OK--she didn't put it to the dance test before the big Night--that was obvious. But how else did the gown fare in the eyes of the fashion pros? Here, they sound off!
Stacy London, co-host of TLC's What Not To Wear
"Talk about a stimulus package! Michelle has given a huge boost to the American fashion industry. I'm so thrilled that she wore white because looking at historical photos of First Ladies on inauguration night -- the bright colored looks end up getting dated. White is timeless. I'm also so glad she showed her arms because they are her best feature."
Tommy Hilfiger
"I thought she looked elegant and beautiful. I think white was appropriate for the evening complementing Mr Obama's white tie and formal dress."
Lesley Seymour, editor-in-chief More magazine
"It's not my fave dress. A bit to froo-froo for her body. She's better in structured stuff--and a bit more modern. But what I like is that she's promoting American designers and we really need that."
John Bartlett, designer
"It was perfect-- very elegant but young. I love that she's choosing looks from the young guard of American designers (this gown by 26-year-old Jason Wu). She chose a path less-traveled. While it did remind me of a wedding cake, it also made me think of spring flowers, which is a nice symbolic choice - time for a fresh start."
Tara Kraft, group beauty & fashion director, Star magazine
"Barack must have been reminded of his wife on her wedding day- she really was breathtakingly beautiful. The dress was very on-trend. So many of the actresses at The Golden Globes recently wore flesh-toned or white dresses. I also love that she wore her hair down. So often first ladies wear their hair up in French twists or buns and that would have made her look like someone else."
Lysa Cooper, celebrity stylist (styles Rihanna, Shakira and Beyonce)
"I love it, love it, love it. And she took a great risk wearing white in a room full of black and white, and she still stood out. I loved that she had the courage to show some skin and that she kept her jewelry super-simple and clean."
Philip Bloch, celebrity stylist
"She delivered! She brought the glamour! She wore two of the most beautiful first lady looks ever. It was timeless, iconoclastic. You could have seen this dress on Princess Grace. Would have looked great in any of the last seven decades. And her gown choice was clever. It was designer but not $12,000.
She also went ethnically diverse with her designers. Her day look by a Cuban-American and her evening look by a designer born in Taipei."
Jenna Lyons, creative director for J.Crew
"Michelle looked beautiful, modern, youthful, and most of all--HAPPY. The bare shoulders and asymmetrical neckline were a great choice, and the fabric looked rich and luxurious."
Robert Verdi, style expert and TV personality
"I love that she was showing the cultural diversity of the fashion community--these designers are now a part of fashion history and, interestingly, both Isabel Toledo and Jason Wu both moved to this country after being born elsewhere, and they're now living the American Dream. Eva Longoria was actually the first big celebrity to wear Jason Wu's clothes. I think Michelle Obama probably liked the fact that Jason actually started out as a doll designer. He designed the RuPaul doll.
I thought she might be a little more body-conscious, and that as one of the youngest first ladies that we've had, that she would be a little more risque. I wasn't totally blown away. I thought the width of the strap in the front was a little severe."
John Barrett, celebrity hairstylist
"Here is the most beautiful fashion-forward first lady, and I was looking for something more spectacular. She has a fantastic statuesque body, and yet I felt the wide sash and the rouching distracted from her beauty. To me it was too bridesmaid-like."
Michael Henry Adams, designer
"So far, no black designer has ever created an inaugural ball gown. Does it matter, one might ask, if Michele Obama still hasn't patronized African American designers for her high profile wardrobe?"
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Being Asian, gay and out to your parents is hard enough, what with our people's obsession with tradition and having grandchildren, without your bitchy aunties gossiping about your sex life.
Claudia Cividino: How Jason Wu Succeeds Without Selling Out
Do we need beauty now more than ever? One of the reasons I felt so passionately about the work I saw pass down Jason Wu's runway was that I sensed it did not dance with the subject of commercialism.
The evening dress - wedding cake. It seemed her choice was based on what she thought would fit the occassion rather than her personal taste. She did not seem comfortable in it.
The worst sin in fashion is to look uncomfortable, and I thought that both outfits she wore for the Inauguration and for the Ball looked terribly uncomfortable.
The outfit for the morning and afternoon looked like a crusty, scratchy, heavy old bedspread, and the puke green gloves and shoes were even worse. The shoulder strap on the ball gown looked like an unnecessary addition to a completed dress, and one should never expect to dance in a dress that drapes the floor.
I wish there had been someone to tell Ms. Obama, "NO! NO! NO!"
I like green, I wear it all the time (with green eyes and auburn hair, it works for me), but that shade of green, with the yellow--unfortunate selection, IMO.
It did seem to hold up for the long day's activities, however.
I think the inaugural gown was unattractive and not functional. It did not flatter her, especially her body shape. She looked chubby in the torso, and she isn't. The torso also seemed to be sagging and stretching as the night wore on. Others have commented on the unsuitability for dancing, and I'll just say that I agree.
I liked the color, but disagree that colored dresses look dated when reviewed years later. Hillary Clinton's emerald-green almost jewel-toned dress will always look striking and not dated.
Michelle Obama looks very strikingly elegant in shades of deep blue, and that would have been a nice choice, as well.
I think that First Ladies should skip the runway designers and pick a costume designer, or at least have a costume designer consult on the dress. A costume designer could fashion a gown that would hold up under ANYTHING, which is what a First Lady needs on inauguration night.
I also think Michelle Obama should not again use those she consulted with for assistance in picking that gown. She needed some honest feedback, and I don't think that is what she got.
Here's a theory: she let the kids pick the dress. And so she was happy and comfortable in it, knowing she was wearing 'the girls' choice' on that special night.
Another message I think she sent besides "American Style" -- you don't have to dress like a sexpot for a wonderful man to say "Is my wife good-looking or what?"
Seriously. After 8 years of Laura Bush, ANYTHING Michelle Obama wears is OK by me.
What I do love is that she took a risk. So much of the First Lady fashion in the past few decades has been ultra-conservative, staid, and BORING. Michelle Obama is a bold, young breath of fresh air, which is exactly what we need right now.
I also loved what she wore to the inauguration. It was elegant and chic, and she couldn't have picked a color that would look more spectacular against her skin.
The woman has serious style, and I believe, like Jackie Kennedy, she will elevate and shape this country's sense of style.
Bravo!
http://www.instyle.com/instyle/package/general/photos/0,,20248206_20251299_20563619,00.html
Now, Hillary's gown this year reminded me of something Madelaine Albright would have picked to wear. Very old-womanish.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQuyV6KEahQ
I think Michelle did well not to alienate her worldwide sisters while trying to please Americans.
The first Lady also has to be a lady to the rest of the world, not just our hyper-sexualized version of femininity.
Michelle is a striking woman, but her posture is a little off. She seems to be pitched forward, maybe she doesn't like heels. She looks great in business and casual attire.
The ball gown was a bit frufy, but she did radiate with an innocence in it that I though befitting the occasion ... she'd have been stunning in something Halstonesque, though. Maybe Mrs. Biden could take her under her wing.