Up In Arms: Michelle Obama's Sleeveless Style Sparks Controversy (POLL, PHOTOS)

*Scroll down for slideshow and polls*

Michelle Obama made the sleeveless dress something of a signature look this past week, choosing to bare her arms four times in seven days.

The First Lady impressed many, but also made a few waves on Tuesday night when she broke with tradition and wore a sleeveless Narciso Rodriguez dress to the President's address before Congress. Opinion was divided over whether it was appropriate to show so much skin at such a ceremonial event.

"'Does the lady not understand that these Big Speech Events are serious and important? Not a cocktail party?'" wrote one Chicago Tribune reader. "''The season is winter. The occasion is business. Dress was wrong place and time.'"

Social Secretary Desiree Rogers defended the decision, telling the Washington Post that Mrs. Obama's feeling is "If I want to wear no sleeves to hear my husband speak, that's what I'm going to do."

After appearing in a (relatively) conservative houndstooth suit last Friday, the First Lady went sleeveless in a purple Jason Wu dress to speak to culinary students in the White House kitchen on Sunday afternoon. That night she co-hosted a black-tie dinner for the nation's governors (along with her husband, the President), donning a sparkly strapless gown by Chicago native Peter Soronen.

The next night, on Wednesday, she went sleeveless again with an emerald Kai Milla dress to the White House's Stevie Wonder concert.

On Friday, the First Lady again went bare in her official portrait released by the White House, in which she appears in a black Michael Kors dress, and on the cover of People magazine, for which she wore a pink Tracy Reese sheath.

Scroll down to see the First Arms as they appeared this past week. Then tell us where you stand on this important national issue in the polls below.

POLLS:

Quick Poll

Michelle Obama going sleeveless at the Presidential address: Appropriate or not appropriate?

Appropriate

Not appropriate

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Quick Poll

Michelle Obama going sleeveless in general: Appropriate or not appropriate?

Appropriate

Not appropriate

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SLIDESHOW:

• • • • • • Wearing a Jason Wu dress while hosting culinary students on Sunday afternoon

Comments

[postcardsfromtheair]

09:29 AM on 03/13/2009

Pleeease! is this even worth a discussion! focus on the person, not the outfit!!!! how superficial...

[ITSDEE]

01:41 PM on 03/12/2009

LOOK AT THOSE WELL-DEFINED, WELL-TONED, LEAN BEAUTIFUL ARMS. SHE'S GOT IT AND SHE'S FLAUNTING IT. YOU GO GIRL! I SAY TO THOSE WHO SEEM TO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT, STOP HATING AND GET IN THE GYM SO YOU TOO CAN LOOK LIKE LADY MICHELLE.

[crexpat]

11:15 PM on 03/11/2009

I love that she doesn't give a damn about wearing the "right" thing. Her style is her own, and it rocks. Especially that grey strapless evening gown. She exudes power and people can't handle it.

[rgblue]

03:08 PM on 03/12/2009

Ditto

[bygollymissmolly]

03:42 PM on 03/10/2009

This is a similar "controversy" to President Obama not wearing his suit jacket in the white house. It's all manufactured BS because the conservatives have NOTHING, zippo, nada.

[culturebeast]

10:06 AM on 03/10/2009

She actually looks like what health professionals would call"healthy". This is a part of preventative medicine and therefore she can be a role model. If more peolple took care of themselves like this wouldn't it decrease healthcare cost?

[DaisyDooks]

09:46 AM on 03/10/2009

First Lady Obama has the right to bare arms. It's the 2nd amendment. hehehe (I couldn't resist!)

[jgray44]

05:26 AM on 03/10/2009

This is RIIIIIIDICULOUS!!! The woman is absolutely gorgeous and it does send a signal about health and exercise...Haters are going to hate anyone who doesn't conform to THEIR view...The First Lady and the First Husband are a beautiful couple...in love and into each other...I'm willing to bet that there is (((GASP!!!!))) love being made in the White House!!!! Get a life critics and while you're at it do some exercise!!!!

[jfrisco11]

02:15 AM on 03/10/2009

What people missed is Michelle indirect message for all American, get exercise !! this arm made by work hard and lots of sweats not by sitting around on couch. Beside she has amazing arm and Obama has amazing abs...isn't that refreshing to have energetic and healthy leader?

[RudiZ]

06:19 PM on 03/09/2009

Heavens above, the ladies of the European Royal courts wore necklines plunging to their what-nots, and Europe is hardly Tropicana is it?

Michele would even look good wearing a gown-less evening strap !

They say that the Whitehouse temperature is now set on ‘Hawaii’ & hot enough to grow orchids after all.

Better seeing bare arms than bear skins draped everywhere like Sara Palin would have had.

[RenoMike]

03:34 PM on 03/09/2009

THE QUESTION IS NOT OF BEAUTY, BUT ITS OPPOSITE.

WHICH IS UGLIER?

a) OUR LOVELY FIRST LADY'S UNCOVERED ARMS
or
b) GEORGE BUSH'S REVOLTING PRESIDENCY.

[anampi]

03:01 PM on 03/09/2009

What is this now. The Republican turning into the Taliban????. Go get a live!!! These are the patriots who had nothing else to worry about than the First Lady's arms.

[JackPL5767]

01:27 PM on 03/09/2009

Typical liberal over-reaction. Some dude makes a comment, and you interpret that the entire republican party has a problem with Michelle. So you respond by making it an issue, when it is not. Who cares really. Don't answer that, just go away.

[Laurie Peterson]

03:11 PM on 03/06/2009

She has great arms and great style. I think her dresses are terrific, sleaveless or not.

[hellameangirl]

02:57 PM on 03/04/2009

I think its great that she has STRONG arms. I'm sick of flim-flam arms on women. I also like Jessica Biels look. Strong women should be the in thing.

[Eyeheartfreedumb]

01:35 PM on 03/04/2009

I think this may be the most pathetic "political" discourse I've ever heard... we had the BTK (Bind, Torture, Kill) President give 8 of these speeches, and the simple fact that he was let into the chamber is a bigger outrage than anyone's style.
Seriously, about half the people in that chamber are doing everything they can to hurt the American people by fighting those who are trying to clean up their mess. That's offensive. Arms... not so much. Seriously, we stopped teaching civics a long time ago. Why? Because public school funding is part of BIG GOVERNMENT. If the GOP predacessors hadn't slashed all that funding, maybe everyone would know these "rules." However, as a resident of middle America- - middle class in Iowa- - I've never heard of such "rules" so it makes me wonder what kind of uptight goody-goody even cares (I mean they are probably espousing the values of working class, middle Americans- - or at least that's who they usually blame their repression on- - but it just isn't true).