Arianna Discusses Michelle Obama's "Fantastic" Style On CBS' "Washington Unplugged"

Arianna was on CBS' "Washington Unplugged" Friday, where she talked to Chief Washington Correspondent Bob Schieffer about the fascination with Michelle Obama on her first trip to Europe as First Lady.

"This is fantastic, an unqualified yes, there is nothing to complain about," Arianna said.

"Even if you don't terribly like that particular outfit," she said of Mrs. Obama's fashion sense, "you know it is what she loves and what she looks good in."

As for the first lady's controversial physical contact with the British Queen, Arianna said: "A little more touching among the royal family is not a bad thing."
Watch:

Comments

[antifluff]

This is not surprising for the political Huffpo; NK is ready to pick on the whole world, thePres is BOWING to the person that does not believe in personal rights, and she wants to talk fashion. Is there any end to these double standards? When will Huffpo hold this admin up to the light and take a good look. He is not helping safety here. He is not helping safety anywhere in the world, quite the opposite. The commenters here just being led down the primrose path. Take off your rose-colored glasses, please! This is amateur hour in the white house.

[duncaninla]

what a nice man interviewing Ms Huffington. and so sweet that both of them had charming stories about the British Royal family-even though I loathe and detest the British Royal family for needlessly gobbling up billions of dollars worth of tax payers money whilst pretending that they are good for tourism and our mickey mouse 'special relationship' with the USA. The Queen covered in diamonds and we turn a blind eye. palaces constantly staffed even though they are only used twice a year. a huge security force looking after up to 50 of them all over the world 24/7. Yuk

[lizr]

thanks for sharing the love, Arianna!!!

[Wakemewhenitsallover]

Michelle Obama has a great personality that outshines anything she could wear. Her bright, strong style of dress simply reinforces her personality, which is what makes her so vibrant and attractive, even if the fashion experts don't like it. Those with less personality probably need the boost that great couture can give - MO doesn't need it and is better off without it.

[ChiEg]

Spot on!

[americanalien]

What a great interview! Thank you so much Arianna. I enjoy listening to your insightful analysis on the First Lady. I do agree with you, this is fantastic!

[brandalucia]

I am aware from the fashion mags that Arianna wears couture and she looks elegant. I am very doubtful if these fashions Michelle is wearing would honestly appeal to AH. All but two designs were appropriate, the rest should be thrown out of Air Force I as they fly over the Atlantic. I pray that Seventh Ave. designers get ahold of Obama ASAP and get her into some striking designs more in keeping to her status. She is a multi millionare, so why does she dress like a catalog shopper? No excuse to look like that when she has the figure to wear high fashion.... she can afford it.

[americanalien]

Michelle Obama is real. Average women can look up to her. That is why she is so incredibly popular with the public. She doesn't have to dress like Cindy McCain to impress anyone.

[fed up in kansas]

Am I mistaken? I thought when Queen Elizabeth looked up at Mrs. Obama, over a foot taller, that she started to fall. I think that's what Mrs. Obama firm hand around the Queen was all about, to help steady the queen from falling. I think it was a graceful, gracious way for a dignified person to keep her dignity. If that's not what happened, I don't care. You can tell they liked each other.

[brandalucia]

The Queen's husband and sons are all tall men so I doubt she had vertigo. The Obamas were well aware from briefings that there are centuries old protocols when introduced to the Queen. That Michelle decided to flout that long tradition shows us an arrogance. The Queen is ever gracious and she returned the gesture so as not to embarrass MO before the British press. I have watched dozens of PBS specials on the Queen over the years and have yet to see anyone touch her as Michelle Obama chose to do. The Obamas have heard that they are OUR royalty? Guess they believe they are.

[duncaninla]

are you insane as well as blind? the queen put her hand on Mrs Obama FIRST. secondly, protocol is actually only meant for subjects of the queen-and can and is rewritten at a whim. If this poster had ever actually spent time with any of the royals he would know that protocol can be switched on and off like a fawcet. who was being arrogant? from my experience of all the royal family they are rude and arrogant and have scant regard for anyone other than themselves

[yert33]

goofball

[Peachlicious]

Yeah, I guess the Queen was so offended, she invited Michelle to keep in touch, which I hear, is abnormal for the 'Queen' to take so affectionately to people. Maybe she actually enjoyed receiving the affection as much as Michelle enjoyed giving it. GROW UP AND LAY OFF THE HATER AID! By the way, do you need a Hug!

[PoliticalAmazon]

1) Does anybody actually think Huffington would say MO's style is atrocious? I can't see Arianna saying such a thing. Not in a million years.

2) Coverage of First Ladies' fashion is something that has been going on since the beginning of our country. If the fashion is attractive, American women will soon pick up the style and incorporate it as their own. Jackie BKOnasis is a great example.

3) Focus on the First Lady's fashion is part of the gig. Running for the presidency is something the Obama's decided to do on their own. Nobody forced them.

4) Criticizing MO's fashion choices is not criticizing her accomplishments, her role as a mother, or anything else about her. It is dishonest to imply that if one criticizes her style that they are criticizing MO as a person of accomplishments and obvious compassion.

5) MO is the one who makes the call on what she wears. She will also be the one who will suffer when people start laughing at her choices in public, like they are laughing about her choices in private now.

[americanalien]

Michelle Obama is the most fashionable First Lady we've ever had since Jacqueline Kennedy. You've just gotta live with that.

[brandalucia]

This first lady is not fashionable but she has the potential to be that. Her choices here were not good choices since these clothes scream: fads. They are all over the place and end up wearing her. She needs beautiful sheath dresses and fabulous jewelry. The Obamas are multi-millionaires ...HE dresses the part in $3grand suits so why does she go out in $100. dresses that look $50.? Get some decent jewelry...Hillary and Chelsea were given very expensive jewelry on their many trips to India...maybe Michelle will get a nice haul when they travel there. Of course it belongs to the White House collection but the Clintons took it with them.

[demlover1]

I find the coverage of Michelle Obama's fashion and the French first lady's fashion to be quite sexist. I don't blame the Obama's for this--I blame the media. Michelle Obama is a Princeton educated lawyer who had an impressive career before becoming first lady. Yet, somehow she is reduced now to being covered as a fashion plate. No one remarks on the clothes of A. Merkel's husband (I'm assuming she has one). If Hillary Clinton were President, I doubt the media would spend a lot of time covering Bill's fashion style. Because men are treated as serious people, but women are too often covered in terms of how they look and dress. And frankly it doesn't matter if the woman is well educated or not. The first lady, should be covered like a serious person, not like a model or actress. And the media, especially female journalists, should treat her as they would any man in a similar position. It's fine if people want to comment at home about how good or bad she looks. But journalists should refrain from this sexist banter on tv, radio and on-line. Women will never achieve true equality when they are covered differently from men in a similar situation.

[ywcachieve]

Well said.

[DivergentMary]

Thank you! Well stated . . . and so true!

[DinSea]

Right on, Arianna! We needed CHANGE ... we got it! I'm still fired up and full of HOPE.

[rain33]

agree!. i didn't see any thing wrong with touchy scene.queen touched her first not michelle.nobody didn't start that fiasco but some americans.michelle looks great in anything, her makeup was perfect, and she knows how to be a showstopper as a woman! great woman to see as a first lady who isn't looking for attention but she's well deserved as a person.michelle didn't expect to get all of attention ever since barack entered politics.she left her career for him and their adorable daughters.look at what she accomplished before as a first lady,a corporate-civil lawyer, volunteer.michelle obama stands out for what she believes in and she's real as a person.

[darmin]

I want to thank Arianna for talking about grandparents.

I believe that living with grandparents makes life of children very different, very rich emotionally, but also helps them to understand life, take care about people around. Children learn while they are watching parents/ grandparents relationships.
Perhaps many of them, when adult, will choose to live with their parents and not leave theme alone or in nursing home.

[mjc]

While any kind of complaining about Michelle or Barack is absolutely taboo on this web site, I do it anyway simply because I really can't understand how so many feel Michelle or even her husband are some sort of gods, above criticism. To go on and on about some of the very tacky clothes that Michelle wore, even to the palace to meet the queen and shout about her wonderful fashion sense makes people like me wonder if there is some sort of schizoid viewing taking place. Her dress for the queen was so much like those we wore in high school, the dress she has on as she stands in next to Mrs Sarkozy seems like what a working girl might wear TO WORK, both seem to underscore something....think it is that Michelle doesn't want to look like any other first lady ever and perhaps doesn't like to have ANYONE script her clothes. But America doesn't get a black eye because of what a first lady wears, fortunately. The real downer is for people on these threads, including Arianna, and on this site to go on about Michelle's fashion sense; it is just not there!

[serindipity803]

I am amazed you do not put that energy into something constructive -like Michelle does -- so that others can currently benefit and have a better life than most on this planet are experiencing now. Michele Obama may wear a couture line if you want to pay for it.

[PoliticalAmazon]

Can you not refute what the poster said? You have to attack the poster.

You have no knowledge of what the poster does in the physical world.

Your post was nothing but an attack, based on nothing but your anger at someone speaking their opinion about MO's fashion style.

[PoliticalAmazon]

I totally agree. These yes-bots are not MO's friends. The goddess talk is just...well, creepy. It makes me think of the kind of people one ends up getting rest raining orders for.

MO has her own fashion sense, that is clear. Unfortuantely, it is not attractive or appropriate for her role as a First Lady.

She seems to be inspired between a combination of a Philippine jitney bus and a 1980s prom. Either one is bad on its own; combined it equals having her own "What Was She Thinking" column in fashion magazines.

It's not unusual for people of normal beginnings, who spent their attention and efforts on college and graduate school, then marriage and family, to not have a sense of style that works in such a high-ranking and high-profile station as First Lady.

IMO, it is wrong to say that MO's fashion style is perfect no matter what role she is engaged in. Different roles demand different attire.

[ChiEg]

Thank God a lot of people don't share your seemingly all-knowing opinion!

[brandalucia]

I'd really like to see Arianna, who dresses in couture wear some of these cheap,awful outfits Michelle Obama chose for this important trip to Europe. Did it ever occur to Obama that she could promote the great fashion houses here in this country to the world...not the soccer mom wardrobe any housewife can buy. She can look stunning when she wants to...what happened? That hideous dress at the Girls school in London with the sequin strip and the patchwork sweater was too ugly to comment on...

[Epiphany2b]

Okay, promote great fashion houses . . . to create fashions only the rich can afford? That will surely stimulate the economy and set a good example for those who think their brain is only as good as the clothes on their backs.

Did it ever occur to you that perhaps she is trying to portray that women can be effective in the world, raise wonderful children, work at their jobs, be individuals, and even be -- oh, gasp -- soccer moms, without having to spend ridiculous amounts of the limited family budget on couture wear?

Geez, okay, there have been a few of her outfits that I wouldn't have chosen for myself or for her, but we are not her, and we don't have a vote on what she wears. Even if we all could vote, we'd never agree. Someone has to have the final word, and unfortunately for you, IT'S HER DECISION!

[ChiEg]

Well put!

[montecarlo408]

There you are again! Nice to see ya again, tr0!l

[Peachlicious]

WOW, brandish the claws! Your jealousy is really vibrating.

[tiotom77]

When will Mrs Obama publish a swimsuit calander?

[serindipity803]

Surely you jest. Where is the respect?

[PoliticalAmazon]

Oh, no. According to the yes-bots, ANYTHING MO wears is just perfect because she's independent, her own person, yadda yadda yadda yadda.

[headed]

It would just be good to hear Michelle say she is proud of her country!! Her clothes should come somewhere down the bottom of the list of what is important. Some days she scores a 10. Some days it is a 1. Big deal. That makes her about normal.

[elthelight]

I agree wholeheartedly with Arianna. Michelle is successful, confident, genuine and has already "arrived". She hardly needs some pretentious fashion designer to "make her over" to project something that she is not. She is breath of fresh air that obviously does not suffer from needing the approval of others. Was it Bill Cosby who said one of the keys to failure is trying to please everbody? I applaud Michelles sense of self-confidence. She is grounded, confortable in her own skin and a leader, not a follower.

[ywcachieve]

Great comment.

[DivergentMary]

Excellent observation. What a pity that Americans (including the American press) can't stop this immature flap over fashion. As a nation, we are showing the world how obsessed we are with trivialities.

[brandalucia]

She is all that you say BUT it's difficult to get past the ugly clothes. She is a very wealthy woman so why pretend she is a Macy's catalog shopper? She dressed elegantly during the campaign. Why the switch? Is she trying to pull a "just like you and me" thing here? Something is screwy because she had some nice clothes last year.