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Hello Dolley! And Jackie and Mamie and Nancy....A Brief History of Showing 'Skin' In The White House
As far as her wearing a sleeveless dress, Michelle Obama revives a bit of a retro in posing for her first official White House photo portrait. The only other First Lady to be photographed in sleeveless clothing for their official picture was the self-defined hostess, housekeeper and wife of a Republican president who reigned in the conservative Fifties -- Mamie Eisenhower.
Otherwise, the fuller length image, set in a distinct area of the White House (the Blue Room) is traditional, in line with those of Betty Ford on the Truman Balcony, Pat Nixon in the East Room, Nancy Reagan in the Red Room, and Lady Bird Johnson in front of the fountain on the South Lawn. Others (Jacqueline Kennedy, Rosalynn Carter, Barbara Bush, Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush) chose headshot portraits.
To those familiar with some First Lady history, there is something humorous in the current so-called "debate" about how much publicly-exposed skin is "socially acceptable" by First Ladies. Although currently driven by women's, celebrity and clothing media, it's been a debate since practically the start of the presidency.
When Dolley Madison (1809-1817) famously wore her low-cut dresses that showed off her shoulders and the top of her bosom, former First Lady Abigail Adams snidely remarked in a private letter that Mrs. Madison looked like "a nursing mother." There was a famous anecdote about Dolley Madison encountering an old friend who, like her, had been a Quaker, but left the faith. She looked at his head and saw him no longer in the large black hat that Quaker men traditionally wore (like the fellow on the Quaker Oats box). "Brother," she asked, "where is thy broadbrim?" He looked at her gown without sleeves or neck and with plunging neckline and quipped back. "Sister, where is thy kerchief?"
Some forty-five years later, when Harriet Lane -- the niece and White House hostess of the bachelor President James Buchanan (and the first to be called "First Lady") popularized what was called the "low-neck lace bertha" it set off something of a popular style -- yet when her immediate successor Mary Lincoln wore shoulderless, armless dresses, she was criticized as "showing off her bosom."
Two years after Frances Cleveland (the 21-year-old who married President Cleveland in 1886) began wearing gowns without sleeves and showing off her shoulders shortly after her 1886 marriage, the Women's Christian Temperance Union circulated a petition two years later, pleading for her to cover up her skin because they claimed she was an immoral influence on young American girls. Nothing came of it and Frances kept baring her shouiders and arms, and women kept copying her.
In the Twenties, Florence Harding wore some evening gowns that bared her shoulders -- despite her being 60 years old -- keeping current with the vogue of the Jazz Age, but she also carried capes and wraps so she could cover up when she wanted to. Grace Coolidge frequently wore evening gowns in the flapper style -- without sleeves. She is wearing a sleeveless red dress in her White House portrait painted by Howard Chandler Christy.
Bess Truman and Mamie Eisenhower sported what was then called 'the new look" of the post-war era and frequently wore shoulderless and sleeveless evening gowns -- and received no criticism or even snide remarks, despite being in their late 50's and early 60's.
In fact, Mamie Eisenhower is the only 20th century First Lady who wore Inaugural gowns without sleeves or shoulders, both in 1953 (in her famous "Mamie Pink") and 1957 (in yellow/gold). Mamie Eisenhower also sported sleeveless gowns and daytime dresses at the end of her tenure, in the early Sixties, reflecting the newer look for women's clothes. Her successor Jackie Kennedy helped to widely popularize it.
In more recent times, Nancy Reagan often wore sleeveless and shoulderless evening gowns to state dinners, but during the daytime dressed more formally and covered.
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And, by the way, Grace Coolidge, if that's what she really looked like, was beautiful!
So, you're only allowed to show your arms if they're old and flabby? If they're really buff, it's a no-no?
As much as we complain about the media, I would like to express gratitude for the author and those staff members who researched and posted the photos of former First Ladies to show how society is hypocritical and duplicitous in its gripe about the current First Lady's fashion sense and bare arms. Kudos!
its funny, during the general elecion they showed obama in swimming trunks and sayed it was somehow inapproprate, shortly after there were a slew of ex-presendents..with no shirts on, then it was obama with no suit coast on in the white house oval office, then a pick was shown of other presidents jackeless with clinton in jogging clothes, now its michelle wih no sleeves and again photo's showing other first ladies with no sleeves, what is this..i;ll tell you. its racism!!! plain and simple, surely they do recherch before they speak, if they due it is blatant racism, if they don't its its plain old racism!!
omg, saint nancy went sleeveless? how is this even an issue?
OMG
Mrs. Obama has pretty arms.
It's 2009. Can we talk about something other than Appropriate Dress for Adult Women now?
Um, this is the style section, americanadult.
yeah THIS is the style section. but the article was prompted by a comment by david brooks. i dont think he's known for his fashion critique and commentary. (others have made similar comments, not just brooks).
Mamie Eisenhower was sleeveless in what looks like an official (or semi-official) portrait. So what is the big deal about Michell Obama going sleeveless?
i wish i had arms like michele obama
Great article. I would rather not call the complainers racist . . . . if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, then it 's a duck.
Dolly Madison was a babe!
Grace was looking very fashionable.
Anyway, Michele wears current fashion - some people should just glance at a magazine once in a while. Michele looks fantastic.
I really liked Carl Anthony's book on the Presidents wives. One thing that stays with me is how most of the men who became Presidents married women who were/are smart. It still holds true.
Michelle Obama wears current fashion. Take a look at any of the on-line catalogs and you'll see a large percentage of women's fashions are sleeveless, business, casual or evening wear. She looks fabulous!
It might be interesting and revealing to know a bit more about those who are protesting the bare arms. Are they predominately from the Bible Belt, thus influenced by their religious prospective? Are they perhaps also black women concerned that what they view as inappropriateness will reflect badly on them? Are they men who think women should be covered up in public? Or just "fashion police" mentality? A lot of comments of approval state that she has great arms and ought to be able to show them, but in the photos of other first ladies, many were much older and not in such great shape. I go with the "right to bare arms" comments, no matter what your arms look like.
IMO 99.9% of us black women agree that Michelle Obama looks marvelous with or without sleeves.
She's a tall, toned, elegant woman that complements all the outfits she chooses to wear.
Check out Mamies acceptable Republican Arms! Kinda makes ya wanna throw Pat Nixon's respectable cloth coat over them. But, hey! leave 'em alone. Let 'em stay...as long as they are not brown and lovely1
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