First Lady's Fashion Reveals Bold Spirit

(NEWSER) - It was bound to happen one day: a misstep by Michelle Obama. She fell for a pair of $540 designer sneakers and trotted them out last week at a food bank, no less. Bad move, says the Guardian. Mrs. I'm-all-about-J. Crew should have ditched the colorful suede Lanvin sneaks and opted for Converse, writes Emma Sibbles. "All the celebrities know they're the hipsters' shortcut to looking cool," she points out. And most importantly for the image-conscious Obamas, they're inexpensive. More»

First Lady's first formal photo highlights famous arms

(NEWSER) - The White House released the first official portrait of Michelle Obama today, People reports, and it calls attention to her most famous accessory. No, not the Kennedy-esque double strand of pearls—her rock-solid arms. In the photo, snapped in the Blue Room, the first lady also sports a sleek black sheath designed by Michael Kors, according to the New York Post. More»

(NEWSER) - Michelle Obama will appear on the cover of Vogue’s March issue, only the second first lady (after Hillary Clinton) to have the fashion honor, the Washington Post reports. While most first ladies in the modern age have had spreads inside, editor Anna Wintour says Michelle's "serene and secure style" made her an obvious fit for the cover. Annie Leibovitz is the photographer. More»

Cuban-American outfits Mrs. O; first lady adds green shoes, gloves

(NEWSER) - The fashion world has been breathlessly waiting to see what Michelle Obama would wear to the inauguration, and the new first lady didn’t disappoint, donning a sparkling lemongrass sheath dress (no traditional suit here) from Isabel Toledo. To ward off cold, parts of the coat and sleeves were pashmina lined, reports the Los Angeles Times, and lace was layered over wool. Michelle tacked on green J Crew gloves, along with green shoes. More»

McCain, Obama make statements with style

(NEWSER) - First lady fashions are more than trivial concerns: Their choices reflect on presidential campaigns and hold the power to spark new trends, writes Robin Givhan in the Washington Post. Cindy McCain "has endorsed the status quo" by turning to White House veteran Oscar de la Renta, while Michelle Obama "has shown her willingness to embrace a new generation of designers." More»