Carla Bruni: First Lady Dressing Was Actually 'A Pleasure' (PHOTOS)

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy's time as France's first lady was certainly a stylish (and more expensive) era for Élysée Palace. The stunning brunette took on her role with the elegance and panache that we'd expect from a bonafide supermodel.

These days, however, we're more accustomed to seeing Carla decidedly dressed down, making us wonder if the constraints of first lady-dom forced her to dress in a more prim and proper manner than she would have liked. On the contrary, in a conversation with Women's Wear Daily, the mother of two seems to miss all of those fancy engagements:

WWD: As a first lady, you must have faced some restrictions in your way of dressing. Are you happy to be freed of them?

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy: No, because in my daily life, I could wear whatever I wanted. However, I have less obligation to dress up because I no longer have official duties. It was only to welcome guests or to accompany my husband on state visits, but it was a pleasure. In my [everyday] life, I dress in a very simple and comfortable way. I find it elegant to dress simply.

Of couse, it wasn't all Dior, Chanel and Alaïa for Carla. The singer received her fair share of criticism for the "deeply unflattering" pantsuit she wore upon her husband's exit from office. Many assumed she was sending a message with the uncharacteristically pared-down ensemble, but Carla later told Vanity Fair that she simply was adjusting to her post-pregnancy body. "Those were the only pants I could get into!” she said.

But since we, along with Carla, feel nostalgique about her first lady wardrobe, we've highlighted a few favorite looks below. And don't worry -- we still have plenty of Bruni fashion moments to look forward to when she launches her global music tour this year.

PHOTOS:

Carla always had good style:

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