White House Style. Obama and McCain, Sartorial Equals.

No, not Barack and John. We are of course referring to the potential First Ladies of our great nation. Now that Barack Obama has secured the Democratic nomination, the head-to-head showdown can truly start between not only the candidates, but also their other halves.

The New York Post has run this profile of the two women's style. They dub Michelle the Jackie O-esque future First, while Cindy they put in the Nancy Reagan camp. Yalof Schwarz, fashion editor at Glamour, offers these insights on their style. Michelle Obama is "inspired by classic people. She may be tall" - nearly 6-foot - "but she has the perfect frame for shift dresses." Obama also favors Maria Pinto, a local Chicago designer, whose purple dress with black leather belt she wore when Barack cinched the nom two nights ago. She "has wisely shifted away from prints and toward solid colors, which are eminently more telegenic, and [...]the heavy pearls and '60s-style shift dresses are as much Audrey Hepburn as they are Jackie Kennedy." Classic, just like the First Lady should be, right?

Shwarz says that Cindy McCain, on the other hand, "favors high-end designers - Escada, Carolina Herrera - and in some ways dresses younger than her Democratic counterpart. She has a collection of fitted leather blazers and laser-cut suits, and wears her hair in loose buns and age-appropriate waves." Similarly classic, more denoting of wealth. Many think McCain is too blonde and too made-up, but at least she and her husband have a sense of humor about her signature look: "Her husband once snapped, "At least I don't plaster on the makeup like a trollop!" when she teased him about his thinning hair." Ha! Self-awareness is always a plus.

So who does Schwarz see fitting in at the Oval Office? "I think they both make the perfect political accessory." It's a safe prediction to say these women will take their role seriously, sartorially and otherwise.

Read the whole story here, and see a slide show of their best and worst looks here.

- Hayley Wells

Source: NY Post

Comments

[Katie]

Interesting article. Check out this new blog about Michelle Obama's style.

http://michelleobama-o-rama.blogspot.com/