Michelle Obama, first lady of style

Move over, Carla Bruni, there's a new fashion first lady on the scene.

The black-and-red Narciso Rodriguez dress that Michelle Obama wore in Chicago last night was another daring fashion choice, a straight-from-the spring-runway style that she paired with a black cardigan. The blogs are burning up with opinions about it (most of them negative), but I liked it -- the symbolism of patriotic red bursting out of black like a firecracker out of the night sky.

Next to Jill Biden in her skirt suit, Obama looked like a breath of chic air. Something tells me that Washington is about to become a very stylish place.

The comparisons to Jackie Kennedy are really off the mark. Kennedy's style was rooted in Paris, in the haute couture dresses she worked with Oleg Cassini to replicate.

Michelle may know how to rock a strand of pearls, but she has her own approach to style. Over the past few months, she has mixed designer dresses from young American fashion talents such as Rodriguez and Thakoon Panichgul with cheap-chic finds from J. Crew and H&M, which is a much more modern way to dress than wearing head-to-toe designer. Even if you could afford to spend $150,000 in one month on a designer wardrobe, would you want to? Not if you are a sensible woman and a real fashion enthusiast, someone who enjoys the thrill of the hunt for that perfect $30 black-and-white Gap sundress Obama wore on the Fourth of July. (The Times' Stephanie Lysaght has pulled together a few fashion moments from the campaign here.)

Dresses are becoming a Michelle Obama signature. By choosing to wear them so much of the time, she has set herself apart from all the St. John pantsuit-wearing Washington insiders. Dresses look wonderful on her, accenting her height and her figure, showing off her legs. They are easy too, since you don't have to worry about a matching blouse or jacket.

Just think of all the designers salivating over the idea of making her inaugural gown. You can bet it won't be a traditional choice from Oscar de la Renta or Carolina Herrera, but it will be fabulous.

-- Booth.Moore@latimes.com

Booth Moore is the Los Angeles Times fashion critic

Photo: Joe Raedle / Getty Images

Comments

[Emily]

This dress looks like she ate the red states for lunch and let the juice spill onto her dress.

[julie]

I think it doesn't photograph well. Might have worked better without the cardigan, showing off the waistline. As it is it looks like ill-arranged blobs of color. No matter, though, she's gorgeous and classy.

[tincan]

She looks smashing and her girls are THEE most adorable sweet dolls I have seen in ages.
I wear dresses all the time and love her style.

Now, where are all the FEMALE cabinet choices, Mr. Obama?

Just because I love fashion does not mean I am not a serious feminist.

Because this election is all about male supremacy.

[Big Fan of First Lady O.]

I normally LOVE Michelle Obama's style but found this particular dress to be very unflattering. I don't care whose name is on the label... If it doesn't do her figure justice---and it really didn't---it might as well be from the clearance bin at Wal-Mart. C'mon, Michelle... We've seen you make much better fashion choices. Crossing fingers for a stunning inauguration dress! Much love.

[Ady]

I agree that it is refreshing to wear different types of clothing. However, the dress was not very becoming for a first lady. It looked like the side of a toy car. Why not be honest and just say that the dress was a off. There is no other designer who would dare to put such a dress on a first lady. Why do you object to traditional nice dresses?

[Katarina]

Think dress would have looked better without the cardigan.

[Jackie]

I thought the pattern was a little off. I did find it ironic that Sarah Palin choose a "blue" dress in Arizon and Michele Obama selected "red" for her color of the evening. When everyone was counting the "red" & "blue" states, how opposite and ironic. I kinda like it.

[gasolina]

What a beautiful description of her dress. "The symbolism of patriotic red bursting out of black like a firecracker out of the night sky." She looks beautiful.

[Rechelle Nettles]

AMAZING, Michele Obama I look forward to her making a difference.

[Nala]

I'm shocked. I mean come on Michelle, this is an international audience watching. It is absolutely not the time to experiment. However I will say, the fact that she can wear a dress as hideous as THAT and still be called "a breath of chic air" says a whole lot about that woman. You could put a plastic bag on her and the next day they would be flying off of grocery store shelves. You go girl.

[Mary]

Who is selecting her clothes? They are awful...and not too long ago her bra strap was showing on national TV (she could also use a new fitting too). Her dress on 11/4/08 looked like a Halloween costume. Also, I don't think a black dress on a child is appropriate (when not in mourning). This is not a good sign...

[sanifu]

I thought the outfit was refreshing change. It was definitely unusual and I think that sometimes we are used to seeing the same bland type of clothes. We combine styles and designers. We are all everyday people. ad We all need to give up our pre-conceptions about what a First Lady should look like and be thankful that we have a strong, intelligent and caring professional woman as First Lady.

Thank you

[Lorelai]

Note to Obama Transition Team: Red looks HORRIBLE on video! Every amateur video production designer knows this.

[Fran]

I liked that Michelle wore a dress rather then a suit however, she made a bad choice in both color and style. The dress was not very flattening at all. She has a sense of style and does dare to be different but she didn't pull it off this time. Hope she comes up with a better ball gown!

[Linda Love-Jones]

Yes, I thought her dress was different, but it was ok. I was so happy that Barack won that I really didn't concentrate on it at the time. But the day after, all I can say is, I'm glad none of them decided to wear green (tee hee!).

Now that Michelle Obama is the First Lady, she'll have designers coming out of her ears, just dying to stitch up anything the First Lady likes in exchange for the opportunity to say that they designed any outfit worn by the First Lady of the United States of America. Sounds pretty nice to have on your resume.

NOW, MORE THAN EVER, BARACK OBAMA!

[Laura]

Mrs. Obama needs a new fashion advisor as well as someone who will teach her to walk, how to stand and how to handle her legs and feet when sitting, particularly if she is wearing a dress and generally, polish her into a First Lady. I realize she has probably been working hard in her career~ wearing pants and more casual clothes but now she is in a powerful position where she needs to be much more "presentable."

[Lisa K.]

I thought this was a funny assessment by my sister, a writer... Maybe the dress was a Les Mis tribute? Because of that Red & Black song. Such appropriate lyrics!

http://www.nudecelebritydeathsuv.com/2008/11/the_michell_obama_decree_a_war.php

[Bonnie Lee]

Dude I loooooved this dress, and I didn't even think about it in a symbolic way! She's tearin it up!!

[Alberto. from Spain]

Michelle Obama es una mujer muy hermosa. Cualquier vestido le sienta bien. Felicidades EE.UU.

Michelle Obama is beatiful woman. Any dress suites her. Congratulations, USA.

[Failin' w/ Palin]

I cut myself off the chablis when the shimmering red splotches on her abdomen appeared to be some sort of malfunction of my TV set. I had the toughest time figuring out what she was wearing. I generally think highly of her fashion sense, but this time I was dumbfounded. I guess she tried too hard to match Palin's $150k wardrobe on a lower budget.