The Bush Sisters: Daughters of Fashion

Posted on October 10, 2010 | 1 comment
Barbara and Jenna Bush

Barbara (L) and Jenna Bush Hager (Getty Images)

It’s no surprise that the two former first daughters, Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Bush, no what is what in fashion. After having a mother with timeless fashion, like that of Laura Bush, these two girls were surrounded by chic elegance throughout their lives. Pictured above, the women are seen speaking at the 6th annual Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) on September 22nd. Each year, this meeting is held in New York City the same week as the United Nations General Assembly, so that most world leaders are already conveniently in the area and able to attend. The CGI, founded by former President Bill Clinton after his time in office, is a gathering of leaders in many fields, from politics to religion, to discuss global issues at hand.

The Bush Sisters

The Bush Sisters (Getty Images)

At this event the Bush women looked amazing in their fashion forward trends! Barbara Bush was dressed in a bright orange sleeveless sundress with white buttons down the front of the dress. She completed her more casual look with a pair of simple, ballet flats. On the other hand, Jenna Bush was a little more avant-garde with her ensemble. She wore a beige, sheath dress with inverted pleats at the neckline. The best part of Jenna’s ensemble is her knee-high, leather saddle boots. These riding boots are one of fall’s hottest trends. If you don’t own a pair of these boots yet, it’s time to go shopping!

Out of the two sisters, I prefer Jenna’s style over that of Barbara on this occasion. Whose outfit do you like best?

1 Comment

Posted in Barbara Bush, Jenna Bush Hager, Laura Bush

Michelle’s Big Bad Brooch

Posted on October 10, 2010 | Leave a comment
Pres. Obama and Michelle

President Obama and Michelle(Mandel Ngan/Getty Images)

Last Wednesday, October 6th, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama attended another Medal of Honor ceremony in the East Room of the White House. This ceremony honored the bravery and courage of Staff Sergeant Robert Miller, a soldier killed in Afghanistan in January of 2008.

On this occasion, Michelle chose to wear a tomato colored sheath dressed designed by Maria Pinto. The intricate, inverted pleats at the neckline of this dress (very similar to this dress worn by Michelle last week) add weight to Mrs. Obama’s top half of her silhouette, evening out her figure, forming a gorgeous hourglass shape.

I love the shape of this dress, and am even beginning to warm up to the color a little, however, why did Michelle feel the need to add this hideous brooch at the neckline of her ensemble? I think the dress would have been perfectly fine, and much more sophisticated without the pin. I cannot delight in the style of the dress, because my eyes are constantly being drawn to this hideous pin. It is just positioned in a very unusual and awkward place; it looks like it could strangle the first lady. Don’t get me wrong, I love brooches, but in my opinion, they belong on jackets and pinned at the shoulder.

Leave a comment

Posted in Faux Pas?, Michelle Obama

Laura Bush: the woman in black

Posted on October 10, 2010 | Leave a comment

Laura Bush (Getty Images)

I absolutely love the style of former First Lady Laura Bush. Every outfit she chooses to wear is almost always classy and elegant. She embodies the true meaning of grace and sophistication. However, there is one downside to Laura Bush’s style; she almost never wears any colors outside of her normal red, white or pastel color hues

Nonetheless, she never ceases to surprise me! I recently found this picture of Laura Bush speaking at the 6th annual Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) on September 22, 2010 in New York City. Laura looks amazing in her dark black pant suit with small white pinstripes. The stark contrast between the suit and Mrs. Bush’s ivory face highlights her beautiful, fair complexion. And finally, Laura’s signature rouge lipstick color and white pearl earrings add that last bit of elegance, completing her refined look.

Leave a comment

Posted in Laura Bush

Kristen Jarvis: the Woman Behind Michelle Obama

Posted on October 6, 2010 | Leave a comment

Kristen Jarvis with Michelle Obama (Getty Images)

Kristen Jarvis, the special assistant for scheduling and traveling aide for First Lady Michelle Obama, refers to Michelle as her “big sister.” This 28-year-old woman is the reason Mrs. Obama always looks calm and collected. Jarvis even prepared Michelle for the campaign trail last year, telling her what to pack, item by item, down to Oreo cookies and hand sanitizer.

Kristen Jarvis is a graduate of Spelman College, a prestigious historically black women’s college, located in Atlanta, Georgia. She has been with the Obama family for five years, giving her a unique advantage to help the first lady in every way possible. Jarvis even tried to make the transition from Chicago easier by introduced the Obama family to some of her favorite restaurants in Washington, D.C.

“Change is good. She’s very low maintenance,” Jarvis stated, referring to the first lady. Kristen Jarvis agrees that the hours of a White House special assistant are long, but emphasizes that the Obamas have become like her new family.

Leave a comment

Posted in Michelle Obama

Sarah Palin makes appearance on Dancing With The Stars

Posted on October 5, 2010 | Leave a comment

Sarah Palin’s 19-year old daughter, Bristol, has won a stop on this year’s 2010 Dancing With The Stars. Bristol has already made it through the first two cuts on the show, and was even supported by her mother, Sarah Palin, and sister, Piper, in the audience at last week’s show. Although, there has been controversy over whether or not the audience was booing Sarah before she was asked a few questions on the show (take a look at the video below), she still looked fabulous!

For this event, Sarah wore a streamlined, leather jacket paired with a classic pencil skirt. This outfit is amazing! It’s so nice to see Sarah step away from her normal style of skirt suits and pant suits. She completely nailed the style for the show, but simultaneously looked appropriate for her age and position in politics.

Bristol and her dance partner, Mark Ballas, also made a visit to Alaska before the competition, earlier last week, to rehearse some moves and meet Bristol’s family. Sarah Palin greeted Mark wearing a timeless outfit that will never go out of style, black slacks and a black v-neck blouse paired with simple accessories of a necklace and bangles. Of course, with this ensemble she wore her almost always present pompadour hairstyle.

Leave a comment

Posted in Sarah Palin

Chic in Chartreuse

Posted on October 5, 2010 | Leave a comment
Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama (Leslie E. Kossoff-Pool/Getty Images)

Earlier this afternoon, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama hosted the Diplomatic Corps Reception held in Washington, D.C. At this event, the couple welcomed many foreign diplomats into the East Room of the White House and the president used his speech to address several topics, ranging from economic growth for the nations to peace in the Middle East.

For this occasion the first lady stunned in a Jason Wu chartreuse satin sheath with inverted pleat bodice detail, a custom design. This dress looks impeccable on Michelle! This gorgeous color brightens Mrs. Obama’s gorgeous complexion, while the perfectly fitted pleats accentuate her womanly curves. In addition to this, Michelle’s short, teased bob looks stunning; thank goodness she pulled away from her tight bun she has been recently wearing.

Leave a comment

Posted in Michelle Obama

Is O’Donnell Stealing Palin’s Style?

Posted on October 2, 2010 | Leave a comment

Christine O'Donnell and Sarah Palin (MassLive.com/SmallScreenScoop.com)

U.S. Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell won the primary election against Mike Castle in Delaware last month, and now is hoping to defeat Democrat Chris Coons in November’s elections. This election will determine who will gain Vice President Joseph Biden’ old Senate Seat.

O’Donnell has been lucky to receive help and endorsement from Sarah Palin; however, is she receiving more than political help from Palin? Perhaps, Sarah has also shared some fashion advice with Christine.

In the past months, O’Donnel has shaped up to look quite similar to Palin. Not only wearing her signature ensemble of black slacks and conservative red blazer, but also hair color and style, all the way to the same wispy bangs. I love this look on both political women. The color red shows confidence and grabs has the ability to capture the eye of a crowd and gain their attention when speaking. Additionally, the hairstyles of both these women are very classic and appealing.

Is O’Donnell trying to copy Palin’s “American woman” approach to politics by copying her style?

U.S. Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell won the primary election against Mike Castle in Delaware last month, and now is hoping to defeat Democrat Chris Coons in November’s elections. This election will determine who will gain Vice President Joseph Biden’ old Senate Seat.

O’Donnell has been lucky to receive help and endorsement from Sarah Palin; however, is she receiving more than political help from Palin? Perhaps, Sarah has also shared some fashion advice with Christine.

In the past months, O’Donnel has shaped up to look quite similar to Palin. Not only wearing her signature ensemble of black slacks and conservative red blazer, but also hair color and style, all the way to the same wispy bangs. I love this look on both political women. The color red shows confidence and grabs has the ability to capture the eye of a crowd and gain their attention when speaking. Additionally, the hairstyles of both these women are very classic and appealing.

Is O’Donnell trying to copy Palin’s “American woman” approach to politics by copying her style?

Leave a comment

Posted in Sarah Palin

The Great Monochromatic Mistake

Posted on October 2, 2010 | Leave a comment

First Ladies Chantal Biya and Michelle Obama

I’ve heard that the so called “monochromatic” look is in (Read more about it here from Vogue), but really? I believe this look is a little extreme for first ladies. I am all for the first ladies trying to follow in the famous fashion-forward footsteps of our beloved Jacqueline Kennedy, but Jackie never made a clown out of herself.

Just last week, the First Lady of Cameroon, Chantal Biya, toured Stone Barnes Center for Food and Agriculture with Michelle Obama. The tour was an outing for several wives of those at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City. However,  what on earth is she wearing? Yes, this style might look good on the runway, but in my opinion, it is way too bright and showy for a first lady. But then again, maybe she was just trying to imitate Mrs. Obama’s style.

Just a few months earlier, Michelle Obama wore a similar suit as she spoke at the 90th anniversary of the Women’s Bureau at the Department of Labor in Washington, D.C. and highlighted (no pun intended) the progress made by women working outside the home. At this event, Mrs. Obama was dressed in head to toe papaya. Now, Michelle has always been admired for her daring spirit and bold, colorful fashion choices, but orange? Michelle went above and definitely beyond the call of fashion by adding a matching papaya brooch, shoes and even papaya lipstick. I think bright colors are stylish, however, not in abundance.

Who knows? Maybe these first ladies are setting a new trend that will catch on across the states. Or perhaps, they have made a great monochromatic mistake. What do you think?

Leave a comment

Posted in Faux Pas?, Foreign First Ladies, Michelle Obama

Jackie Kennedy Jewelry

Posted on October 2, 2010 | 3 comments

Jackie Kennedy with John Jr. (Jewelry PR Division)

Known for her immaculate style, Jacqueline Kennedy has been admired by women around the world, not only since her first years in the White House, but also now, many years after her death. Jackie’s A-line dresses, clean suits, pillbox hats and elegant jewelry were an overnight success and quickly gave Jackie Kennedy the status of a world-renowned fashion icon. Her chic, sophisticated garments were imminent for setting numerous trends across the globe. Women from the 1960’s all the way to 2009 have wanted to look like Jackie Kennedy, dress like Jackie Kennedy, even desire to embody the essence of Jackie Kennedy.

It is now possible to carry a small bit of Jackie’s style in your daily fashion. The Jackie Kennedy Jewelry Collection made available by Camrose and Kross, provides a wide variety of Jackie’s jewelry replicas, ranging from bracelets to earring, from necklaces to rings. Despite the fact that Jacqueline was known for her expensive, European tastes, The Jackie Kennedy Jewelry Collection makes their jewelry affordable, as well as elegant. You can now dress as Jackie did on her wedding day, when she met with dignitaries, or simply enjoyed a night at home with her family.

Do you like the idea of mimicking Jackie’s style? Are there any other first ladies’ styles you wish would be duplicated?

3 Comments

Posted in Former First Ladies, Jackie Kennedy

Fashion Faux Pas …Again?

Posted on October 1, 2010 | Leave a comment

Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson

A new official White House photo of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama has recently surfaced, picturing the couple with the Uruguay Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luis Almagro. This picture was taken last week at the United Nations General Assembly, located in New York City, at an event taking place at the Natural History Museum.

Jewel Samad/Getty Images

For his occasion, Michelle chose to wear a Alaia maple colored dress, rather similar to her hideous blue gown, also designed by Azzedine Alaia, worn last December to the Nobel Peace Prize gala in Oslo.. You would think that she would have learned not to wear this designer after the first fashion faux pas. The v-neckline and shorter, cocktail length do make this dress slightly less of an eye soar compared to the blue gown. However, overall, come on, shouldn’t the first lady be dressing a little classier? The brooch pinned at the center of the neckline just makes this whole ensemble look cheap.

Leave a comment

Posted in Faux Pas?, Michelle Obama