The Year in Fashion 2008
Because Symbols Mean Something
Why should French First Ladies have all the fun? Many Americans were outraged at the amount of attention paid to the Narciso Rodriguez dress Michelle Obama wore on election night, as if all that talk about her attire somehow trivialized the occasion. But we choose to see Mrs. O's fashion risk-taking as a small but potent sign that the next four (eight?) years won't be politics—or pantsuits—as usual. And if nothing else, Obama—who sparked a run on yellow J.Crew pencil skirts and cardigans after an appearance on The Tonight Show—could be a one-woman bailout package for one of the nation's key consumer sectors. Game on, Madame Bruni-Sarkozy.
Why should French First Ladies have all the fun? Many Americans were outraged at the amount of attention paid to the Narciso Rodriguez dress Michelle Obama wore on election night, as if all that talk about her attire somehow trivialized the occasion. But we choose to see Mrs. O's fashion risk-taking as a small but potent sign that the next four (eight?) years won't be politics—or pantsuits—as usual. And if nothing else, Obama—who sparked a run on yellow J.Crew pencil skirts and cardigans after an appearance on The Tonight Show—could be a one-woman bailout package for one of the nation's key consumer sectors. Game on, Madame Bruni-Sarkozy.