THE YEAR IN STYLE: Wrapped in Their Identities [Michelle & Sarah]

NYTimes ^ | December 26th 2009

[Steelfish]

THE YEAR IN STYLE Wrapped in Their Identities

By CATHY HORYN December 24, 2009

ROLE MODELS Working women can identify with Sarah Palin's style. Michelle Obama's closet includes high fashion and dresses like this one from Sophie Theallet. More Photos » Multimedia

Sarah Palin comes across as a businesslike everywoman. More Photo [See URL] At least the fashion world had Michelle Obama and Sarah Palin to help avoid the impression that, you know, nobody cares about clothes and big dangly earrings. It’s hard to see now why so many columnists got their tights in a twist over Ms. Palin’s spending $75,000 of perfectly good Republican money at Neiman Marcus during the 2008 Republican convention. Have you seen Neiman’s numbers lately? After 18 straight months of declines, it wouldn’t be surprising to find a little shrine erected in Ms. Palin’s honor.

Editors and designers love Michelle Obama, of course. All those magazine covers; the Flotus Tactical Cardigan Collection at J. Crew; her glamorous face-off with Carla Sarkozy, the former model, in France, when both women dressed for the evening in French clothes (Mrs. Sarkozy in Dior, Mrs. Obama in Azzedine Alaïa). Jackie Kennedy, the other White House deity, had to give up her beloved Givenchy because her husband, seeking the support of labor unions, needed his wife to be seen in American-made clothes.

Mrs. Obama, though, has successfully separated the personal from the political. Indeed, the only thing more surprising than the storm over Ms. Palin’s “Pretty Woman” makeover is that almost no one has raised an eyebrow over Mrs. Obama’s wearing of non-American labels, which include Nina Ricci and Junya Watanabe, and some of the most expensive at that.

[JmyBryan]

Indeed, the only thing more surprising than the storm over Ms. Palin’s “Pretty Woman” makeover is that almost no one has raised an eyebrow over Mrs. Obama’s wearing of non-American labels, which include Nina Ricci and Junya Watanabe, and some of the most expensive at that. Maybe the politicos don’t know a Junya from a Juicy, though you can bet that Mrs. Obama and Desirée Rogers, the White House social secretary, do. And maybe the world has gone flat, largely paving over the distinctions, geographical as well as moral and ethical, about where clothing is made. But with garment factories in New York closing on a steady basis, with people losing their jobs in retail and fashion, it’s a hard distinction to sell this year.

Yeah, I wonder why no one crticizes Ms. Obama? Couldn't have anything to do with propaganda, lying, and misrepresenting facts. You know, the things you learn in journalism school.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Michelle Obama's closet includes high fashion and dresses like this one from Sophie Theallet.

as well as a various assortment of WWE Smackdown Championship belts.

[SERKIT]

When one’s butt crack starts at one’s shoulder blades, it make one mostly ass. In this case, the fashion fits the personality of the wearer quite well.

[jessduntno]

They could almost be sisters...well, brother and sister...

[gov_bean_ counter]

Momma Obama has arms only an undersized power forward could love...

[latina4dubya]

Michelle could don the most stylish clothing ever produced, but it would not matter as she stands next to the Audrey Hepburn-ish Carla Bruni—she will always look strange and out of place when standing next to her...

[2ndDivisionVet]

Beat you by several days:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2414760/posts

[Slump Tester]

"...no one has raised an eyebrow over Mrs. Obama’s wearing of non-American labels, which include Nina Ricci and Junya Watanabe, and some of the most expensive at that."

Or over how much she looks like a man who shaves his chest:

[Slump Tester]

"...no one has raised an eyebrow over Mrs. Obama’s wearing of non-American labels, which include Nina Ricci and Junya Watanabe, and some of the most expensive at that."

Or over how much she looks like a man who shaves his chest:

[Slump Tester]

Dang - I need a new mouse!

[InterceptPoint]

A teeny weeny bit of balance is needed here. Just a teeny weeny bit. About this much.

[jiminycricket000]

Odd, isn't it, that both women are married but Sarah is referred to as "Ms. Palin" and the angry faced, unattractive Michelle is "Mrs. Obama"? The insidiously subtle nuance there is that the author,(if one could call the writer of this drivel an 'author'), tries to remake Sarah into a power hungry spinster while painting the butt-ugly, angry-faced, racist Michelle as the quintessential, beautiful, stylish yet down-to-earth housewife and mother. Talk about lies, this takes the prize.

The reality is that the Obama people needed to totally remake the gorilla-armed Michelle into a different woman than she really is, including forcing her to shut up and stop embarrassing Barak Hussein; while Palin simply enhanced what was hers in the first place, beauty, charm, character, wit, intelligence and true leadership ability. These two women shouldn't even be mentioned in the same sentence together. Michele Obama did nothing but rise on Barak Hussein's coattails and race baiting, Palin's accomplishments are all her own.

[Vaduz]

Michelle Obama’s closet includes high fashion shower curtains and gut belts.

[FrankR]

"Indeed, the only thing more surprising than the storm over Ms. Palin’s “Pretty Woman” makeover is that almost no one has raised an eyebrow over Mrs. Obama’s wearing of non-American labels, which include Nina Ricci and Junya Watanabe, and some of the most expensive at that. "

This butt-monkey of a journalist couldn't resist finding a way to interject the campaign clothing anecdote - which is all it is - into yet another "bash-Palin" story.

Then relating "Ms. Palin" and a "Pretty Woman makeover" - trying to connect the movie "Pretty Woman" to the makeover of a prostitute, is about as low rent as a writer can get.

Can you be more blantent than to call the Governor of a State, a wife, and mother of 5 children "MS"? Then in the same sentence refer to the amazon in the White House as "MRS"?

I hate to disillusion this author, but you could put Sarah Palin in a burlap bag, and michelle mah-belle in the latest fashions from Paris, and Sarah would still blow her away even to the most casual observer.

So far in this term, michelle obama has worn some of the most obnoxious and classless attire I've ever seen on any woman; it actually embarasses me to look at her, knowing she represents America. Talk about a woman who can't wear anything to improve her looks...sheesh.

But, I guess people who have people fired on a whim and think America is a "downright mean country", don't really give a damn what anyone thinks of her.

Another note to the author:

Sarah Palin's wardrobe came from Republican Party money, not taxpayers. Palin sent all of those clothes back to the GOP, and did not keep them.

Has Michelle Mah-Belle sent any of her clothes back to the taxpayer? I mean, that's who is paying for them...and she gets to keep them? What's up with that?

The GOP money was given voluntarily by supporters, the money that MO is spending on clothes is confiscated from all of us, and she doesn't return the clothes...she wears them one time - for the photo-opp - and that's it.

Sarah has long-since returned the GOP's duds to them - Duds which her "handlers" during the campaign insisted she wear, and they went out and bought them for her.

Actually, Sarah is buying her own clothes now, and is the epitome of taste and class.

Michelle "O" is NOT Jackie "O"...she's closer to "Aunt Esther" and most of her clothes are ill-fitting, or do not match or enhance her "shape" at all.

The NYT needs to get a life, slamming Sarah Palin is NOT going to help them ward off impending bankruptcy...in fact, it will probably speed it up.

[jackibutterfly]

Now, that’s classy. Even with the belt. WHY doesn’t she dress like that all the time??? But, she still needs to learn how to walk - SMALLER steps would be good.

[jackibutterfly]

One thing that drives me crazy - women NOT wearing nylons in short dresses/skirt/gowns. WHY do they not wear nylons - their legs would look sooooo much better - not all knobby and veiny. Nylons smooth the legs out and makes one look classier. When had this trend started and why??

[Steelfish]

Right on the money analysis.

[ridesthemiles]

There are days when Mrs NObama looks like a street walker homeless person who found an upscale rubbish can with nice discards inside.

Is she knocked up again? She seems to be wearing concealing clothes for such an event.

[ridesthemiles]

Don’t know how many persons are regulars here at FR, but:

IF 15 million people would send $20 to Sarah Palin via her sarahpac.com, she would have $300 million to run for office.

I am sending my money this week. I also am sending $20 to Joe Wilson- the congressman who yelled that NObama was lying.....