:
Maggy London Chiffon Gown with Charmuese Waist, $78.90, Nordstrom
Michelle Obama: An Inauguration Style Round-Up
With the inauguration right around the corner, naturally our thoughts here at TBF turn to—well, fashion. Yeah, we’ve had enough of the politics to last a lifetime and with a stylish (and budget conscious) First Lady like Michelle Obama on her way into the White House? It’s like we won the style icon lottery (and we’re open to an ambassadorship to say, France, if you’re listening Mr. O). If you’re a regular reader, you know we’ve given Mrs. O lots of fashion love over the last several months; in honor of the big event, here’s a round-up of our top Michelle Obama posts:
Michelle Obama Fashion: A Budget Style Retrospective. This is only the beginning, we’re sure, of a beautiful fashion blogger/first lady relationship . . .
Michelle Obama in H&M Dress. The dress that kicked off the budget-fashion girl-crush we’ve been harboring for Mrs. O ever since.
Michelle Obama: The View Dress. The kind of publicity White House/Black Market could have only ever dreamed of before this episode . . .
Michelle Obama: The Look for Less. We loved this look (which about 60,439 other media outlets also pounced on) for the bold color that now defines Obama’s look—and we also love that the belt and necklace showed up again on multiple outfits, meaning she knows how to get some mileage out of great accessories - holla!
Michelle Obama’s Election Night Dress: What Did You Think? Readers weigh in on the controversial Narciso Rodriguez dress that got even more buzz than McCain’s “that one” comment.
Anna Wintour Ambassador to France or England?
What: Rumor mill is churning that the Devil Who Wears Prada herself, Anna Wintour, may be up for an ambassadorship to England or France.
What They Say: From Fashion Week Daily: Granted, her résumé lists all the qualifications—flawless organizational skills, an enviable Rolodex, hostessing experience to spare. (Think a State dinner is tricky to finagle? Then consider the Costume Institute gala.)
What We Say: Well, the luxury market is hurting cause, well, nobody has any money and if the luxury market is hurting, you can bet that Vogue is too, so may be this is a good option for her. But, how would Anna do in DC? When I was an intern on the hill, it was all about the Naturalizer shoes, not the Jimmy Choos.
I guess if Sanjay Gupta can be placed on the short list, so can Anna…
Photo: Frillr
Sarah Palin Wardrobe Challenge
“SOME PRODUCTS ARE NO LONGER BEING SOLD”
Kathryn Builds ENTIRE Wardrobe for the Candidate for Less Than $2500
After news broke yesterday about Governor Sarah Palin’s rather large clothing expenditures, a friend sent me an email, challenging me to build a complete, Vice Presidential candidate worthy, wardrobe for Governor Sarah Palin for less than $2,500. Now $2500 is more than I spend on clothing all year, but she IS a VP candidate, not a budget shopper like myself.
The rules:
- enough suit/dress options to last at least two weeks on the campaign trail
- must include shoes that were of quality and comfortable
- the items had to come from stores that a Hockey/Football/Basketball/Baseball Mom would shop (so no Saks, Neiman, Barneys, unless it’s their outlet stores)
- the clothing had to fit Governor Palin’s personal style (the Governor loves her some red)
- Everything had to be quality and could be worn on television (which meant patterns, stores like Payhalf and F21, were pretty much out of the picture)
Primetime Debate Power Suits
- 1. Ottoman Shirt Jacket and Skirt, $169.99 and $79.99, Ann Taylor
- 2. Tahari Jacket Dress, $179.00 at Dillards.com
- 3. Tahari Tweed Skirt Suit, $179.00 at Dillards.com
- 4. Nine West 2 Piece Dress Suit, $114.99 at Overstock.com
- 5. Calvin Klein Pull Through Collar Skirt Suit, $99.00 at Macys
- 6. Anne Klein Women’s Onyx 2-piece Crepe Pant Suit, $119.99 at Overstock.com
Wardrobe Stretcher Jackets- mixed with the above suits to expand the wardrobe
- Antonio Melani “Essie” Coat, $229.00 at Dillards
- Wool Blend Swing Jacket, $59.50 at Old Navy
- Wool Double Breasted Winter Coat, $89.50 at Old Navy
.
Easy to Pack Canvasing Dresses
- Mossimo Black Neck Pleat Dress, $24.99 at Target
- Norma Kamai Jersey Shirt Dress, $20.00 at Wal-Mart
- Issac Mizrahi Belted Spanish Dress, $39.99 at Target
Fundraiser Worthy Cocktail Dresses
- Gown with Beading by Unger for Ann Taylor, $348.00 at Ann Taylor
- Jax Satin Cocktail Dress, $180.00 at Dillards
- Issac Mizrahi for Target Party Dress, $44.99 at Target
Hockey Mom Gear
- Two Pairs of Jeans. Signature by Levi Strauss, Totally Slimming at the Waist Boot Cut Jeans, $19.98 at Wal-Mart
- Jacket. Faded Glory Women’s Hooded Puffer Vest, $18.00 at Wal-Mart
- Signature by Levi Strauss, Women’s Beatrix Jean Skirt, $13.00 at Wal-Mart
Shoes: Governor Sarah Palin’s Signature Piece
- BCBG Beverly Platform Boot, $248.95 at Endless.com
- Converse Vintage Slip On Flats, $20.99 at Target
- Mossimo Vallie Flats, $24.99 at Target
- Unlisted Hand Me It Boots, $59.99 at Dswshoe.com
- Women’s Mossimo Danae Buckle Pumps, $26.99, Target
- Pleaser’s Women’s Seduce-420 Pumps, $19.95-$20.36 Endless.com
- Peep Toe Buckle Pumps, $29.99, Chadwick’s
Governor Sarah Palin’s New Wardrobe
- 6 Suits
- 2 Blazers
- 1 winter coat
- 6 Dresses (three business, 3 cocktail)
- 2 pairs of jeans
- 1 jean skirt
- 1 causal jacket
- 7 pairs of shoes
Total Cost: $2481.15
Have a comment about this post or Sarah Palin’s style? Visit this thread (Were We Wrong About the Sarah Palin Moose Tote?) at the TBF Forum!
Michelle Obama in H&M Dress
While we try to be as politically neutral as possible here on TBF, we have to admit one of our favorite new blogs is Mrs. O, a blog that follows the stylish dressing of Michelle Obama. Not that we think Cindy McCain (we’ve featured her several times) is a slumpy dresser, we just highly doubt that she would rock off the rack mall fashion like Mrs. O.
According to the Mrs. O blog, the dress shown above was purchased off the rack from H&M for $34.95, which would mean the real Mrs.O is watching her pennies like the rest of us.
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